On 18 September, Europe celebrates the “European Heritage Days” initiated jointly by the Council of Europe and the European Union. The Croatian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers regards this as an important occasion to highlight the potential and impact of this initiative. More...
Albania should continue improving child protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities
“The protection of children and inclusion of persons with disabilities has improved in Albania, but the authorities still have to address remaining shortcomings”, said today Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing the report on her visit to the country carried out from 21 to 25 May 2018, which focused on children’s rights, the human rights of persons with disabilities and access to free legal aid. More...
GRECO places Denmark in its non-compliance procedure
Council of Europe anti-corruption experts (GRECO) have placed Denmark in its non-compliance procedure due to lack of sufficient measures taken to prevent corruption in respect of members of parliament and in the judiciary, according to a compliance report published today. GRECO concludes that Denmark has implemented satisfactorily only one of six recommendations issued more than four years ago. More...
Congress President meets Belarus President
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, met with the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 11 September 2018. They discussed the importance of local self-government in the governance of our societies. More...
Despite challenges in managing mixed migration Spain should guarantee effective access to asylum also in Melilla and Ceuta
While the Special Representative praises the reception conditions for refugees and asylum-seekers in mainland Spain and the support offered by the authorities to learning Spanish language, he points out that the reception facilities in Melilla and Ceuta, including those for unaccompanied children, are overcrowded. Dozens of unaccompanied children in Melilla and Ceuta have fallen out of the protection system, living in the streets and trying to get on board of ferries heading to mainland. More...
Cyprus makes promising moves to fight corruption
In a new report to assess measures taken by the Cypriot authorities to carry out its recommendations, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) gives a mixed assessment (see the Greek version of the report). More...
Anti-torture Committee on Ukraine: severity of police ill-treatment diminished, material conditions in prisons remain poor
The severity of ill-treatment by the law enforcement in Ukraine appears to have diminished, but allegations are still frequent. Poor material conditions, overcrowding and lack of out-of-cell activities remain major problems in prisons; and the system of guardianship in psychiatric and social care establishments should be improved. More...
20th anniversary of Children’s Houses: Icelandic model to counter child sexual abuse continues inspiring change across Europe
The 20th anniversary of the Barnahus (Children’s House), a Council of Europe-promoted model to address child sexual abuse by coordinating parallel criminal and social welfare investigations in a child-friendly and safe environment , is marked today at an event in Reykjavík, Iceland. More...
Global Education: Human Rights dimension
The North-South Centre is delighted to announce a new, free, online course: “Global Education - The Human Rights Dimension”, in collaboration with The Network University, designed for teachers working in both formal and non-formal education, policymakers and media professionals. More...
Thirty years of the European Charter of Local Self-Government
The entry into force of the European Charter of Local Self-Government thirty years ago has profoundly transformed the democratic landscape in Europe and anchored local democracy throughout the continent. The Charter, opened for signature on 15 October 1985 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, entered into force on 1 September 1988. It has now been ratified by all 47 Council of Europe member States. More...