The Council of Europe Days is an initiative launched by the Council of Europe among its member States to raise awareness of the role and impact of this Organisation in making sure that citizens are able to enjoy their rights, to participate in building the democracies in which we live and obtain the respect and dignity that each of us is due.

In the context of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe in 2024, an international competition will be launched across all 46 member States with young people invited to use their smartphones or digital cameras to convey a creative vision of human rights in Europe through a photograph or a short video.

This initiative aims to raise awareness among young people. Hence the choice of Instagram as a channel of communication adapted to that target group.

With Instagram being one of the Council of Europe's four official social media platforms, it is the ideal platform for our photo-video competition. A similar competition on Instagram took place in the context of the 70th anniversary of the Organisation.

The competition, under the auspices of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers (May-November 2024), will open in May 2024 and winners will be announced in the autumn 2024.

 Purpose of competitions

Through their photographs and videos, participants will be invited to: illustrate and defend human rights, reflect on the place of fundamental rights in their daily lives, show how they perceive human rights, reflect on how human rights are protected in Europe, and share their vision of the future of human rights in Europe. 

The winning photos will be exhibited at the Council of Europe headquarters (Strasbourg, France) and the winning photos and videos will be published on the Council of Europe’s dedicated websites and used in social media posts on Council of Europe central and thematic accounts. They may also be exhibited in Council of Europe offices and in member States (e.g., in cultural institutes, during relevant events, etc.).

 

 Timeline

  • 14 May 2024: official launch at the “CONFIDENCE IN TOMORROW. Sharing and shaping democracy and human rights together with young people”. Youth event on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe , European Youth Centre, Strasbourg.
  • 14 May – 14 July 2024: submission of entries by participants on Instagram
  • 15 July – October 2024: selection of winning entries; contact with winners and administrative formalities.
  • 6-8 November 2024, on the margins of the Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy: announcement and exhibition of winning photographs and videos.