Secretary General 15/10/2012 Secretary General Jagland visits Germany Strasbourg, 15.10.2012 – Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland was in Berlin on Tuesday for meetings with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and the Head of the Federal Chancellery, Minister Ronald Pofalla. He also paid a courtesy visit to Chancellor Angela Merkel. Talks focused on the human rights situation in Europe, the reform of the Council of Europe and its current priorities. Together with Foreign Minister Westerwelle, the Secretary General inaugurated the 30th Council of Europe art exhibition – “ The Desire for Freedom: Art in Europe since 1945 ” – at the...

Venice Commission 15/10/2012 Council of Europe legal experts welcome amendments to Hungarian judiciary as “commendable step in the right direction” 17.10.2012 - In an opinion adopted by the Venice Commission – the Council of Europe's independent advisory body on constitutional matters – recent amendments to Hungary’s laws on the judiciary were welcomed as curbing the power of the president of the National Judiciary Office. Amendments that limit the NJO president’s term of office and subject his or her discretionary powers to judicial review were positively assessed by the Commission as increasing the independence of the judiciary. As indicated in the opinion,...

Parliamentary Assembly 12/10/2012 PACE President welcomes the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU PACE President  Jean-Claude Mignon this morning welcomed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union (EU). “I welcome the Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU for its contribution to the promotion of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The Council of Europe, which was already in existence when the EU was created in 1957, has been working since 1949 to safeguard these same principles throughout our continent. With its 47 member states it promotes democracy, human rights and the rule of law in...

National Minorities Committee 12/10/2012 Minorities cannot afford to miss out on language rights, says National Minorities Committee Language rights play a key role in the protection of national minorities in Europe, according to the Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The Committee will present a new commentary on language rights to member states of the Council of Europe at a conference in Strasbourg (Agora building GO1) on 15 October from 9:30 am until 4 pm. According to the committee, governments must develop inclusive language policies to ensure that everyone is granted the right to use minority languages,...

Conference of Ministers responsible for Social Cohesion 12/10/2012 Social Cohesion Ministers adopt Istanbul Declaration The Istanbul Declaration was adopted today at the 2nd Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Social Cohesion. The Declaration "Building a secure future for all" will serve as a major guideline for effective and innovative social cohesion policies and actions in Council of Europe member states, especially during times of financial and economic crisis.   The event takes stock of the implementation of the Council of Europe's " New strategy and action plan for social cohesion ", highlighting good practices and developing new...

Committe of Ministers 10/10/2012 Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the death penalty Committee of Ministers On this 10 October 2012, European and World Day against the death penalty, and in support of the joint statement of Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe and Ms Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, the Committee of Ministers wishes to reaffirm its unequivocal opposition to the death penalty, in all places and in all circumstances.   It welcomes the fact that no more executions are carried out on the territory of the member States of the Council of Europe. It...

Council of Europe and European Union 10/10/2012 European and World Day against the Death Penalty European flag Strasbourg, 10.10.2012 - Capital punishment is inhumane and unnecessary. Experience has also shown that it does not serve as a deterrent to crime. No legal system is flawless; any miscarriage of justice could lead to the tragic loss of an innocent life.   Abolition of the death penalty throughout Europe, and beyond, is an objective common to all our member states (*). No execution has taken place in our member states in the last fifteen years.   The European Union and the Council of Europe encourage all European States which have not yet abolished the death...

World Forum for Democracy 08/10/2012 Thorbjørn Jagland: "Democracy is a guarantor of progress and prosperity" Democracy as a system that enshrines universal values. Democracy as an agent of peace. Democracy as a guarantor of progress and prosperity. Council of Europe Secretary General today opened the Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy, highlighting the unique role of democracy around the globe. "Our model of democracy has been compromised because its institutions are largely national while most of the problems -and potential solutions- are globalised", added Thorbjørn Jagland, acknowledging the impact of new technologies in the international political...

World Forum for Democracy 08/10/2012 Bernard Cazeneuve says democracy is no static model, but reinvented and recreated “Democracy is and never stops being put to the test of bridging a gap,” the French Minister in charge of European Affairs, Bernard Cazeneuve, said at the opening of the World Forum for Democracy. Democracy cannot be dissociated from fundamental principles like freedom of expression and assembly, freedom of the press, and equal rights. “The idea of universality is what unites us and urges humility and tolerance upon us,” he added.     By its aspiration to freedom and democracy, the youth of the Arab Spring showed the way, the...

Word Democracy Forum 08/10/2012 “All we are asking is mercy” Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman tells World Forum for Democracy. Yemeni journalist and peace prize winner Tawakkol Karman launched a plea for mercy in Syria during the World Forum for Democracy as she told of her “despair” at the human suffering.   Speaking at the open ceremony, Ms Karman called for support for the Syrian people, and for the UN to act wherever injustice was found.  Governments worldwide must commit to international rights law to create change in a world where liberty was being trampled by dictators, she said.   Democracy and development go hand in hand, Ms Karman...

