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Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 10 July 2024
At the beginning of their 1504th meeting, the Ministers' Deputies held a minute of silence in honour of the victims of recent Russian attacks against Ukraine, notably on a children’s hospital in Kyiv on 8 July. The Deputies held an exchange of views with Ms Helga Maria Schmid, Secretary General...
Landmark political declaration reaffirms importance of European Social Charter
The high-level conference on the European Social Charter in Vilnius, Lithuania, has adopted a landmark political declaration, reinforcing the commitment of Council of Europe member states to social justice and the protection of social rights. The event, held under the auspices of the Presidency...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 1 July 2024
At their 1503rd meeting on 1 July 2024, the Ministers' Deputies held exchanges of views with: Mr Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, on the outcome of the 3rd part of the 2024 Session (Strasbourg, 24-28 June 2024) [more information …]; and Mr Gerhard Ermischer,...
CM President Landsbergis: Council of Europe must remain the driver of real action against Russia’s aggression
“Your strong and timely political recommendation to the Committee of Ministers to expel Russia was groundbreaking and – for many of us – brought back faith in our common institutions,” said Gabrielius Landsbergis, President of the Committee of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 19 June 2024
At their 1502nd meeting on 19 June 2024, the Ministers' Deputies held exchanges of views with: Mr Michael O’Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, who gave an overview of the priorities and main work carried out since the beginning of his mandate, with a particular focus on...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from Committee of Ministers
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has published the case-by-case decisions taken during the Committee’s meeting from 11 to 13 June to supervise the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee of Ministers adopted 42 decisions...
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 11 to 13 June. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium,...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 5 and 10 June 2024
At their 1500th meeting on 5 and 10 June 2024, the Ministers' Deputies continued their examination of the Secretary General's report on the human rights situation in the territories of Ukraine temporarily controlled or occupied by the Russian Federation and took a series of decisions in this...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 29 May 2024
At their 1499th meeting on 29 May 2024, the Ministers' Deputies started to discuss the Secretary General's report on the human rights situation in the territories of Ukraine temporarily controlled or occupied by the Russian Federation. They held an exchange of views with Mr Marin Mrčela,...
Ukraine’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars and remembrance of the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people
Joint Statement by Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis, Parliamentary Assembly President Theodoros Rousopoulos, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, and Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty
Foreign ministers support Ukraine, define the organisation’s priorities and adopt a treaty on artificial intelligence
As the organisation celebrates its 75th anniversary, the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states came together at their annual session to reaffirm their support for Ukraine on the road to justice and reconstruction. Following on from the Reykjavik Summit, they also...
Lithuania takes over Presidency of Committee of Ministers
Lithuania has taken over the rotating Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from Liechtenstein at a meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the organisation’s 46 member states. Addressing the Committee of Ministers, the outgoing Chairperson, Dominique Hasler, Minister for...
Council of Europe adopts first international treaty on artificial intelligence
The Council of Europe has adopted the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring the respect of human rights, the rule of law and democracy legal standards in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The treaty, which is also open to non-European countries, sets out...
Secretary General at the opening of the Committee of Ministers’ Session
“Twelve months ago, European leaders met in Reykjavík for our 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government. It was one of the largest ever gatherings of our continent’s presidents and prime ministers and its significance and impact remain clear. Following the Russian Federation’s full-scale...
Attack against Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico: Statement by Committee of Ministers' President
Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport and President of the Committee of Ministers, Dominique Hasler made the following statement: "Today's attack on Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, is unacceptable. It runs counter to all democratic values defended by the Council...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 7 and 14 May 2024
At their 1498th meeting on 7 May 2024, the Ministers' Deputies adopted: a series of decisions under the item "The Council of Europe and the conflict in Georgia", in the context of the continuous deterioration of the human rights situation in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali...
Foreign ministers of 46 member states meet a year after Reykjavik Summit
The Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states will hold their annual session on 17 May 2024, in the context of the organisation’s 75th anniversary. The agenda will include the measures which the Council of Europe is continuing to take in response to the Russian...
Hate crimes must be unmasked, recorded and investigated, and victims supported
New Committee of Ministers Recommendation
Council of Europe adopts guidelines on emergency responses to terrorist attacks
The Committee of Ministers has adopted a series of guidelines aimed at its 46 member states, in order to help public authorities and the public sector to strengthen their emergency responses in case of a terrorist attack. Prepared by the Committee on Counter-Terrorism (CDCT), the guidelines...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 30 April 2024
At their 1497th meeting on 30 April 2024, the Ministers’ Deputies continued their preparation of the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers, which will take place in Strasbourg on 16-17 May 2024. Recalling that, in the Reykjavík Declaration, the member States of the Council of Europe...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 24 April 2024
At their 1496th meeting on 24 April 2024, the Ministers’ Deputies continued their preparation of the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers, which will take place in Strasbourg on 16-17 May 2024. They also held an exchange of views: on the Secretary General's new consolidated report on the...
Secretary General on official visit to Lithuania
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with President of the Republic Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, Foreign Affairs Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, and other key personalities during an official visit to Lithuania to discuss...
Foreign Affairs Minister of Liechtenstein addresses PACE
In her communication, Dominique Hasler, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport of Liechtenstein and President of the Committee of Ministers, mentioned the need for continued support to Ukraine and referred to the Presidency’s priorities. “In Reykjavík our leaders sent a strong message...
Secretary General meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein and President of the Committee of Ministers Dominique Hasler. The meeting focused on the current state of play of the Liechtenstein Presidency and the upcoming 75th anniversary...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 10 April 2024
At their 1495th meeting on 10 April 2024, the Ministers’ Deputies held a thematic discussion on the abolition of the death penalty and in particular the Council of Europe's contribution to universal abolition, with the participation of: Firmin Yangambi, former death row prisoner in the Democratic...
