News 2016
Committee of Ministers reviews the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
On 7 and 8 June, representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe held their 1259th “Human Rights” meeting at which they examined the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in keeping with the supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers, under Article...
Euro 2016 football violence: Council of Europe calls for better police cooperation
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has called on European governments to improve police cooperation after the violent clashes between football hooligans in Marseille last Saturday. “What happened in Marseille is absolutely unacceptable. Europe can and must do more...
Attack on the LGBTI community in Orlando
Statement by the Chair of the Committee of Ministers
Parliamentary Assembly Summer Session
Addresses by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas are among the highlights of the session taking place in Strasbourg on 20-24 June
New ECHR/HELP training videos – one on asylum and the second on terrorism
The European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s HELP programme (Human rights Education for Legal Professionals) have released two new training videos in the pilot series COURTalks-disCOURs. The 25-minute videos, based on educational talks from lawyers at the Court, are geared to...
Iceland: ratify the Disabilities Convention and strengthen the human rights protection system
“Iceland should ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and align its legislation and practice with international standards and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Abolishing full deprivation of legal capacity and plenary guardianship of persons...
Secretary General expresses his condolences to the United States
"Europeans across the Continent are shocked and saddened by the cruel attack in Orlando in which so many innocent people were killed. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims, and with all who are suffering after this horrific homophobic and transphobic hate crime. The...
Police in Poland, foreign NGOs in Russia
Venice Commission adopts new opinions
20 June is the World Refugee Day: we need your words!
On 20 June countries around the world organise events to raise awareness about the millions of refugees and internally displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution. The Intercultural Cities (ICCs) are working hard on ensuring inclusive...
Internet: Web addresses promoting sex crimes against children must be stopped
Governments and internet bodies must prevent web addresses being registered which openly refer to child sexual abuse, according to the Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland. Speaking at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG 2016) in Brussels,...
Secretary General Jagland at the OSCE: When politics stall, the human rights convention moves us forward
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, highlighted the value of the European Convention on Human Rights and called on the 57 OSCE participating States to “put these shared standards and common laws at the heart of our...
Council of Europe at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance
The European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG 2016) is bringing together representatives of national authorities, industry, civil society and academia to discuss Internet policies, including the challenges in upholding human rights online, in Brussels on 9 and 10 June. On 9 June the...
Anti-racism commission issues new reports on Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published today several country reports. In Azerbaijan, against the background of the general attitude of openness towards many historical minorities, some positive legal developments and the authorities’ efforts in integrating...
Committee of Ministers examines implementation of human rights judgments
The representatives of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe will examine the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights between 7 and 9 June 2016. This supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers is provided for under Article 46 of the European Convention on...
Statement of Secretary General Jagland on the terrorist attack in Istanbul today
"Again a deadly attack in Istanbul has killed and injured so many innocent people in the nation's largest city. I am devastated by the news and cannot but repeat that these ruthless attacks are attacks on our values - on us all. I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the families, the...
Torture survivors have the right to redress and rehabilitation
Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks publishes his latest Human rights Comment
Conclusions of an expert dialogue between the Polish Government and the Council of Europe
Within the framework of an expert dialogue with the Polish authorities the Council of Europe entrusted Ms Eve Salomon, legal expert on media related law and regulation, and Mr Jean-François Furnémont, Partner at Wagner-Hatfield consultancy and former Chair of EPRA (European platform of regulatory...
Security and safety in stadiums: Council of Europe launches a new convention
In the run-up to the EURO 2016 football tournament, the Council of Europe is kicking off a new international convention aimed at ensuring that football matches and other sports events take place in a secure, safe environment where everyone feels welcome. The convention, which the governments are...
Action against corruption: France could do better
In a report on corruption prevention in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors published today, the GRECO, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, concludes that France has only implemented two of the eleven recommendations made in 2013. In its conclusions, GRECO lists a number...
Jagland: Ukraine’s Constitutional amendments a major step towards European standards
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland today welcomed the adoption by Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada of the amendments to the Constitution regarding the Judiciary: “I welcome the adoption today by the Verkhovna Rada of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine related to the...