Word Democracy Forum 08/10/2012 Ban Ki-moon: thirst for dignity is today pressing and universal Speaking at the opening of the Word Democracy Forum, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that there is a pressing thirst of dignity throughout the world following the demands for democracy in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the last two years.   Ban Ki-moon said that the case of Syria shows how the current democratic transitions have given life to hope and many changes, but have also generated uncertainty and fear. "There is no guarantee of success. It takes time to build democracy", he warned, and called for efforts to support democratic progress...

World Forum for Democracy 07/10/2012 Human rights must be at the heart of a truly inclusive democracy Strasbourg, 07/10/2012 – Civil society activists, journalists, bloggers, and academics from all over the world, have gathered on the eve of the World Forum for Democracy to formulate their contribution to the debate surrounding the nature and future of democracy.   “To have a real functioning democracy, human rights need to be respected. Rights that go beyond the simple right to vote at elections”, said Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni.   How can we narrow the divide between citizens and leaders and ensure...

President of the Parliamentary Assembly 05/10/2012 President of the PACE in favour of participatory democracy mechanisms for young people Strasbourg, 05.10.2012 -"As a parliamentarian, I attach a great deal of importance to political participation by young people. It is vital to make political mandates accessible to the younger generation, at both national and European level, in order to reduce young people's distrust of political leaders. But that is not enough: participatory democracy mechanisms also need to be developed, formal and informal, so that it is possible for all interested young people to play their part in the decision-making process", said Jean-Claude Mignon,...

Secretary General 05/10/2012 Secretary General Jagland concerned over law on homosexuality in Ukraine Kyiv, Ukraine Strasbourg, 5 October 2012 – In a letter sent to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland expressed deep concern over a bill which proposes to ban the so-called “promotion” of homosexuality. The Secretary General urged the Ukrainian authorities to guarantee the principles of freedom of expression and non-discrimination, which are set out in the European Convention on Human Rights, before submitting this bill to a second reading. The Ukrainian Parliament needs to protect sexual...

Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings 04/10/2012 GRETA report: prevent trafficking, protect victims and prosecute offenders Campaign poster Strasbourg, 04.10.2012 – In its latest annual report , published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking watchdog GRETA (Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings) has urged countries across the continent to step up the fight against human trafficking.   “Human trafficking is a European tragedy. Today’s report shows that women, men and children are falling victim to sexual abuse, labour exploitation or being forced into criminality in countries across the...

Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers 04/10/2012 Statement by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania Strasbourg, 4 October 2012 - Statement by Mr Edmond Panariti, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania, on the Syrian bombing in Turkey: “I firmly condemn the shelling of the Turkish village of Akçakale by Syrian forces yesterday. I express my condolences to the families of the victims and my solidarity with the Turkish government and the Turkish people. I urge the Syrian authorities once again to put an immediate end to violence,...

Parliamentary Assembly 04/10/2012 Albanian President: tolerance and harmony can make a difference The Council of Europe’s knowledge and experience provide the key to promote democratic societies that respect and uphold diversity, Albanian President Bujar Nishani told the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly today.   Marking Albania’s first ever chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Nishani  called for support for membership of Kosovo in the Council of Europe as a way to ensure that  European standards take root. Dialogue and institutional engagement were the only way to resolve internal problems and outstanding issues amongst neighbouring...

Parliamentary Assembly 04/10/2012 PACE condemns ‘crimes against humanity’ in Syria Parliamentary Assembly Strasbourg, 04.10.2012 – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has today condemned “the continuing, systematic and gross human rights violations, amounting to crimes against humanity, committed in Syria,” and called on Europe to show greater solidarity with Syrians who are victims of the conflict and the neighbouring states sheltering them.     In a resolution based on a report by Giacomo Santini (Italy, EPP/CD), the Assembly said the humanitarian situation was “becoming more and more critical” for the estimated 1.2...

Secretary General 04/10/2012 Secretary General warns of the risk of the Syrian conflict spreading in the region Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 4 October 2012 - Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, issued today the following statement:   "I am extremely concerned about the violence on the Turkish-Syrian border yesterday. The loss of lives in a member state of the Council of Europe is deplorable, and illustrates the risk of the Syrian conflict spreading in the region. I call upon the Syrian leadership to end the senseless killing and upon the international community to agree on a united and effective response to address this crisis. I extend...

Secretary General 03/10/2012 Secretary General Jagland calls for a constructive handover of government after the elections in Georgia Secretary General Jagland today issued the following statement on the results of the Georgian elections: “The successful completion of open and competitive elections, recognised as democratic by the international observers including members of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, should be seen as a clear and unequivocal sign of the success of the democratic transformation of Georgian society over the last few years. I congratulate the Georgian Dream Coalition on the election victory. It is now important to complete all stages of...