Parliamentary Assembly 24/02/2012 Parliamentary Assembly to observe presidential election in Russia A 29-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), headed by Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), will visit the Russian Federation from 1 to 5 March to observe the conduct of the presidential election, alongside observers from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE. The delegation is due to meet the candidates in the presidential election, the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission Vladimir Churov, NGOs and media representatives, and diplomats from some Council of Europe member states in Moscow, before observing...

Committee of Ministers 24/02/2012 Committee of Ministers to discuss situation in Syria with UN Human Rights Council Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 23 February 2012 - The Ministers’ Deputies adopted a decision supporting the statement made by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 15 February 2012 regarding the situation in Syria. They will readdress this issue at their next meeting on 14 March, in the presence of Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of the UN Human Rights Council, and members of his Commission.   In his statement on 15 February, Secretary General...

Commissioner for Human Rights 23/02/2012 Ukraine’s judiciary needs more independence Thomas Hammarberg “Systemic deficiencies in the functioning of the Ukrainian judicial system seriously hinder the enjoyment of human rights. The authorities should take resolute steps to better address these problems” said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, upon publishing a report based on the findings of his visit to Ukraine from 19 to 26 November 2011. The Commissioner recommended simplifying the overall organisation of the judiciary and clarifying fully the respective roles and jurisdiction of different levels in the court system, in...

Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) 22/02/2012 Anti-torture Committee publishes report on Germany The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published on 22 February the  report on its visit to Germany , in November/December 2010, together with the response of the German authorities. One of the main objectives of the visit was to examine in detail the conditions of detention in units for immigration detainees in prisons. In this connection, the CPT was particularly concerned about the situation found at Munich-Stadelheim Prison, where...

Secretary General 22/02/2012 Secretary General calls on Dutch government to respond to concerns about problematic website Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 22.02.2012 - In a letter to Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has requested the Dutch government to clarify its position regarding a website sponsored by Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch political party PVV.   The website is widely regarded as xenophobic because it solicits and disseminates negative reports about citizens of central and eastern European countries working in the Netherlands.   While emphasising the right to freedom of expression, Jagland questioned the website...

ECRI 21/02/2012 Council of Europe anti-racism body latest reports Strasbourg, 21 February 2012 - Council of Europe Anti-Racism Commission ( ECRI) published six new reports on the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance in Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Montenegro and Ukraine. ECRI’s Chair ad interim, François Sant'Angelo, welcomed positive developments in these countries, but said that issues of concern remain. - Report on Iceland - Report on Italy - Report on Latvia - Report on Luxembourg - Report on Montenegro - Report on Ukraine *** ECRI is a human rights body of the Council of Europe,...

Commissioner for Human Rights 20/02/2012 Persons with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities must enjoy their individual rights Persons with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities are today routinely placed under a guardianship regime in several European countries - they are deprived of their “legal capacity”. In the eyes of the law they are seen as non-persons and their decisions have no legal relevance. This policy violates agreed human rights standards, says Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today together with an issue paper on the same topic. The bulk of the legal capacity...

Commissioner for Human Rights 17/02/2012 Andorra: "Remaining gaps in human rights protection should be filled," says Commissioner for Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg Andorra La Vella, 17/2/2012 – “The Andorran authorities intend to respect their obligations to ensure human rights protection in the country. However, further efforts are needed, for example to prevent domestic violence, protect against discrimination, and promote national independent monitoring of human rights standards”, said Council of Europe Commissioner for human rights, Thomas Hammarberg, at the end of a two-day visit to Andorra.   The Commissioner...

Committee of Ministers 16/02/2012 Council of Europe calls on states to renew public service media Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 16.02.2012 – The Council of Europe today called on member states to strengthen editorial and operational independence of public broadcasters and other public service media.   The Organisation’s Committee of Ministers has adopted a Declaration and a Recommendation urging member states to renew and adapt the governance framework for public service media to the modern communication environment, where the relationship with the public is based on transparency, openness and dialogue.   The Council of Europe supports public...

Secretary General 16/02/2012 Secretary General reacts to the situation in Syria Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 15 February 2012 - Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland published the following statement today, in reaction to the situation in Syria:   "I am deeply concerned about the appalling suffering of population in Syria, which is a neighbour to the Council of Europe. The violence started because the Syrian government reacted with repression to peaceful protests and demands for transition to democratic governance involving all ethnic and religious group in Syria. Therefore I call on the international community to agree on a united and effective response...

Children’s rights 15/02/2012 Council of Europe proposes four-year plan for children’s rights Strasbourg, 15.02.2012 – The Council of Europe today adopted a new strategy to implement fundamental standards to protect and promote children’s rights. It will provide guidance, advice and support to its 47 member states on how best to bridge gaps between standards and practice. The strategy will focus on four main objectives: - promoting child-friendly services and systems (in the areas of justice, health and social services); - eliminating all forms of violence against children (including sexual violence, trafficking, corporal punishment and violence in schools); -...

