Czechia and the Council of Europe – bringing human rights from the conference table to your kitchen table

The Council of Europe works for you. We want to give visibility to the role, standards and work of the Council of Europe in its member states, to show how Council of Europe membership has helped achieve particular results or changes. Our aim, through a variety of events and actions, is to highlight ways in which the Council of Europe’s action has helped improve the life of individuals and contributed to improving people’s enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Petr Válek, Velvyslanec stálý představitel České republiky při Radě Evropy

Whether it is the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level, or the Council of Europe's work in many fields, such as working to abolish the death penalty or to ensure freedom of expression and freedom of the media, or to adress online and technology-facilitated violence against women through the Istanbul Convention and Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the Council of Europe has achieved a lot since 1949. View achievements »

Events

10 November 2025

• International conference “Safeguarding Rights and Changing World: 75 Years of the European Convention on Human Rights” took place in Kampus Hybernská in Prague. The conference focused on current challenges and responses within the European human rights protection system, particularly in light of democratic backsliding and geopolitical crises. Key speakers included prominent judges from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), such as Ivana Jelić, Frédéric Krenc, Kateřina Šimáčková, and Armen Harutyunyan, who addressed topics ranging from rule of law crises to sexual violence and institutional resilience. Special attention was given to the Council of Europe’s response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. The event was organised by the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague and theUniversity’s Centre for Conflict and Post-Conflict Studies.

4 November 2025

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a series of communication activities on its social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights. The communication included a quizz concerning the European Court of Human Rights.

23 May 2025

• The Czech Society for European and Comparative Law, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, held its annual conference titled “75 Years of the European Convention on Human Rights: How has it changed human rights in Czechia?” at the Czernin Palace in Prague. Inspired by the question “What has the ECHR ever done for us?”, the conference focused on the Convention’s practical consequences for Czech law. Through four thematic panels, speakers discussed both the successes and challenges of implementing the Convention, shared insights on building human rights cases, and explored the future of human rights protection in Czechia and Europe. The event brought together legal professionals from across the judiciary, government, academia, and concluded with reflections on the Convention’s continued relevance in a changing legal and political landscape.

14 May 2025

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an article on its website and a series of communications on its social media accounts following the 134^th Session of the Committee of Ministers in Luxembourg , 13-14 May 2025. Výbor ministrů Rady Evropy potvrdil podporu lidským právům a odpovědnost za ruskou agresi | Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí České republiky.

5 May 2024

• Series of communication activities on social networks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic marking the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Council of Europe.

23 April 2024

• Event for students - "75 Years of the Council of Europe: Benefits and Challenges" : The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of Charles University and the European Law Students' Association, organised an event for students in Prague. The event was accompanied by a thematic exhibition of the history of the Council of Europe at the Faculty of Law. Press release

10 December 2023

• International Human Rights Day - promoting the legacy of Václav Havel in the fight for human rights and democracy in the world

23 November 2023 

• International expert conference "Making Human Rights a Reality:  Implementation of international human rights obligations at the national level" ( see programme)

9 October 2023

• Bestowing of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. Award Ceremony in the Council of Europe. 

30 June 2023

• 30^th anniversary of accession of the Czech Republic to the Council of Europe (30 June 1993).