Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers

Armenia hands over chairmanship to Austria

Strasbourg, 14.11.2013 - The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe passed from Armenia to Austria today, at a meeting at the Organisation's Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of its 47 member States.

Before handing over the chairmanship to his successor, the outgoing Chair Edward Nalbandian, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia, gave an overview of his country's achievements during its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

The new Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Michael Spindelegger, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, presented the priorities of the Austrian chairmanship which will run for six months as of today.

At a brief ceremony during the meeting, Minister Spindelegger solemnly handed over to the Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, the instrument of Austria's ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention (CETS no. 210). Austria pledged that, during its chairmanship, it would "promote measures for an early entry into force of the Convention", which requires 10 ratifications. (more...)

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Back 08.10.2013 - The 8th plenary meeting of Consultative Council of European Prosecutors in Yerevan

In the framework of the Armenian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, the 8th plenary meeting of Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) took place in Yerevan on 8 to 9 October 2013.

At the opening of the session, Mr Gevorg Kostanyan, the newly appointed Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, stated that " The co-ordination of relations with the mass media, the formation of public opinion about the prosecution's activities and the strengthening of trust should be an urgent issue for the prosecution."

"The organisation of the plenary session of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors in Yerevan is symbolic, taking into account the period of Armenia's Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The role of the CCPE is quite significant in the struggle against the modern challenges. The co-ordinated regulation of relations with the mass media is very important to us", noted the Prosecutor General.

The Council of Europe's Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Philippe Boillat, also delivered an opening speech at the plenary session.

The session was attended by delegations from about 40 countries. During the plenary meeting of CCPE, draft Opinion No. 8 "On interrelation between prosecutions and mass media" was discussed.


Links to speeches and agenda are on this website.

https://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/ccpe/default_EN.asp?