Secretary General 30/11/2011 Secretary General reacts to announcement of new death sentences in Belarus Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 30.11.2011- Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland today made the following statement: “I urge the Belarus authorities not to carry out the death sentences pronounced today against Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou. The crime they were found guilty of was barbaric, but their punishment should not be the same. Belarus is the only country in Europe which still executes people and I would urge the authorities to introduce an immediate moratorium with a view to its ultimate abolition. The victims of...

Group of States against Corruption 30/11/2011 GRECO calls for improved anti-bribery legislation and stricter supervision of political funding in Ukraine GRECO calls for improved anti-bribery legislation and stricter supervision of political funding in Ukraine The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called for Ukraine to increase its efforts to combat bribery and create greater transparency of political funding. In their third report ( theme I / theme II ) on Ukraine, GRECO warned that determined action in the area of political financing was clearly required in order to foster citizens’ trust in Ukraine’s democratic system, its...

Parliamentary Assembly 30/11/2011 2011, deadliest year for boat people in Mediterranean Sea Gamma Strasbourg, 30.11.2011 - “With 1971 boatpeople having perished in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach European soil from North Africa, the year 2011 sets a sad record as the deadliest year for boatpeople,” Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC) said at the end of a hearing on this issue, organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Migration Committee.   Mrs Strik’s report will focus on an incident reported in March this year, during which 63 boat people escaping from Libya died after their appeals for...

Commissioner for Human Rights 29/11/2011 Politically-motivated murders are not effectively investigated – this feeds a culture of impunity Thomas Hammarberg Assassinations of human rights defenders, investigative journalists, activist lawyers and critical opinion makers have not been seriously investigated in a number of critical cases. These flagrant examples have come to symbolise the phenomenon of impunity, which encourages further murders and has a chilling effect on public debate, says Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today. There has been an escalation of such politically-motivated killings during...

Secretary General 28/11/2011 Secretary General opens the "Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue in Luxembourg" Thorbjørn Jagland and Jean Asselborn © SIP / Charles Caratini “Religion can be a powerful and positive force for social cohesion, allowing communities of different origins to work for the common good, in line with their belief”, said Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, during his opening speech at the Abbaye de Neumunster in Luxembourg.   The event, organised by the Committee of Ministers, at the invitation of the Luxembourg government, gathers representatives of religious communities, together with media...

Commissioner for Human Rights 28/11/2011 Independence and impartiality are fundamental principles in which justice should be grounded Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights “Independence and impartiality are fundamental principles in which justice should be grounded. If these principles are undermined, the system loses its credibility, which can be very damaging to the functioning of democracy” said the Commissioner for Human Rights finishing his visit to Ukraine.   During this visit, Thomas Hammarberg noted with concern the uncertain situation of the Ukrainian Supreme Court, the large number of the judgments of the...

Intercultural dialogue 25/11/2011 Media, Beliefs and Religions Abbaye de Neumuenster, Luxembourg Media, Beliefs and Religions: the 2011 Council of Europe Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, organised by the Committee of Ministers, will take place at the invitation of the Luxembourgish government at the Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg City , on 28 and 29 November. The 4th edition (1) will expand on the theme launched in 2010 in Ohrid (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”), on “the role of the media in fostering intercultural dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding: freedom of expression of the...

Commissioner for Human Rights 25/11/2011 Human Rights Commissioner: shortlist announced Committee of Ministers The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has submitted a shortlist of three candidates for the post of Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner to the Organisation’s Parliamentary Assembly. He will take over from present Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg at the end of his mandate (31 March 2012). The candidates are Pierre-Yves Monette (Belgium), Nils Muiznieks (Latvia) and Frans Timmermans (Netherlands).   Pierre-Yves Monette is a former advisor to King Baudouin and King Albert II of Belgium, Federal Ombudsman of Belgium and Attorney at the Brussels' Bar. He...

Secretary General 24/11/2011 Secretary General condemns prison sentence against Belarus human rights defender Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 24.11.2011- "I strongly condemn the harsh prison sentence pronounced today against human rights defender Ales Bialiatski for alleged tax evasion. Mr Bialiatski's treatment is a clear example of the authorities' persistent harassment of the work of civil society organisations especially in the wake of the 19 December 2010 presidential elections. He must be set free unconditionally, as all the other political prisoners, and allowed to carry on his work protecting and upholding human rights in Belarus, without pressure upon either him or the...

Deputy Secretary General 24/11/2011 Council of Europe Convention as new hope in stopping violence against women Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio has urged governments to sign and ratify Europe’s first treaty aimed at combating violence against women and domestic violence. Speaking on the eve of 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, she said the Council of Europe’s new Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence had the potential to truly make a difference to the lives of millions of women....

