News

The impact of the blockchains for Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law
The impact of the blockchains for Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law” is the title of a new report released by the Information Society Department of the Council of Europe. This report explores the risks and potential benefits of blockchain technology for democracy, human rights and the...
Meeting of the Globalpolicy.AI
On 21 October 2022 the Digital Development Unit of the Council of Europe co-organised a meeting of the Globalpolicy.AI, a cooperation platform involving multiples intergovernmental organisations with complementary mandates on artificial intelligence (AI). It brings together the work of eight...
2nd plenary meeting of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)
The Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) of the Council of Europe will hold its 2nd plenary meeting from 21 to 23 September 2022. During the meeting, the Committee will examine a first draft of a convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The focus...
Council of Europe publishes new report on the impact of artificial intelligence on the doctor-patient relationship
The Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO) today issued a new report on the impact of artificial intelligence on the doctor-patient relationship. The report examines AI systems regarding the doctor-patient relationship in relation...
Inaugural Meeting of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)
On 4 April 2022, the Italian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and the Council of Europe co-organised the “High-Level Segment – Inaugural Meeting of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)”. This important event took place at the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome...
High-level event on the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights
In the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge will take part in the high-level event on the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights, together with the Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International...
The Russian Federation is excluded from the Council of Europe
In an extraordinary meeting this morning, the Committee of Ministers decided, in the context of the procedure launched under Article 8 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, that the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership....
The Council of Europe holds a webinar on the human rights and legal aspects of blockchain technology
On Wednesday 9 March 2022, The Council of Europe’s Digital Development Unit held a webinar on the human rights and legal aspects of blockchain technology. The event included the presentations by prominent law and technology researchers, Professors Florence G'sell, University of Lorraine and...
The CAHAI held its 6th and final plenary meeting
The CAHAI held its 6th and final plenary meeting online on 30 November to 2nd of December. At the end of the meeting, the CAHAI adopted the “Possible elements of a legal framework on artificial intelligence, based on the Council of Europe’s standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of...
Council of Europe to participate in the Athens Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law
The third edition of the “Athens Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law” will take place online on 6 and 7 December 2021. The event is organised by the Future Society and ELONTech under the Patronage of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou and is...
The CAHAI to hold its final meeting
During its sixth and last meeting (30 November – 2 December, online), the intergovernmental Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) will discuss and eventually adopt a document outlining the possible elements of a legal framework on artificial intelligence - which may include binding...
The CAHAI-LFG holds its 5th and final meeting
The Legal Frameworks Group of the CAHAI (CAHAI-LFG) held its 5th and last meeting on 2 and 3 November. The group finalised the draft document on the possible elements of a legally binding instrument on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The result of this work...
“Current and Future Challenges of Coordinated Policies on AI Regulation“: International conference
The Council of Europe and the Hungarian presidency of its Committee of Ministers are organising an online international conference on 26 October to discuss the challenges governments face to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) in a coordinated manner. To be held under the theme “Current and...
The CAHAI-PDG holds its 6th and final meeting
The CAHAI-PDG held its 6th meeting on 11 and 12 October 2021, where it finalised its work on the main elements of a human rights, democracy, and rule of law impact assessment model, and on AI systems in the public sector. The outcomes of the work of the CAHAI-PDG will now be submitted to the...
Symposium: Human Rights in the Digital Sphere
The digital transformation of our society is certainly one of the fastest and most profound transitions of civilization we have ever experienced. This digital age is leading us to interact more and more online, for information, entertainment, consumption or work. The Covid-19 pandemic revealed...
Octopus Conference 2021: Registrations are now open
Registrations are now open for this year’s Octopus Conference, which will take place on 16-18 November. The Octopus Conference provides an opportunity for cybercrime experts from public and private sectors as well as international and non-governmental organizations from all over the world to...
Fundamental Rights Forum: defending the development of a trustworthy, rights-based AI
To address the most pressing human rights challenges that Europe faces today, on 11 and 12 October 2021, policymakers, experts and the general public will gather for the Fundamental Rights Forum, which this year will be held in a hybrid format. As part of this Forum, the Council of Europe will...
Council of Europe participates in the 2nd AI Policy Conference
On 14-15 September 2021, representatives of the Council of Europe took part in the 2nd AI Policy Conference 2021, an event organised by RegHorizon in collaboration with ETH Zurich's Center for Law & Economics During the first day of the conference, Jan Kleijssen, the Council’s Director,...
CAHAI-LFG holds its 4th online meeting
The CAHAI-LFG held its 4th online meeting 20-21 September. On the agenda of this meeting were potential elements of a future legal framework for the design, development and application of AI systems, based on the Council of Europe’s standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Artificial Intelligence – A New Portal to Promote Global Cooperation Launched with 8 International Organisations
On 14 September 2021, eight international organisations joined forces to launch a new portal promoting global co-operation on artificial intelligence (AI). The portal is a one-stop shop for data, research findings and good practices in AI policy. The objective of the portal is to help...
