15 April, Strasbourg
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić will participate in the inauguration of the exhibition Reading fandango “Here’s to Frida Kahlo, the rebellious reader”, organised on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Mexico’s accession to the Council of Europe as an observer State.
Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, tel. +33 6 86 32 10 24
15 April, Sofia
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić will participate (by video message) in the Second Black Sea Security Conference of the International Crimea Platform.
Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, tel. +33 6 86 32 10 24
16 April, Strasbourg
Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge will participate in the meeting of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons.
Contact: Päivi Suhonen, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89
16 April, Strasbourg
The European Court of Human Rights will notify in writing nine judgments concerning Bulgaria, Iceland and Romania.
More information – ECHR Website, tel. +33 3 90 21 42 08
16-18 April, Finland
A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, composed of rapporteurs Konstantinos Koukas and Rachel Bailey, will carry out a monitoring visit to assess the application by Finland of the European Charter of Local Self-Government since the previous monitoring report adopted by the Congress in 2017.
The delegation will meet with Speaker of the Parliament Jussi Halla-aho, President of the Supreme Administrative Court Kari Kuusiniemi, Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen, as well as the Finnish delegation to the Congress, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, and representatives of various institutions at all levels of government in Finland.
Contact: Päivi Suhonen, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89
17 April, Strasbourg
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić will participate in the inauguration of the exhibition “Memory and Posters”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the salvation of the Bulgarian Jews during WWII.
Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, tel. +33 6 86 32 10 24
17 April, Strasbourg
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) will publish a report on Slovakia evaluating its compliance with the 21 recommendations issued to the country in 2019 to prevent corruption and promote integrity in the top executive functions of the central government and the law enforcement agencies.
Contact: Jaime Rodriguez, tel. +33 6 89 99 50 42
17 April, Skopje (Aleksandar Palace Hotel)
A thematic discussion on “Upholding Journalistic Integrity: Safeguarding Journalists and Media Actors in North Macedonia” will be held, with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
The event will bring together key media actors and stakeholders to discuss the protection of journalists and the increasing use of “Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation” (SLAPPs) in North Macedonia.
Opening remarks will be made by Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje Oleg Soldatov, Head of the Council of Europe Division on Co-operation and Capacity Building on Freedom of Expression Alina Tatarenko; Head of International Co-operation, Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of North Macedonia Steffen Hudolin, and Executive Director of the national journalist association Dragan Sekulovski.
The event begins at 10.30 am and will be open to the media.
Programme - Contact: Dušan Vojnović tel. +33 3 90 21 56 99
17-18 April, Podgorica (Hilton Hotel)
The Government of Montenegro in co-operation with the Council of Europe and UNICEF will host an international conference “Elevating Excellence: Uniting for Effective Child Protection with the Barnahus Model”. The event will serve as an interactive platform for government officials from European and Central Asian countries and stakeholders from various sectors to converge and delve on the successes of the Barnahus model, identifying implementation dynamics and options for adaptation of the model to various national legal frameworks.
Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro Dragoslav Šćekić; Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF Representative to the UN and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe Regina de Dominicis; Council of Europe Coordinator for the Rights of the Child, Head of the Children’s Rights Division Regina Jensdottir; Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro Oana-Cristina Popa and Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia and to Montenegro Annika Ben David will deliver opening remarks.
The conference that will start at 9 am on 17 April will be open to media.
Programme – Contact: Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41
17-18 April, Lisbon (Ismaili Centre)
The Council of Europe and the European Union will launch a new project called “CyberSouth+” which aims to enhance co-operation on cybercrime and electronic evidence in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood. Organised with the support of the Council of Europe’s North-South Centre, the event will bring together representatives from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine* and Tunisia.
With a budget of EUR 3.9 million and a duration of three years, CyberSouth+ will focus on the strengthening of legal frameworks, capacities for investigation, prosecution and adjudication of cybercrime, international co-operation and synergies between criminal justice and cybersecurity institutions.
Addressing the challenges of cybercrime and electronic evidence, while upholding human rights and the rule of law, has become a priority for many countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The Convention on Cybercrime of the Council of Europe (“Budapest Convention”), backed up by capacity building programmes such as CyberSouth+, provides the countries of this region with a framework to address these challenges.
