Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 15/03/2013 Congress' spring session tackles crisis in Europe and challenges to local and regional democracy Strasbourg, 14.03.2013 - The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has decided to devote a large part of its two annual sessions in 2013 (March and October) to the theme “Europe in crisis – the challenges for local and regional democracy”. The aim is to generate exchanges between European local and regional elected representatives on ways of addressing not only the financial crisis but also the crisis of confidence in the political process.   This will give rise to a number of...

Secretary General 13/03/2013 Secretary General congratulates Francis on his election as new Pope Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 13 March 2013 - Following the election of Francis as new Pope, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland made the following statement:   "I congratulate Francis on his election as new Pope of the Catholic Church and head of state of the Holy See, an observer state to the Council of Europe. On behalf of the Council of Europe I wish him all the best and look forward to continuing our good cooperation with the Holy See."       Read also: Holy See and the Council of Europe  

Committee of Ministers 13/03/2013 Statement of Committee of Ministers on recent executions in Japan and United States Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 13 March 2013 - At the meeting of the Ministers' Deputies on 13 March 2013, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the following statement :   "The Committee of Ministers deplores the executions which have recently taken place in Japan and in the United States of America, observer States to the Council of Europe.   These executions run counter to the growing trend against the death penalty at the international level as shown by the latest resolution on the moratorium on the use of the death...

Secretary General 12/03/2013 Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland meets Israeli President Shimon Peres Israeli President Shimon Peres and Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 12 March 2013 - Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, after Peres had delivered a speech to the European Parliament today.   In their meeting, Peres and Jagland discussed Europe-Israeli relations, neighbourhood policy, and cooperation between Israel and the Council of Europe.   The Israeli parliament – the Knesset – was granted observer status with the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly in 1957. ...

Council of Europe 12/03/2013 Debates on European identity - Inaugural session Strasbourg 12 March, 2013 - What are roots of European identity? What does European identity mean today and how is it related to European integration? How can the Council of Europe help foster positive European identities? Karsten ALNAES, Norwegian historian, author of ‘The History of Europe’ will inaugurate a new series of Debates on European Identity on Tuesday 12 March 2013, 2.15 pm, in the Palais de l’Europe, Room 2. Karsten Alnaes will be speaking about ‘Roots of European identity – challenges and threats’. By inviting eminent personalities from politics, civil...

Council of Europe and European Commission 11/03/2013 Statement on Hungarian Parliament vote on 4th amendment to Constitution Secretary General Jagland and President Barroso, Brussels, November 2011 Vote by the Hungarian Parliament of the Fourth amendment to the Hungarian Fundamental Law : s tatement from the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe    Strasbourg, 11.03.2013 - "President Barroso and Secretary General Jagland take note of the adoption today of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution by the Hungarian Parliament.   Unfortunately, experts from the Council of Europe and from the European Commission...

Commissioner for Human Rights 08/03/2013 Concerted efforts are needed to achieve progress on human rights protection in the Republic of Moldova Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks Chisinau, 8/3/2013 - "The Republic of Moldova needs to continue its efforts to strengthen the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, while placing human rights at the forefront of ongoing reforms", said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights , at the end of his four-day visit in the country.   "The National Human Rights Action Plan is a positive step, but there is a need to ensure better communication about it, both internally...

Secretary General 07/03/2013 Secretary General questions expulsion of deputy from Ukrainian Parliament Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 7 March 2013 - The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has asked the Ukrainian authorities to explain on what legal basis Mr Serhiy Vlasenko, an opposition deputy, was stripped of his parliamentary seat yesterday.   “I find it very unusual that a deputy elected by the people can be expelled from Parliament at short notice and without having committed a serious crime.   I have asked the Ukrainian authorities to provide an explanation for this action which may affect a fundamental...

Group of States against Corruption 06/03/2013 Anti-corruption body praises UK parliament, judges and prosecutors for taking corruption prevention seriously . Strasbourg, 06.03.2013 – Published today by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) , an evaluation of the UK’s parliament, judges and prosecutors was largely positive. “Nothing emerged during the current evaluation which could indicate any element of corruption in relation to judges, nor is there evidence of judicial decisions being influenced in an inappropriate manner”, according to the 46-page report. In this context, the report also emphasised transparency...

