Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers 08/11/2012 High level conference concludes Albanian Chairmanship “Diversity in Europe: a Strength for the Future” – the title of the high level conference in Tirana on 9 November – summarises the concept that has guided Council of Europe activities since Albania took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in May. The conference will focus on dialogue with Mediterranean neighbours and the promotion of intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, through education to democratic citizenship values. Following a welcome speech by Edmond Panariti, Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the...

Secretary General 07/11/2012 Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland congratulates President Obama The Secretary General of the Council of Europe today issued the following statement on the reelection of President Obama: "I congratulate Barack Obama on his reelection and extend my best wishes for his second term in office. The Council of Europe values the constructive role of the United States as an observer state to our organisation and we look forward to cooperating with the US government in our joint efforts to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law." The United States of America and the Council of Europe

Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 06/11/2012 Anti-torture committee urges states to monitor treatment of persons deprived of liberty . Strasbourg, 06.11.2012 – In its annual report, published today, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) urges all Council of Europe member states to ratify a UN treaty and establish independent national bodies to monitor the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty.   The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), which entered into force...

Council of Europe 31/10/2012 Council of Europe explains genetic testing Strasbourg, 31.10.2012 - Under what circumstances is genetic testing foreseen? What does it look for? How should its results be interpreted? All questions are intelligibly answered in a new brochure produced by the Council of Europe, with the support of the European Society of Human Genetics and Eurogentest.   Genetic testing is a source of considerable advances in human health, and will increasingly form part of standard medical practice. Its use is not without implications for the persons concerned. ( more...)  

Council of Europe 31/10/2012 Tunisia: Council of Europe calls for constitutional reform Edmond Panariti, Jean-Claude Mignon and Moncef Marzouki Strasbourg, 30.10.2012 – At the close of their official visit to Tunisia, Edmond Panariti, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania, and Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly – accompanied by Venice Commission President Gianni Buquicchio – called on Tunisian authorities to push ahead with on-going constitutional reform “so as firmly to establish the foundations of a democratic and pluralistic society in which the rights...

Parliamentary Assembly 29/10/2012 Ukrainian elections marred by lack of level playing field, say international observers Press conference Strasbourg, 29.10.2012 – Ukraine’s parliamentary elections were characterized by a tilted playing field, the international observers concluded in a statement released today. This was the result, primarily, of the abuse of administrative resources, as well as a lack of transparency in campaign and party financing and of balanced media coverage.   Voters had a choice between distinct parties and candidate registration was inclusive, with two notable exceptions, representing a wide variety of political views. The political...

Committee of Ministers - Parliamentary Assembly 26/10/2012 Heads of the Committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly visit Tunisia Strasbourg, 26.10.2012 - Edmond Panariti, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania, and Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation (PACE), will make an official visit to Tunisia on 29 and 30 October 2012.   Meetings are to be held with the President of the Republic, the President of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), the head of the government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the leaders of the political parties represented in the NCA...

Parliamentary Assembly 26/10/2012 International parliamentary observers prepare to deploy across Ukraine Kyiv, 26.10.2012 -- The heads of the parliamentary delegations of the OSCE, Council of Europe, European Parliament and NATO, and of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation mission today met in Kyiv to begin the final phase of the international election observation mission. The International Election Observation Mission comprises more than 800 observers. Walburga Habsurg Douglas, is the Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission and Head of the OSCE PA delegation. Pawel Kowal heads the European Parliament...

Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 25/10/2012 Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Switzerland Strasbourg, 25.10.2012 - The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) today published the report on its most recent visit to Switzerland together with the response of the Swiss Government.   In the Canton of Geneva, a disturbing proportion of persons with whom the delegation spoke, including juveniles, made allegations, often supported by medical evidence, about physical ill-treatment by the police at the time of, or just...

Committee of Ministers 25/10/2012 Council of Europe publishes report on minority languages in Spain Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 25.10.2012. The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers made today public the third report on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Spain. The report has been drawn up by a committee of independent experts, which monitors the application of the Charter.   In its report, the Committee of Experts acknowledges the high level of commitment and continued efforts of the Spanish authorities to protect and promote their regional and minority languages.   Measures have been taken aiming at improving the...