The event will be open to the press from 9.30 am to 1 pm on Wednesday 17 April.
Media representatives are invited to request an accreditation from the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe (Rozenn Hemon, Tel. +351 213 584 030).
More information - Programme - Contacts : Denise Mazzolani, Tel. +40 744 673 826; (Strasbourg) Estelle Steiner, tel. +33 3 88 41 33 35
* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe and European Union member states on this issue.
18 April, Strasbourg
The European Court of Human Rights will notify in writing 26 judgments and/or decisions concerning Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.
More information – ECHR Website, tel. +33 3 90 21 42 08
18 April, Strasbourg
Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge will participate in the presentation of the Roma Foundation for Europe’s report on “Fighting for a Fairer Future: The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Roma and Lessons for Post-War Reconstruction Efforts”.
Contact: Päivi Suhonen, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89
18 April, Bar (Montenegro)
A regional project on “Promoting deliberative democracy and innovative approaches to citizen participation in South-East Europe” implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance at the Council of Europe Congress, with the financial support of Germany, will be launched. Its aim will be to strengthen democratic processes in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
The launching event will be opened by President of the Congress Chamber of Local Authorities Bernd Vöhringer and will bring together members of the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South-East Europe, which is the implementing partner of the project, as well as local elected representatives from the South-East of Europe, representatives of civil society and international organisations.
Contact: Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41
*All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
18 April, Belgrade (Metropol Palace Hotel)
A regional conference on the use of encrypted communication as evidence in criminal proceedings, will be organised within the framework of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia” and the Council of Europe project “Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Serbia”.
US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of European Union to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Jan Braathu and Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade János Babity will open the conference.
Media can attend the opening session of the conference (9.30-10.30 am). Simultaneous English/Serbian interpretation will be provided.
Programme - Contacts: (Strasbourg) Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41 ; (Belgrade) Marija Simić, tel. +381 63 601 337
18-19 April, Helsinki
A support and follow-up visit for the implementation of the European Sports Charter in Finland will be carried out. The EPAS team, composed of members of the Governing Board and Consultative Committee, will meet with the key stakeholders involved in the implementation of a values-based sport in Finland.
Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Sandra Bergqvist, and Director of the Ministry’s Sports Division Tiina Kivisaari, as well as representatives from the sports movement including the Olympic and Paralympic Committees, non-organised sport, athletes, the media and others will participate in these meetings which will be complemented by visits to sports facilities such as the Olympic Stadium, a sports museum and a local school.
Contact: Päivi Suhonen, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89
19 April, Lithuania
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić will pay a working visit to the country.
Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, tel. +33 6 86 32 10 24
19 April, Valletta (9.30 am–5 pm)
The Global Education seminar “The benefits of an intercultural and holistic approach to education for sustainable development: a North-South perspective” will take place.
The ILEGEND III seminar will be organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and will focus on intercultural learning, which contributes to bringing new perspectives and values to one of the most pressing matters of our time: education for sustainable development.
Press release - Programme - Contact: Bogumiła Warchalewska, tel. +33 3 90 21 44 84
20 April, Venice (San Pietro di Castello, Docks_TESA 2)
Council of Europe Free to Create programme will present the Other Session, an open art event, organised on the occasion of the 60th Venice Biennale, involving performative artists, curators, and Council of Europe representatives.
In light of 70 years of the European Cultural Convention, the Other Session will celebrate and assess the landscape of artistic freedom, through dialogues and performances. Renown creators and contributors from diverse horizons will consider possible ways of support for silenced and neglected voices (including Roma), existing practices, and new ideas emerging from the world of art and design. Together with the audience they will reflect on the role of existing cultural institutions in backing the Freedom of Artistic Expression.
The event (3 to 7 pm) will be open to media with prior registration (Ivana Hrdas and [email protected]). Interviews with curators, artists, other guests and organisers can be arranged upon request.
From 5 pm a moment of festive celebration of the 70th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention will be hosted by Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy at the Council of Europe.
Programme
Contacts: (Strasbourg) Bogumiła Warchalewska, tel. +33 3 90 21 44 84; (Venice) Ivana Hrdas tel. +33 3 90 21 59 37
All times are CET unless indicated otherwise.
+33 3 88 41 25 60