On the occasion of today’s commemoration of the “Pharrajimos’, the Roma genocide, I call on Council of Europe member states to make more vigorous efforts towards fully acknowledging the genocide and other past atrocities committed against the Roma. While some countries have in recent years taken steps in the right direction, trivialisation, minimisation and even sometimes denial of the Roma genocide during the Second World War and other atrocities are still common in a number of other countries. More...

Today in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe held a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony in memory of Roma victims of the Holocaust. This year marks the 73rd anniversary of 2 August, 1944, when some 3,000 Roma were exterminated in the gas chambers of the so-called “Zigeunerlager” (Gypsy camp) at Auschwitz-Birkenau. More...

The number of money-laundering investigations has risen in Slovenia since the last evaluation in 2010, but it is still not commensurate with the number of investigations and convictions for proceeds-generating crimes, such as tax evasion, fraud and other economic crimes, as well as drug trafficking. More...

A new report published today by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) encourages Ukrainian authorities to pursue anti-corruption reform efforts it had launched following the Revolution of Dignity and calls for effective results to be delivered in practice. More...

Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland today issued the following statement, “Innocent people – children, adults, residents and visitors to one of Europe’s most attractive touristic cities have been hit by cowardly acts of violence. I strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attacks in Barcelona. The Council of Europe stands in solidarity with the Spanish authorities and the people of Spain. The victims, their relatives and friends are foremost in our thoughts. Europeans must remain united and resolute to fight terrorism on the basis of our democratic values and principles of the rule of law”. More...

On behalf of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, I express my condolences to the families of the victims and I wish a prompt recovery to those injured.
I also wish to assure the Spanish authorities of the solidarity of the Council of Europe.  Such atrocities only strengthen our determination in fighting terrorism and defending our shared values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. More...