Parliamentary Assembly 13/02/2012 Russian Federation: PACE pre-electoral delegation told of urgent need for a fair election Strasbourg, 13.02.2012 – Russia on the eve of its Presidential election remains a nation poised between hope and fear, where much is possible but nothing is yet sure, according to a pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), concluding a four-day visit to Moscow.   The five-member delegation, in Moscow from 8 to 11 February 2012, met four of the five candidates: Sergey Mironov, Mikhail Prokhorov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Guennady Zyuganov. All stressed the urgent need to meet widespread popular demands...

Secretary General 10/02/2012 Jagland discusses integration with eight Presidents in Helsinki Meeting in Helsinki Strasbourg, 10 February 2012 - Invited by President Halonen of Finland, Secretary General Jagland took part in a meeting with the presidents of Italy, Germany, Latvia, Portugal, Hungary, Slovenia and Finland. Secretary General presented a strategy for the democratic management of diversity in Europe. ( see the report “Living Together” by the Group of Eminent Persons ). Thorbjørn Jagland warned that Europe’s immigration and integration debate has been hijacked by extremists on both sides. The Secretary General called on Europe’s leaders to...

Commissioner for Human Rights 10/02/2012 Iceland needs comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, stresses Commissioner Hammarberg Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg “Iceland should adopt comprehensive equal treatment legislation and set up an effective and independent national equality body to promote its implementation” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, on 10 February at the end of a two-day visit to Iceland.   The current non-discrimination provisions in Icelandic law do not protect all vulnerable groups of people to the same extent. People with disabilities, older persons, members of ethnic and...

"One in Five" campaign 09/02/2012 Congress organises seminar to combat sexual exploitation of children As part of its contribution to the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE campaign, the Congress is organising a seminar in Strasbourg, France, on 9 February. It gathers a panel of experts, grassroots players and local and regional elected representatives. On the basis of the experiences presented, the Congress will propose model bodies to be set up at local and regional level to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and to protect and support victims and their families.   "With the Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual...

Parliamentary Assembly 03/02/2012 Assembly delegation makes pre-electoral visit to Moscow Gamma A five-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), will carry out a pre-electoral mission to Moscow on 8-11 February 2012, to assess the electoral framework and campaign ahead of the Russian presidential election on 4 March 2012. The delegation is due to meet the Speaker of the State Duma Sergey Naryshkin, candidates in the presidential election, candidates disqualified from running, and the Russian delegation to the PACE. It will also meet the Chair of the Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov, the Ombudsman...

Human Rights Commissioner 02/02/2012 Right to conscientious objection to military service should be guaranteed Thomas Hammarberg Strasbourg, 2/2/2012 - People should not be imprisoned when their religious or other convictions prevent them from doing military service. Instead they should be offered a genuinely civilian alternative. This is now the established European standard, respected in most countries – but there are some unfortunate exceptions, says Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today.     The right to conscientious objection has been endorsed by the Council of Europe ever since...

Committee of Ministers 02/02/2012 Committee of Ministers expresses “deep concern” over rise in violent attacks against Roma Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 02.02.2012 – The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe – representing the governments of the organisation’s 47 member states – expressed its “deep concern about the rise of anti-Gypsyism, anti-Roma rhetoric and violent attacks against Roma”.   It called on governments to “refrain from using anti-Roma rhetoric, in particular during electoral campaigns, and to condemn vigorously, swiftly and in public, all acts of racist violence against Roma, including threats and...

Consumers to be able to check authenticity of medicine under new Council of Europe scheme 01/02/2012 Consumers to be able to check authenticity of medicine under new Council of Europe scheme eTACT Strasbourg, 01.02.2012 – The Council of Europe and its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) have launched “eTACT”, an IT-based traceability service which will allow consumers to check the authenticity of their medicines using smartphones or the internet.     “eTACT”– part of the Council of Europe’s global strategy to counter fake drugs - is a publicly governed service which covers all medicines in...

Conference of International NGOs 31/01/2012 Council of Europe NGO Conference re-elects president Jean-Marie Heydt Members of the Conference of International NGOs of the Council of Europe showed their confidence in President Jean-Marie Heydt’s ability to steer them through challenging reforms by re-electing Mr. Heydt for a second term of office of three years. Mr Heydt will push forward reforms to modernise the Conference and invigorate the NGOs’ role as representatives of organised civil society at the Council of Europe.   In addition to promoting NGO participation in political discourse and action throughout Europe, priorities in 2012 for the Conference –...