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Secretary General discusses challenges to democracy and the rule of law on official visit to Lithuania
In Vilnius Alain Berset also inaugurated Council of Europe Information point for Belarusian People
Secretary General Alain Berset on official visit to Lithuania
Discussions to focus on international law, democratic security and Ukraine, inauguration of Council of Europe Information point for Belarusian people
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Congress to visit Lithuania
Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, will visit Lithuania on 16 and 17 April 2026. The objective of the visit is to discuss democratic security at local level and the implementation of Congress monitoring recommendations on...
Lithuania and Monaco: Congress adopts new recommendations to strengthen local democracy
Compliance with European Charter of local self-government monitored
Council of Europe Congress on local self-government in Lithuania: progress achieved, but more efforts needed on local financial autonomy
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has urged Lithuanian authorities to further strengthen local self-government, for example by clearly defining local...
Congress 50th session: new leadership, Ukraine’s reconstruction, local democracy in Georgia, integrity of local elections, violence against elected officials and social rights at local level
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will hold its 50th session from 31 March to 2 April 2026 in Strasbourg, France. It will welcome new national delegations with a five-year mandate, elect its new leadership and adopt its priorities for 2026-2031. The session’s...
«We need efforts, funds and people to free children of Ukraine, care for them and rehabilitate them”, says Council of Europe Special Envoy at an event in Vilnius
Speaking at the International Conference “Negotiating Peace for Ukraine: International Law Dimensions and Implications” at the Vilnius University on 3 October, the Special Envoy of Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir called on everyone –...
The Council of Europe updates mutual assistance provisions in criminal matters
The new “Valetta Protocol” will strengthen cooperation in countering transnational crimes
One third of spending on European original films and series is made by global streamers
The European Audiovisual Observatory has just published a new report on investment in original European films and series made by the main media players in Europe. This new study reveals that total spending on European original works (excluding news and sports rights) amounted to EUR 25.1 billion...
The Council of Europe Congress examines the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Lithuania
A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, composed of rapporteurs Gobnait Ní Mhuimneacáin (Ireland, L, ILDG) and Cecilia Feliczitasz Friderics (Hungary, L, ECR), will conduct a monitoring visit to Lithuania from 13 to 15 May 2025 to assess the application of the European...
Transparency and time: stability of electoral law necessary to ensure trust in democratic processes
“Frequent or late changes in electoral laws undermine citizens’ trust in electoral processes and can lead voters to believe that the game is “rigged”, which is detrimental to democracy at all levels of government”, stressed Stewart Dickson (United-Kingdom, ILDG)...
Commissioner O’Flaherty intervenes in three hearings concerning summary returns of asylum seekers from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland to Belarus
Third party intervention - The Commissioner intervened yesterday in three hearings before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the cases of R.A. and Others v. Poland,...
National minorities: new opinion urges Lithuania to adopt comprehensive legal framework for their linguistic rights
In a new opinion the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities calls on the Lithuanian authorities to take action to improve the situation for national minorities, including adopting a comprehensive legal framework for the implementation of...
Implementing European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is holding its quarterly meeting to oversee the execution of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 3 to 5 December. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium,...
Lithuania should better promote LGBTI equality, Roma inclusion
In a new report the Council of Europe Anti-racism Commission (ECRI) calls on the Lithuanian authorities to consider adopting an LGBTI equality strategy and ensure that Roma have better access to education (see also the translation of the report in Lithuanian). ECRI notes a number of positive...
Commissioner O’Flaherty intervenes in three cases concerning summary returns of asylum seekers from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland to Belarus
Third party intervention - Commissioner O’Flaherty has published today his written comments to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the cases of C.O.C.G. and Others v....
Lithuanian Vice-Minister of the Interior: Congress plays an important role in protecting Council of Europe values
Addressing the 47th session, Vice-Minister of the Interior of Lithuania Arnoldas Abramavičius, speaking on behalf of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, underlined the paramount role of the Congress in protecting the values of the Council of Europe. He acknowledged the Congress's...
Committee of Ministers' President Landsbergis: collective effort needed to ensure sustainable peace and respect for human rights
“It is time to put even more pressure on Russia and ensure its full accountability for its crimes,” said Gabrielius Landsbergis, President of the Committee of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, when addressing the Parliamentary Assembly. “Only this way will we lay the path...
Implementing European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is holding its quarterly meeting to oversee the execution of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 17 to 19 September. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium,...
Anti-torture Committee highlights dire situation in Lithuanian prisons
In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has reiterated concerns over inter-prisoner violence in Lithuania, following an ad hoc visit to the country in February 2024. The objective of the visit was to examine the implementation of the...
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