The News (Site updated Thursday, July 3, 2008 | 19:00)
Conference of European Prosecutors General
[03/07/2008 12:30:00] On 3 July, Prosecutors General from the 47 Council of Europe member states, stressed the importance for prosecution services to respect human rights principles at the close of the conference in Saint Petersburg. Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chayka underlined that ''the mechanisms for the protection of human rights and freedoms need to be improved in all states''. ''Without an efficient and independent judiciary, there is no rule of law, and without the rule of law there is no real democracy and no real respect for human rights,'' said Secretary General Terry Davis.
Photo: Shutterstock(more ...) Speech by Terry Davis Special file File 'Efficiency of justice'
Liberation of hostages in Colombia
Lluís Maria de Puig: ''The release of Ingrid Betancourt is a victory for freedom''
[03/07/2008 10:30:00] The President of the Assembly welcomed the freeing of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages with great pleasure and relief. ''On behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly, I should like to convey to Ms Betancourt and her family our happiness, our friendship and our full solidarity after so many years in captivity.''
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Statement by Terry Davis and Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
[03/07/2008 09:30:00] In a 3 July statement, Secretary General Terry Davis and Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, expressed their delight and relief at the news that Ingrid Betancourt and fourteen other hostages held by the FARC in Colombia have been liberated.
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Thomas Hammarberg transmits Memorandum to the Italian Government
[03/07/2008 10:30:00] ''I hope this memorandum will help the Italian authorities to reinforce the human-rights dimension in the legislative measures proposed by the government as part of the security package,'' said the Commissioner for Human Rights on 3 July.
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Parliamentary Assembly
Lluís Maria de Puig: ''Azerbaijan’s Presidential election must demonstrate country’s democratic commitment''
[03/07/2008 18:00:00] October’s Presidential election in Azerbaijan must demonstrate the country’s commitment to democratic reforms, according to the Parliamentary Assembly President, speaking at the end of an official visit to the country on 3 July.
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Andrea Rigoni: ''Draft media law in Belarus should be changed''
[01/07/2008 10:00:00] ''I am extremely preoccupied by the draft media law currently under examination by the Belarusian upper chamber of parliament'' said Andrea Rigoni, Assembly rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, on 1 July. ''Once this legislation comes into force, it will restrict freedom of information in the country even further'', he added
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Preventing political corruption: Kyiv conference
[30/06/2008 10:30:00] The Council of Europe and the European Commission organised a conference on the prevention of political corruption on 1 and 2 July in Kyiv (Ukraine). The following topics were discussed during the conference: funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, immunities, integrity of elected representatives and lobbying.
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Eurimages supports 12 European co-productions
[02/07/2008 10:00:00] At its meeting, held from 29 June to 1 July in Strasbourg, the Board of Management of the Eurimages Fund agreed to support the co-production of 12 feature films for a total amount of 4 275 000 Euros.
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A new Executive Secretary for Eurimages
[01/07/2008 15:30:00] On 1 July, Roberto Olla was appointed to the post of Executive Secretary of Eurimages, the Council of Europe fund for the co-production, distribution and exhibition of European cinematographic works.
(more ...) File 'Cinema and audiovisual'
The Promotion of Cultural Diversity via New Media Technologies
[27/06/2008 11:30:00] The European Audiovisual Observatory released on 26 June a new report which examines the concept of cultural identity, explains why it should be promoted and looks closely at the role of new media technologies in achieving this.
(more ...) Report
''Building a Europe for and with Children'' Website
Committee of Ministers
Action against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation
[03/07/2008 09:30:00] The strong attachment of the Council of Europe to the principle of equal rights and dignity of all human beings, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, was stressed during the meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies held on 2 July. Several decisions aimed at enhanced Council of Europe action against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation were taken.
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Terry Davis meets President Medvedev
[01/07/2008 16:00:00] ''Russia has complied with many of its commitments and I hope for rapid progress on the remaining ones, starting with the transformation of the moratorium on executions into the abolition of the death penalty by law,'' declared the Secretary General following his meeting in Moscow on 1 July with Russian President Dmitryi Medvedev.
