German Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Elke Ferner today formally announced Germany’s ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. More...

In a report published today on its December 2016 visit, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) strongly criticises the conditions of detention and treatment of inmates at Idrizovo Prison, which holds some 60 % of the country’s prisoners. More...

PACE today unanimously called for a Fourth Council of Europe Summit to preserve and further strengthen the pan-European project in a Europe which has profoundly changed since the last Summit 12 years ago. More...

During a debate today at its plenary session in Strasbourg on “The functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan”, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) raised a number of concerns, particularly with regard to checks and balances, the functioning of the justice system, and freedom of expression and association in Azerbaijan. More...

Responding to allegations of corruption in its ranks, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has unanimously adopted a heavily revised Code of Conduct for its members, with the aim of “restoring public confidence” in its work. More...

How can human rights be safeguarded in the face of scientific and technological developments in the biomedical field? The Committee on Bioethics of the Council of Europe will discuss the challenges ahead at an international conference being held on 24 and 25 October in Strasbourg to mark the 20^th anniversary of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (known as the ‟Oviedo Convention”). More...

“The Committee of Ministers shares the Assembly’s ambition to raise the Council of Europe’s profile and step up its activities to help member States meet the challenges they currently face,” said Lubomír Zaorálek, Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic and Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers, addressing the Assembly today. More...

Today, the Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks published a letter sent on 4 October to Mr Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, Minister of the Interior of Spain, in which he raises concerns regarding allegations of disproportionate use of force by law enforcement authorities in Catalonia on 1 October 2017. More...

The 47-nation Council of Europe and the 28-member European Union have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October.
The statement underlines the two organisations’ firm opposition to capital punishment in any circumstances.
It also calls on countries still using the death penalty to commute any existing sentences and to introduce a moratorium on capital punishment as a first step towards abolition.
Through the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council of Europe has created a death penalty-free zone covering 47 countries and over 820 million people.
No executions have taken place in any Council of Europe member state for over 20 years. More...