This publication discusses the main standards and mechanisms created by the Council of Europe and other international organisations to protect the rights of minorities in Europe, including key legal instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. It reviews the monitoring activities in various Council of Europe member and non-member states, both prior to their accession and in their post-accession phase. The publication also includes a detailed examination of the case of the Roma/Gypsies, a specific minority without a 'kin state'.
From the fall of the Berlin Wall to Kosovo, covering the unification of Germany, the break-up of the USSR & Yugoslavia, as well as the "velvet divorce" of Czechoslovakia, these last ten years have seen great upheavals in our continent, on a scale probably unparalleled since the fall of the Roman empire. The Council of Europe has played a special role in all of this, as the structure best qualified to welcome the new European democracies, & its membership has soared from 23 to 41 (including 17 central & east European countries) between 1990 & 1999. Truly "a decade which made history" -- & one which the reader is invited to retrace in these pages.
Despite the progress made in the social rights field in Europe, many fundamental social rights are still not fully accessible to people with disabilities. This report examines key measures and identifies obstacles to full participation, particularly in the areas of education, vocational training and employment, the built environment and transport, information and communication, healthcare and social protection. It provides examples of good practice and makes cross-sectoral recommendations for integrated policy actions.
Covid-19, disastrous series of earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria... How well prepared are young people to understand such catastrophic events and their impact upon societies? Since the beginning of recorded human history, pandemics and natural disasters have highly impacted the historical narratives of mankind. Each time, they remind humans how fragile they are and how limited their knowledge is. Despite their impact, these events are given little attention in history education. The first thematic report of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE) analyses how pandemics and natural disasters are taught across different levels of education. It gives a detailed overview of the teaching of the two topics in OHTE’s 16 member states, along with a cross country analysis – combining information provided by educational authorities and by history teachers themselves. The report refers to important areas of concern such as the inclusion of pandemics and natural disasters in history curricula, teachers’ pedagogical decisions about their teaching, multiperspectival approaches but also the use of scapegoating during these times of crises. The observatory’s mission is to provide a clear picture of the state of history teaching in Europe. Within the countries that are party to the observatory, this is done through OHTE reports on the state of history teaching and thematic reports, which explore particular areas of interest and how they are handled in history lessons. The observatory’s vision is embodied by its motto: “Teaching history, grounding democracy”. In practice, this means that it promotes quality history education in order to improve the understanding of democratic culture among young people. The Observatory on History Teaching in Europe is a Council of Europe enlarged partial agreement.
The "rags to riches" story of Karol Jakubowicz's involvement in the work of the Council of Europe took him from the role of an awestruck newcomer from Poland in 1990 to that of the Chairman of the Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (2005-06). Along the way, he was elected, delegated by the Steering Committee, and invited by the Council of Europe Secretariat to serve in a number of other capacities. In all of them, he contributed a wide variety of papers, reports and studies to assist the steering committee and other bodies in collecting information and formulating ideas in the general field of freedom of expression, creation of free and democratic media systems (including the issue of public service media), regulation of transfrontier television, the adjustment of Council of Europe human rights standards to the conditions of the information society, and the development of broadcasting legislation in Council of Europe member states.The present collection of these papers and reports is published in the conviction that they retain their value and relevance. It provides the additional benefit of offering a glimpse of the work preceding the formulation of Committee of Ministers recommendations and declarations, as well as resolutions of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
The present report, based on information provided by member states' governments and by NGOs, gives an overview of the recognition of sign languages in 26 European states. It also summarises policies and programmes which have been developed by member states to ensure sign language users access to their political, social and cultural rights.