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Plenary meeting of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
[27/06/2008 10:30:00] The plenary meeting of the CEPEJ took place from 2 to 3 July in Strasbourg. During this meeting, the CEPEJ adopted the Checklist for the quality of the judiciary and the courts and the CEPEJ report on ''European judicial systems – Edition 2008''. It will be published in Autumn once the Committee of Ministers has taken note of it.
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Third Council of Europe summer university underway in Strasbourg
[30/06/2008 12:30:00] Some 600 participants from schools of political studies in 16 European countries are attending the Third Summer University for Democracy. In his opening speech Secretary General Terry Davis said ''nobody is immune from the risk of a relapse into authoritarianism'' and therefore ''we all must remain vigilant regardless of whether a country has been a democracy for a decade, a century or several centuries.''
(more ...) Speech by Terry Davis Speech by Filip Vujanovic Speech by Yavuz Mildon [fr] Programme Photo gallery File 'The schools of political studies'
Youth camp to bring together Israelis and Palestinians, as well as Albanians and Serbs from Kosovo
[24/06/2008 15:30:00] Some forty young people from conflict areas, aged between 18 and 20, meet at a youth camp organised by the Council of Europe from 30 June to 5 July at the Europa-Park leisure park (Germany) in order to discuss their differences and try to find new peaceful solutions to conflicts.
(more ...) File 'Camps for peace'
Money laundering and tax evasion: Warsaw conference(more ...) File
Anti-torture committee publishes report on Liechtenstein
[03/07/2008 10:30:00] On 3 July, the Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT), published the report on its visit to Liechtenstein in February 2007, together with the response of the Liechtenstein Government. These documents have been made public at the request of the Liechtenstein Government.
(more ...) Report Response of the Liechtenstein Government
Meeting on cooperation priorities
[03/07/2008 16:00:00] The Contact Group of the Congress of Local Authorities and the European Union's Committee of the Regions will meet in Paris on 4 July to take stock of cooperation between the two institutions. The group will examine the results of the first quadripartite meeting between Congress and Committee Presidents and Secretaries General, held on 20 June in Brussels. The priorities of the French Presidency of the EU are also on the agenda.
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''Strengthen efficiency of transfrontier and inter-regional co-operation''
[01/07/2008 11:00:00] A seminar on transfrontier co-operation and the Dnipro Euroregion was held on 30 June in Cherniguiv, Ukraine. Participants adopted a final declaration stating the importance of transfrontier and inter-regional co-operation for building bridges across territorial frontiers and breaking down dividing lines.
(more ...) Speech by Yavuz Mildon [fr] File
Intercultural course on Arabic language and culture
[03/07/2008 11:00:00] The Council of Europe’s Directorate of Youth and Sport and the Directorate of External Relations and Co-operation of the Islamic Organisation for Education, Science and Culture are organising an intercultural course on Arabic language and culture in Rabat (Morocco) from 7 July to 1 August.
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Council of Europe - Activity report 2007 (2008) 
Search the news 
Lluís Maria de Puig: ''The release of Ingrid Betancourt is a victory for freedom''
Thomas Hammarberg transmits Memorandum to the Italian Government
Lluís Maria de Puig: ''Azerbaijan’s Presidential election must demonstrate country’s democratic commitment''
Andrea Rigoni: ''Draft media law in Belarus should be changed''
Eurimages supports 12 European co-productions
A new Executive Secretary for Eurimages
The Promotion of Cultural Diversity via New Media Technologies
Dosta! ''Fight prejudices towards Roma''
''Stop domestic violence against women''
''All Different, All Equal''
''Building a Europe for and with Children''
Action against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation
Terry Davis meets President Medvedev
Plenary meeting of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
Third Council of Europe summer university underway in Strasbourg
Youth camp to bring together Israelis and Palestinians, as well as Albanians and Serbs from Kosovo
