On 4 March, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted two Recommendations addressing the intersection of technology with gender equality, non-discrimination and violence against women and girls.

• Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)1 on equality and artificial intelligence provides guidance to member States and other stakeholders to promote equality, including gender equality, and prevent and combat discrimination in all activities within the lifecycle of AI systems – from their design, through their use, and at all points up to their retirement. Specific guidance is included on how to ensure that the growing use of AI systems, in all sectors of life, can support and promote equality, including gender equality. The Recommendation includes a focus on transparency and explainability of AI systems and on strengthening procedural safeguards and remedies. The aim is to improve individuals’ ability to identify discrimination and to access effective redress when discrimination occurs. This new standard also points to awareness-raising, training and independent oversight and identifies policy fields in which AI may have a particularly acute impact on equality, including gender equality.
• Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)2 on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls provides guidance for member States on enhancing their legal, institutional and regulatory responses. Accountability for such violence includes prevention measures to foster the necessary environment in which it is neither facilitated, condoned, accepted nor ignored. This is the first international legal standard focused on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. It builds upon existing standards including the Istanbul Convention.  
  The Recommendation will be officially launched on 10 June 2026 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. Entitled From standards to action: making accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls a reality, the launch will focus on the way forward for implementation and explore concrete steps different stakeholders can take to implement the Recommendation in their work. The launch event will bring together representatives from member States, including prosecutors, police and regulatory professionals, as well as civil society and other stakeholders. It will be broadcast online to enable broad participation.

 Registration for online participation in the launch event.

Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)1 was prepared by the Committee of Experts on Artificial Intelligence, Equality and Discrimination (GEC/ADI-AI), a joint expert committee of the Gender Equality Commission and the Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion.

Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)2 was prepared by the Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (GEC/PC-eVIO), a joint expert committee of the Gender Equality Commission  and the Council of Europe Committee on Crime Problems.