Secretary General 06/03/2013 Secretary General calls upon Hungarian government and parliament to postpone vote on constitutional amendments Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 6 March 2013 - In a statement today, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe calls upon the Hungarian government and parliament to postpone a vote on constitutional amendments scheduled for Monday so that the proposed amendments can be examined by the Venice Commission .   “I am concerned about the compatibility of the constitutional amendments with the principle of the rule of law, as set out in the Statute of the Council of Europe. The Hungarian government is reintroducing the Transitional...

President of the Parliamentary Assembly 05/03/2013 Promise to end violence against women is commitment which must be honoured PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 05.03.2013 – In the run-up to International Women’s Day, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, has issued the following declaration:   “8 March is an auspicious annual occasion for all those involved in promoting women’s rights. This year the event will have the theme of ‘A Promise is a Promise: Time to Act to End Violence against Women’.   The Council of Europe has a major instrument at its disposal,...

Parliamentary Assembly 01/03/2013 Parliamentary Assembly President meets Ban Ki-Moon, speaks at event on women's rights From left to right: Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Lakshmi Puri and Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 01.03.2013 – Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in New York on 5 March. On the day before, he will speak at a side event o rganised by the Council of Europe and the permanent mission of France to the United Nations, at the 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women . This event is aimed at promoting the swift entry into force of the Istanbul...

Deputy Secretary General 01/03/2013 Deputy Secretary General addresses UN Commission on Status of Women in New York Gabriella Battaini Dragoni Strasbourg, 1 March 2013 – On 4 March, Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni will address the UN Commission on the Status of Women, to promote the Istanbul Convention as an efficient and practical tool for governments to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. The Convention was drafted in Europe, but is not meant for Europe only. Any state can accede to it or use it as a model for national and regional legislation and policies. High-level bilateral meetings are also on the agenda of her two-day...

Council of Europe 27/02/2013 Trinity College Dublin team wins 2013 European Human Rights Moot Court Competition Trinity College team and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Strasbourg, 27.02.2013 - Students from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) were declared winners of the first edition of the European Moot Court Competition in English on the European Convention of Human Rights, after beating a team from Essex University (United Kingdom) in the final round. The best orator prize was awarded to Joanna Kisielinska from Torun University (Poland) and the best written submissions prize to the team from Trinity College Dublin. The final round took place at the European Court of...

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 26/02/2013 Congress fact-finding mission to Georgia Jean-Philippe Bozouls, Executive Secretary of Congress’s Chamber of Local Authorities, Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia, Helena Pihlajasaari, Congress Rapporteur on Georgia Strasbourg, 26 February 2013 - A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is carrying out a fact-finding mission to Georgia on 27 and 28 February 2013 to obtain information on the situation of local and regional democracy in this country since the last elections, held in October 2012.   The delegation met with Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia....

Secretary General 25/02/2013 Secretary General warns over new wave of discrimination against Roma Thorbjørn Jagland Geneva, 26 February 2013 – In his speech to the UN Human Rights Council, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland expressed concern over the rise of anti-Gypsyism and racial violence towards Roma in Europe, and stressed the need for effective integration policies. “We need to change attitudes among the non- Roma population,” he added.   Meetings with Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Frans Timmermans, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Radoslaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister of Poland and Edgars Rinkēvičs, Foreign Minister of...

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 22/02/2013 Congress pre-election delegation heads for "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" Strasbourg, 22 February 2013 - A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe , headed by Rapporteur Jüri LANDBERG, Estonia (L, ILDG) will carry out a pre-electoral mission to "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia "from 24 to 27 February 2013. This mission is organised in view of the local elections to be held in the country on 24 March 2013. At this stage, a larger Congress delegation will be deployed to observe the vote. On 25 February, meetings are planned, in...

President ot the Parliamentary Assembly 21/02/2013 Parliamentary Assembly President makes official visit to Romania Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 21 February, 2013 - Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will make an official visit to Romania from 25 to 26 February 2013. On the first day of the visit, Mr Mignon will meet Prime Minister Victor Ponta as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs Titus Corlăţean. At the Palace of the Parliament, he will meet the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Ştefan Zgonea. He will have an exchange of views with the members of the Committees for Foreign Affairs, European...

Commissioner for Human Rights 21/02/2013 Czech Republic: Stronger efforts needed to end segregation of Roma Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks Strasbourg, 21/2/2013 - “Segregation of Roma children in education remains a serious human rights concern in the Czech Republic. Many of them are still taught as children with mild disabilities, in contravention of the 2007 D.H. judgment of the European Court of Human Rights which condemned the Czech Republic for this practice. Urgent action is needed to remedy this shortcoming”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, releasing a report based on the findings of his visit to this...