The implementation of the recommendations of the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, May 2005) resulted in the launch in 2006 of a number of European campaigns, in particular "Building a Europe for and with children"; the "Campaign to combat trafficking in human beings"; "All different, All equal"; "Stop domestic violence against women"; and the 'Dosta!" awareness-raising campaign to end prejudice against the Roma. Kosovo was a major political concern for the Council of Europe. Through its Venice Commission, it provided expert input for the preparation of the future status of the region and continued to provide expert advice on the implementation of European standards in such fields as the protection of human rights, minority rights, decentralisation, cultural heritage protection and constitutional law. The Republic of Montenegro applied for membership of the Council of Europe following the 21 May referendum, which paved the way for its independence. Serbia, on the other hand, succeeded the former State Union of Serbia and Montenegro as a member state of the Organisation. The Council of Europe was the first organisation to look into the allegations of secret detentions and unlawful transfers of suspected terrorists in the member states. The Parliamentary Assembly and the Secretary General each carried out investigations which revealed that Council of Europe member states have not set up effective legal safeguards against such practices, which violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
This publication was compiled as part of the Council of Europe 'Education of Roma children in Europe' project which is responsible for implementing Recommendation No. R (2000) 4 of the Committee of Ministers to the member states on the education of Roma/Gypsy children in Europe. It outlines the Council of Europe's official texts on Roma and Travellers, highlighting references to education, and the summary summary reviews the working context for these texts, their implementation and the activities of the Council of Europe in this area.
Over the last century, significant progress has been made in terms of gender equality in Europe. Great disparities persist in our societies, however, between girls and boys, women and men, preventing the full enjoyment of the fundamental human right for all to participate fully, as equal partners, in all aspects of life. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is convinced that the most effective way to promote gender equality is through education. This is why it adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)13 on gender mainstreaming in education, in 2007. This recommendation encourages the governments of member states to incorporate the gender perspective at all levels of the educational system - through legislation and in practice - so as to promote among young people the values of justice and participation necessary for the building of a society which guarantees true gender equality, both in the private and the public spheres.
Uncover how history education can either divide or unite, and explore the Council of Europe’s groundbreaking initiatives that have redefined how we teach history, promoting critical thinking and democratic values for a more inclusive future. History education possesses immense power, serving as a doubleedged sword. It can either propagate divisive, harmful narratives or foster critical thinking, understanding and unity. The Council of Europe’s pioneering efforts since its creation have profoundly shaped history education, emphasising multiperspectivity and democratic values. Through comprehensive programmes and projects, they have reformed curricula, promoted critical historical inquiry and introduced innovative teaching practices. Today, initiatives like the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe and HISTOLAB continue this legacy, addressing contemporary challenges to enhance history education. This publication delves into these efforts featuring insightful articles from four HISTOLAB fellows, exploring the intersection of digital innovation, inclusivity and curricular reform in history education.
Since its foundation, the Council of Europe has established a common legal system for European states, based on democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Its standard-setting texts have helped its members meet the challenges of changing societies and now apply all over Europe given the organisation¿s unprecedented geographical enlargement since 1989. In this connection, the Council of Europe has played a key role in the accession of the new member states to the European Union. The first section of the book deals with the "constitutional" law of the Council of Europe, or its internal statutes in the broad sense. It covers the 1949 Statute, which, along with related texts, lays down the Council¿s aims and determines its membership and operating methods. The second section concerns the role played by the Council of Europe - which has always been very active in standard-setting - in the harmonisation of European states¿ domestic law. The third section situates Council of Europe law in the European context. For instance, it studies the extent to which Council of Europe conventions have been incorporated in domestic law and how Council of Europe law and European Union law co-exist.
Racism was a pressing social problem long before the emergence of the digital age. The advancement of digital communication technologies such as the Internet has, however, added a new dimension to this problem by providing individuals and organisations with modern and powerful means to propagate racism and xenophobia. The use of the Internet as an instrument For The widespread dissemination of racist content is assessed in detail by the author.The problem of racist content on the Internet has naturally prompted vigorous responses from a variety of agents, including governments, supranational and international organisations and from the private sector. This book also provides a detailed critical overview of these regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives.
This volume of the "Yearbook of the European Convention on Human Rights," prepared by the Directorate of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, relates to 2001. Its presentation follows that of previous volumes. Part one contains basic texts and information of a general nature; part two deals with the European Commission of Human Rights; part three with the European Court of Human Rights; part four with the Resolutions of the Committee of Ministers; and parts five and six with the other work of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights, the situation in the Member States, and developments within the European Communities. A bibliography and index are included.
NOTE: These are the correct details for ISBN 9287135320. Another Council of Europe publication (1998) was printed with the same ISBN in error (for further details see the entry on TSO's website under ISBN 0119862379).