Latest Annual Report on the execution of the European Court's judgments and decisions: significant progress, but important challenges remain
The latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers highlights significant progress on implementing judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in 2023, whilst underlining that several important challenges remain. According to the report, the Committee...
New Recommendation on equality for Roma and Traveller* women and girls
Ahead of International Roma Day, the Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation to the 46 Council of Europe member states to ensure equality for Roma and Traveller women and girls and address the specific vulnerabilities they face. International Roma Day is a moment for us to celebrate...
SLAPPS: abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists must be stopped
Alarmed by the chilling effect that abusive lawsuits have on freedom of expression and public participation, the Committee of Ministers has issued a Recommendation to its 46 member states aimed at countering the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), often used against...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 5 April 2024
The Deputies held their 1494th meeting in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, in the framework of the Liechtenstein Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. The Deputies started preparations for the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers (Strasbourg, 16-17 May 2024), which will be preceded by the...
Secretary General election: Committee of Ministers submits candidatures to Parliamentary Assembly
The Committee of Ministers has decided to submit to the Parliamentary Assembly, for appointment to the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, with effect from 18 September 2024, the following candidatures: Alain BERSET (Switzerland) (Curriculum vitae) Indrek SAAR (Estonia)...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 20 and 25 March 2024
At their 1493rd meeting, on 20 March 2024, the Deputies transmitted the draft Framework Convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law to the Parliamentary Assembly and invited the latter to give an opinion as soon as possible. Once the Assembly’s opinion has...
President of the Committee of Ministers and Secretary General visited Ukraine
President of the Committee of Ministers Dominique Hasler and Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić have inaugurated the Kyiv office of the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, during a working visit to the country. "The Liechtenstein...
Draft Framework Convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law
Today the Committee of Ministers transmitted the draft Framework Convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law to the Parliamentary Assembly and invited the latter to give an opinion as soon as possible. Once the Assembly’s opinion has been received, the draft...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has published the case-by-case decisions taken during the Committee’s meeting from 12 to 14 March to supervise the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee of Ministers adopted 40 decisions...
Committee of Ministers condemns Russia for Alexey Navalnyy’s death, calls for independent international investigation
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has strongly condemned the Russian authorities for the recent death of Alexey Navalnyy. At the Committee’s latest quarterly meeting on the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, it called for an international commission...
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 12 to 14 March. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia,...
Informal exchange of views of the Committee of Ministers with representatives of Russian NGOs relating to cases against the Russian Federation
Since the expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe over its war of aggression in Ukraine, and the subsequent failure of Russia to communicate with the Committee or meet its continued obligations to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, the Committee...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 6 March 2024
At their 1491st meeting, on 6 March 2024, the Ministers’ Deputies held an exchange of views with Mr Ian Borg, Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, on the priorities of Malta’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE and cooperation between the two...
Council of Europe adopts Gender Equality Strategy for 2024-2029
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has adopted a new Gender Equality Strategy for 2024-2029. In line with the Reykjavik commitments of the Heads of State and Government, this Strategy will guide the organisation’s work towards gender equality over the next six years. Secretary General...
Council of Europe marks two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
The Council of Europe has marked the second anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine by holding a special ceremony in front of its main headquarters building in Strasbourg, France. Taking part in the ceremony were Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, President of the...
Extraordinary meeting of Ministers’ Deputies (23 February 2024) - Second anniversary of full-scale aggression of Russian Federation against Ukraine
On 23 February, the Ministers' Deputies held an extraordinary meeting on the occasion of the second-year anniversary of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. They recalled the measures already taken by the Council of Europe and adopted a series of decisions,...
Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine: Two years on
Council of Europe leaders reiterate support and solidarity
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 21 February 2024
At the beginning of their 1490th meeting, on 21 February, the Ministers' Deputies held a minute of silence in tribute to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyy, who died on 16 February at the Russian Artic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. The Deputies then examined the...
Minute of silence for Alexei Navalnyy
At the beginning of their meeting, on 21 February 2024, the Ministers' Deputies held a minute of silence in tribute to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyy, who died on 16 February at the Russian Artic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. On 16 February, the President of the...
Council of Europe commemorates two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
On 23 February, the Council of Europe will hold a ceremony to mark two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, followed by an extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers (to be broadcast live). At 9 am, on the Council of Europe forecourt, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović...
Death of Alexei Navalnyy: Statement by Committee of Ministers' President
Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport and President of the Committee of Ministers, Dominique Hasler made the following statement: "Saddened and deeply disturbed by the reported death of Alexei Navalnyy today, I, in my capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers of...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 14 February 2024
At the beginning of the 1489th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, on 14 February 2024, the President, followed by other delegations, paid tribute to the memory of Mr Robert Badinter, former French Minister of Justice who was responsible for the abolition of the death penalty in France in 1981....
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 7-8 February 2024
At their 1488th meeting, on 7 February 2024, the Ministers’ Deputies agreed on a number of steps to enhance the tools available to the Committee of Ministers in the supervision of the execution of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments. They also took note of a report on issues related...
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the death penalty in the United States of America
The Committee of Ministers deplores the execution on 25 January in the State of Alabama of Mr Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was already subject to a failed execution in 2022. The Committee of Ministers is particularly concerned by the unprecedented use in the State of Alabama of a new and...
Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 30 January 2024
At their 1487th meeting, on 30 January 2024, the Ministers’ Deputies adopted a Declaration deploring the execution by nitrogen hypoxia of Mr Kenneth Eugene Smith, on 25 January, in the State of Alabama (United States of America). They reiterated their unequivocal opposition to the death penalty...
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