Budget 2012-2013 24/11/2011 Council of Europe 2012-2013 first biennial Programme and Budget adopted Council of Europe 2012-2013 first biennial Programme and Budget adopted The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has approved the Organisation’s Programme and Budget for the biennium 2012-2013. This completes the move of the Council of Europe to a biennial programme and budget cycle in order to allow better planning and resource management, in line with other international organisations such as the United Nations and the OECD.     The Programme and Budget 2012-2013 is geared towards a strict control of expenditure, including significant reductions in...

Secretary General 23/11/2011 Secretary General meets French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé Secretary General meets French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé for bilateral consultations on Wednesday in Paris.    Topics of discussion included the reform of the European Court of Human Rights, the developments to southern Mediterranean countries and the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights.         French Ministry of Foreign Affairs France and the Council of Europe European Court of Human Rights EU...

Secretary General 23/11/2011 Secretary General Jagland and Austrian Vice Chancellor Spindelegger call to “maximise freedoms and minimise risks” on the web ''Our Internet – Our rights, Our freedoms'': Council of Europe conference in Vienna Ahead of a joint conference in Vienna the Austrian Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Spindelegger and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland have called for the Internet to be governed according to human rights standards.   “We must ensure that there are the same standards for the protection of human rights off-line and online. We must not...

CPT 23/11/2011 Anti-torture Committee publishes report on Ukraine Shutterstock The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its visit to Ukraine in September 2009, together with the response of the Ukrainian Government. In its report, the CPT notes an improvement of material conditions of detention in law enforcement establishments and of the conditions in which immigration detainees are held, as well as the stepping up of efforts aimed at the social rehabilitation of prisoners and their preparation for release. However, the Committee expresses concern that little progress...

Internet governance 22/11/2011 ''Our Internet – Our rights, Our freedoms'': Council of Europe conference in Vienna “Our Internet – Our rights, Our freedoms” A high level conference organised by the Council of Europe and the Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs of Austria on the theme “Our Internet – Our rights, Our freedoms” will take place in Vienna on 24 and 25 November. Council of Europe member states, the private sector, parliamentarians, civil society and the Internet community will look for ways to give better protection to human rights, democracy and the rule of law online. The conference will contribute to defining...

LGBT rights 21/11/2011 Same sex partnership – Which solutions to freedom of movement barriers in Europe? Same sex-partnership conference As same sex couples cannot freely move from country to country, they are being denied the same rights as heterosexual couples in Europe, a conference hosted at the Council of Europe revealed.   Organised by French campaigning group l’Autre Cercle in close cooperation with the city of Strasbourg, under the patronage of Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, the conference looked for solutions to problems of mutual recognition of same sex partnership and marriages in both the European Union and Council of Europe member...

Cybercrime 16/11/2011 Conference on Cybercrime: Budapest Convention ten years after its adoption Conference on Cybercrime The Budapest Convention still represents the only accepted international treaty to protect freedom, security and human rights online. Achievements and challenges will be discussed at the annual Council of Europe conference on cybercrime, organised on 21 and 22 November in Strasbourg, which will be followed by a special meeting to mark the 10th anniversary of the Convention on 23 November. On this occasion, the Council of Europe will gather experts from all over the world, representing governments, law enforcement and the Internet industry. In a series of...

Parliamentary Assembly 15/11/2011 Assembly Committee calls on Egyptian authorities to protect effectively Coptic community Parliamentary Assembly The Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), at its meeting in Paris today, called on the Egyptian authorities and in particular on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to protect effectively the Coptic community, to investigate the events of 9 October 2011 and to bring to justice those responsible for violence so as to ensure a peaceful environment for the up-coming elections. "Egypt is due to start its first free and fair electoral process in two weeks time but no democratic...

Secretary General 15/11/2011 Secretary General addresses media freedom in Turkey and meets Prime Minister Erdogan Thorbjørn Jagland By invitation of the Turkish Ministry of Justice the Secretary General participated in a conference entitled "Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning Turkey: Difficulties and Suggestions for Solutions".   The conference addressed a range of issues including the high number of cases pending against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights concerning freedom of expression.   Jagland told journalists: “Media freedom is evidently a problem. The situation gives rise to concern. However, I have witnessed...

Children's rights 15/11/2011 Council of Europe mapped out its children’s rights strategy for 2012-2015 Conference on the strategy for the rights of the Child: opening ceremony The Council of Europe brought together ministers, MPs, children’s rights defenders and civil society representatives to finalise its new strategy for children’s rights at a conference held under the auspices of H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover on 20 and 21 November in Monaco (at the Grimaldi Forum).   The strategy is designed to enhance the capacity of the Council of Europe and its 47 member states to ensure respect for children’s rights, in particular by developing...