Education plays an essential role in the promotion of the core values of the Council of Europe: democracy, human rights And The rule of law, As well as in the prevention of human rights violations. More generally, education is increasingly seen as a defence against the rise of violence, racism, extremism, xenophobia, discrimination and intolerance. This growing awareness is reflected in the adoption of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (EDC/ HRE) by the Organisation's 47 member states in the framework of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7. The Charter was developed over a period of several years as a result of wide-ranging consultations and is non-binding. it will be an important reference point for all those dealing with citizenship and human rights education. it will hopefully provide a focus and catalyst for action in the member states, As well as a way of disseminating good practice and raising standards throughout Europe and beyond.
The European ministerial conference on human rights, meeting in Rome on the 50th anniversary of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, emphasised two crucial elements: - the responsibility of member states, Parties to the Convention, to ensure constantly that their law and practice conform to the Convention and to execute the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights; - that urgent measures be taken to assist the Court in carrying out its functions, given the ever increasing number of applications. An in-depth reflection should be started as soon as possible on the various possibilities and options with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of the Court in the light of this new situation. The Rome conference has sparked intensive work. Ever since January 2001, the intergovernmental co-operation activities of the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) of the Council of Europe have concentrated on developing normative instruments, of which the most important has been Protocol No. 14 to the Convention. This work has benefited greatly from high-level debates during a series of round-table discussions, within working groups and at seminars organised mainly by the successive presidencies of the Committee of Ministers. The present volume contains a record of this work.
This volume contains a selection of papers based on presentations given at the international conference entitled "The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: Achievements and Challenges", co-organised by the Council of Europe, The Government of Spain, The Government of the Basque Country And The University of the Basque Country, which was held in Bilbao (Spain) on 20 and 21 April 2009. This work looks at the future prospects of the charter in the light of the experience gained over the first decade of the charter's existence. it is evident that governments bear the primary responsibility in preparing for ratification and in applying the charter, and this is illustrated by case studies for some states parties To The charter. However, regional and local authorities also play a very important role in relation To The charter as they are confronted on a daily basis with the use and protection of minority languages
Coastal areas have experienced unprecedented dramatic changes in the last half of the 20th century, especially in zones used for tourism development. This code of conduct and model law on coastal areas establishes some general management principles aimed at the sustainable development of coastal areas and the preservation of their environmental values.
This compendium is the essential reference manual for those seeking to gain knowledge of the European Social Charter, its rights and freedoms as well as the supervisory mechanism guaranteeing their respect. It contains decisions taken by the Council of Europe since the Charter's entry into force in order to establish, develop and implement its application.
The Council of Europe (CoE) has played a central but neglected role in the definition of Irish attitudes to European integration. Ireland was a founder member of the Council in 1949 and participation in the work of the Council changed Irish attitudes towards broader European integration by demonstrating to politicians and officials the benefits and challenges of collective European action. This book explores the differing views of politicians on European integration and examines the changing opinions of Irish academics, businessmen, civil servants and diplomats from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.
Elections are a pre-condition for democratic governance since it is through them that the citizens of a country choose freely, and on the basis of the law, the persons that can legitimately govern in their name and in their interest. The right to free elections, as enshrined in the Article 3 of the Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, is a “fundamental principle in a truly democratic political regime”. It comprises a series of safeguards and procedures that ensure respect for active and passive electoral rights and the conduct of genuine free and fair elections. Civil society has a distinct role to play since it observes the electoral process and contributes to the development of national electoral procedures through advice and recommendations. The Council of Europe handbook Reporting on elections aims to help observers become more efficient and to produce more effective reports, specifically focusing on the reporting of core team members. At the same time, it also covers the reporting of long- and short-term observers. It deals mainly with final election reports and reports/statements on preliminary findings, while also providing insight into interim reports and ideas for ad hoc reports and press releases, in addition to tips on how to follow up on recommendations.
This volume contains the proceedings (in English and French) of the International seminar "Integration of the greater European spaces" about the sustainable spatial organisation of the Greater European area. Topics range from geopolitical considerations to territorial impact assessment of concrete projects, and comprehensive reports on the activities undertaken under various European initiatives and programmes of cross-border, transnational and inter-regional co-operation. Particular attention was paid to the presentation of successful regional and local spatial development projects.
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