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Safe digital environments: Pompidou Group’s advancing action on the mental health and wellbeing of children and youth online
Policymakers, researchers and practitioners from the Pompidou Group member States and internationally gathered in Vienna and online on 2–3 June 2026 for a thematic seminar dedicated to the topic of online and digital addictions....
Europe strengthens co-operation on drug policy and addictions at Pompidou Group meeting in Vienna
How can Europe respond more effectively to organised crime linked to drug trafficking, protect human rights, and tackle emerging forms of addiction in an increasingly digital world? These questions were at the centre of the 98th meeting of the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, held in...
Pompidou Group adopts new Guidelines to strengthen member States' response to drug-related organised crime (OC-DT)
The Permanent Correspondents of the Pompidou Group have adopted new Guidelines designed to strengthen member States’ response to Organised Crime linked to Drug Trafficking, while ensuring full respect for human rights.
Everything you wanted to know about the rule of law but were afraid to ask
New explainer from European experts seeks to break concept down for public
Update to the Venice Commission’s Rule of Law Checklist: ‘a crucial benchmark for evaluating the health of the rule of law in member states’
The PACE Standing Committee, meeting today in Monaco, welcomed the Venice Commission’s proactive stance in updating the Rule of Law Checklist to reflect the challenges to the rule of law and lessons drawn from developments in its 61 member states. The committee contributed to the update...
Parliamentary Assembly Standing Committee meeting opens in Monaco with reminders of the need to uphold the Council of Europe’s founding ideals
[En cours de traduction] A meeting of PACE’s Standing Committee opened in Monaco today, with a series of opening speeches which focused on the urgent need to uphold the founding ideals of the Council of Europe in ever more worrying times – and on the concrete steps which the organisation is...
Serbia: a committee raises concerns about respect for the principles of democracy, rule of law and public freedoms
The Monitoring Committee, meeting in Sarajevo on 19 May, welcomed the progress made by Serbia as regards the reform of the judiciary and prosecution services since its accession to the Council of Europe in 2003, in particular the adoption of amendments to the Constitution in February 2022 and of...
Lasting peace and stability in Iran cannot be achieved in the absence of respect for human rights, committee says
The Committee on Political Affairs, meeting in Paris on 20 May, strongly condemned “the brutal, murderous and systematic repression of the protests” that began in Iran in December 2025 and the intensification of this repression since the beginning of the armed conflict in February 2026 with...
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
PACE periodic review co-rapporteurs in Greece discussed ‘all issues relating to the rule of law and democracy’
PACE’s periodic review co-rapporteurs for Greece, ending a three-day visit to the country to assess how far it is honouring its Council of Europe membership obligations, said they were able to discuss “all issues relating to the rule of law and democracy openly and in depth".
Laureates announced for 31st edition of North-South prize
Bragi Guðbrandsson and Rami Abou Jamous collect the respected Council of Europe award
German Parliament hosts discussions on the future of the European human rights system
Last month, the German Parliament, the Bundestag, hosted public events where the importance of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Council of Europe was discussed within the framework of the Conventions 75th anniversary. A conference on 26 March 2026, entitled “75 Jahre Europäische...
“Further reforms, including constitutional ones, remain essential”, says Secretary General in Sarajevo
Council of Europe launches new Action plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026-29
Rapporteurs of European institutions address an open letter on the situation of local democracy in Türkiye
Congress and Parliamentary Assembly among those to raise detention of Istanbul Mayor other local elected representatives
Parliamentary Assembly calls for accountability in the Sergei Magnitsky case
European states called on to reverse the burden of proof in cases of unexplained wealth
Democratic security, upholding international law and migration on agenda for Alain Berset in Dublin
Council of Europe Secretary General will make first official visit to Ireland
Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina reaffirms commitment to Council of Europe values
Denis Bećirović warns Parliamentary Assembly that constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina was being undermined
Parliamentary Assembly to hold its spring plenary session in Strasbourg
Addresses by the Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović and France’s Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot are among highlights of the spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which takes place in...
Joint Statement concerning the results of the Fifth Session of the High-Level Dialogue “Good Democratic Governance in Ukraine: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward in Post-War Period”
Signing of the Ukrainian flag during the closing ceremony of the Fifth Session of the High-Level Dialogue in Strasbourg We, participants of the Fifth Session of the High-Level Dialogue “Good...
Video message of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the Updated Rule of Law Checklist
In December 2025, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe released an update of its unique Rule of Law Checklist. Building on the original 2016 Checklist, which has served as a key reference for assessing the rule of law in countries, the Updated Rule of Law Checklist reflects new...
*All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.