. 25/10/2012 25 October: European Day of Civil Justice Strasbourg, 25 October 2012 - Celebrated every year on 25 October, the European Day of Civil Justice is aimed for European citizens, students and professionals in the field of justice. It is organised by the Council of Europe and the European Commission.   One of the Council of Europe’s missions is to support initiatives aimed to bring justice closer to citizens by offering them the opportunity to inform them on their rights and to better undestand the functioning of the judicial systems through events organised mainly by courts. The work of the European Commission for the efficiency of justice (CEPEJ) which...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/10/2012 Assembly committee calls on Greece to modify labour law reforms judged illegal Strasbourg, 24.10.2012 – The head of a committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called on the Greek authorities to modify two 2010 reforms to Greek labour law recently judged illegal by the European Committee of Social Rights.   Liliane Maury Pasquier (Switzerland, SOC), who chairs PACE’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, said the decision to extend to one year the “trial period” during which workers can be dimissed without notice, and the decision to cut the minimum salary for...

Secretary General 22/10/2012 Secretary General Jagland visits Spain Award ceremony, Observatory against domestic violence in Madrid Strasbourg, 22.10.2012 – Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland was in Madrid on 23 October, to attend the ceremony of the VIII Award to the most outstanding work in the eradication of domestic and gender violence. The award is granted every year by the Observatory against domestic violence, which is presided by the Spanish General Council of the Judiciary.    The Council of Europe is one of the awardees this year for its work in fighting violence against women, notably for the Convention on Preventing and...

President of the Parliamentary Assembly 22/10/2012 Violence in Lebanon: Assembly President calls for calm and restraint Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 22.10.2012 – The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, today issued a call for calm and restraint after the outbreak of violence in Beirut following the funeral of General Wissam al Hassan:   “I have sent a letter to the Lebanese Ambassador expressing the Assembly’s wholehearted sympathy and unfailing support following last Friday’s cowardly bomb attack in Beirut. In the face of such a despicable act, one can only feel anger, shock and revulsion. No...

Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) 19/10/2012 Council of Europe starts drafting international convention on match-fixing Strasbourg, 19/10/2012 - Drafting has begun on a possible Council of Europe Convention against manipulation of sports results and notably match-fixing. The Committee of Ministers invited the Organisation's enlarged partial agreement on sport 'EPAS' to launch negotiations early this year, with both member and non-member States of EPAS invited to take part in the negotiation and drafting process . Why a convention? The problem of match-fixing is not only a sports issue, this is about fighting organised crime and corruption; beyond the manipulation of sports...

Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings 18/10/2012 Council of Europe highlights action against trafficking in human beings Strasbourg, 18/10/2012 - “It is vitally important that all EU Member States, and the Union itself, sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings as soon as possible”, today declared Nicolas le Coz, President of GRETA, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.  The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings provides a pan-European framework for co-operation between countries of destination, transit and origin and...

World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty 17/10/2012 Acting together to eradicate extreme poverty in Europe On the occasion World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty, the Presidents  of the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and Conference of INGOs, adopted a declaration stressing the need and urgency of continuing the fight against extreme poverty. The declaration that was made public during an INGO conference dedicated to the problem, calls for joint action with a multidimensional, structural, progressive and long-term approach.  

Secretary General 17/10/2012 Secretary General visits Andorra Strasbourg, 17.10.2012 – Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is making an official visit to Andorra on 17 October to prepare the Andorran Chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, which starts on 9 November. The Secretary General will hold meetings with the Prime Minister, Antoni Martí Petit; the minister of Foreign Affairs, Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, and the minister of Education and Youth, Roser Suñé. He will also meet with the Síndic General (President of the Parliament), Vicenç Mateu Zamora, and members of the Andorran delegation to the Council of...

Congress 16/10/2012 Herwig Van Staa elected new Congress President ''Today, national governments increasingly recognise local and regional authorities as major stakeholders and actors in responding to the challenges faced by our societies in almost all political, economic and social areas,'' stated Herwig Van Staa, newly elected Congress President (Austria, EPP/CD), addressing the participants in the 23rd Session.   He underlined the role of the new Congress which now has a four-year mandate and which will adopt this afternoon its new priorities for 2013-2016 defined around three themes: the quality of local and regional democracy and human rights in Europe, the new challenges...