The News (Site updated Friday, July 4, 2008 | 18:00)
Launch of European Association of the Schools of Political Studies
[04/07/2008 16:00:00] The Council of Europe announced on 4 July the establishment of the European Association of the Schools of Political Studies, in an effort to further enhance the visibility of its network of such institutions and consolidate their development.
''This Association gives us an opportunity to think about what the European project means,'' said chair of the Asssociation and former Council of Europe Secretary General Catherine Lalumiere.
The creation of the Association marked the end of the Third Summer University for Democracy, which attracted to Strasbourg from 30 June until 4 July, 600 participants from schools of political studies in 16 European countries.
The five day event aimed to ''promote dialogue and a better understanding between politically active and democratically oriented people from different European countries,'' declared Secretary General Terry Davis.
Photo: Catherine Lalumiere, chair of the Association and Secretary General Terry Davis(more ...) Final declaration Speech by Terry Davis Speech by Filip Vujanovic Speech by Yavuz Mildon [fr] Speech by Bernard Boucault [fr] Photo gallery File 'The schools of political studies'
Secretary General
Terry Davis: stop escalation of violence in South Ossetia
[04/07/2008 13:30:00] ''Everyone with influence in that part of Georgia, including the governments in Tbilisi and Moscow, should do their utmost to prevent any further escalation. People in South Caucasus should not endure another war,'' Secretary General Terry Davis declared on 4 July. He was reacting to reports of new incidents and casualties in South Ossetia on 3 July.
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Terry Davis condemns bombing in Minsk
[04/07/2008 17:30:00] ''I am shocked by the bomb explosion at an open air concert in the capital of Belarus last night,'' the Secretary General declared on 4 July. ''Nothing can justify this crime and I want to convey my sympathy and the sympathy of my colleagues at the Council of Europe to those injured in the bombing.''
Maud de Boer-Buquicchio: not enough progress on gender equality
[04/07/2008 10:00:00] Practical results for women since the prohibition of gender-based discrimination nearly six decades ago have not been impressive, the Deputy Secretary General said in her 4 July speech to the Congress of European Women Lawyers Association in London.
''Gender equality policies have not yet been implemented according to their full potential,'' she added.
Speech File 'Equality'
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(more ...)
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''(more ...)
Online games and Internet services: launch of guidelines
[04/07/2008 12:00:00] New guidelines to promote the respect for human rights in the on-line games and internet service sectors will be launched at a press conference on 9 July in Strasbourg.
The Council of Europe has collaborated with the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and the European Internet Service Providers Association (EuroISPA) to develop this project.
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Eurimages supports 12 European co-productions(more ...)
''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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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.
Photo: Shutterstock(more ...) Speech by Terry Davis Special file File 'Efficiency of justice'
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: report on Bulgaria
[04/07/2008 16:00:00] The Moneyval Committee (Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and Financing of Terrorism) published on 4 July the Third Round Evaluation report on Bulgaria.
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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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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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Anti-torture committee visits 'the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'(more ...)
Yavuz Mildon: Black Sea Euroregion will advance transfrontier cooperation
[04/07/2008 09:00:00] ''A Euroregional structure in the Black Sea Basin, proposed by the Congress, should offer a platform for closer cooperation and play an important role in developing competences of local and regional authorities,'' stressed Congress President Yavuz Mildon in his speech at the Council of Europe's Summer University on 3 July in Strasbourg.
Speech [fr]
Meeting on cooperation priorities
[03/07/2008 16:00:00] The Contact Group of the Congress 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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Council of Europe - Activity report 2007 (2008) 
Search the news 
Maud de Boer-Buquicchio: not enough progress on gender equality
Lluís Maria de Puig: ''The release of Ingrid Betancourt is a victory for freedom''
Lluís Maria de Puig: ''Azerbaijan’s Presidential election must demonstrate country’s democratic commitment''
Online games and Internet services: launch of guidelines
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
Conference of European Prosecutors General
Youth camp to bring together Israelis and Palestinians, as well as Albanians and Serbs from Kosovo
Thomas Hammarberg transmits Memorandum to the Italian Government
Plenary meeting of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
Yavuz Mildon: Black Sea Euroregion will advance transfrontier cooperation
