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Poland: While initiatives against domestic violence show promise, urgent steps needed to respond to other forms of violence against women, says new report
In its first report on Poland, the Council of Europe’s GREVIO – the independent group that monitors implementation of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) – praises recently introduced emergency barring orders, allowing law-enforcement agencies to temporarily evict a domestic abuser from a family residence. Accompanied by training initiatives, this reflects positive government efforts to implement a “fundamental cornerstone” of the convention, according to the report. Multi-agency responses to domestic violence, another fundamental convention requirement, find expression in Poland’s “Blue Card” procedure, whereby local interdisciplinary teams deliver support and protection to victims of domestic violence. Efforts also have been made to make…
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Pologne : des initiatives prometteuses contre la violence domestique, mais une nécessité urgente de lutter contre les autres formes de violence à l’égard des femmes, selon un nouveau rapport
Le GREVIO, au Conseil de l’Europe, est un groupe d’experts indépendant qui surveille la mise en œuvre de la Convention sur la prévention et la lutte contre la violence à l’égard des femmes et la violence domestique (Convention d’Istanbul). Dans son premier rapport sur la Pologne, le GREVIO salue la récente création d’un outil juridique, les ordonnances d’urgence d’interdiction, qui permet aux forces de l’ordre d’expulser temporairement les auteurs de violences domestiques du domicile familial. L’outil, qui s’accompagne de mesures de formation, témoigne selon le rapport des efforts positifs accomplis par le gouvernement polonais pour instaurer un « élément fondamental » de la Convention. L’approche interinstitutionnelle de la réponse à la violence domestique,…
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Foreign Affairs Ministers set the Council of Europe’s course for the next four years
Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 47 Council of Europe member states have agreed on a Strategic Framework for the organisation for the next four years at their annual session today. The Ministers underlined the Council of Europe’s role and responsibility for ensuring the implementation of its conventions, developing new legally-binding standards in response to new challenges, and providing assistance to member states through its co-operation programmes. They also recalled the importance of the Council of Europe co-operating with its main international partners and, when it comes to unresolved conflicts, working together towards political solutions in conformity with the norms and principles of international law. According to the strategy, the Council…
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Facial recognition: strict regulation is needed to prevent human rights violations
The Council of Europe has called for strict rules to avoid the significant risks to privacy and data protection posed by the increasing use of facial recognition technologies. Furthermore, certain applications of facial recognition should be banned altogether to avoid discrimination. In a new set of guidelines addressed to governments, legislators and businesses, the 47-state human rights organisation proposes that the use of facial recognition for the sole purpose of determining a person’s skin colour, religious or other belief, sex, racial or ethnic origin, age, health or social status should be prohibited. This ban should also be applied to “affect recognition” technologies – which can identify emotions and be used…
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Council of Europe’s artificial intelligence expert committee CAHAI adopts feasibility study on the development of AI legal standards
The Council of Europe’s committee of experts on artificial intelligence (CAHAI) adopted during its 3rd plenary meeting from 15 to 17 December 2020 a feasibility study of an international legal instrument on artificial intelligence and its potential elements. This feasibility study will be presented to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing its 47 member states, in 2021. The study invites the Committee of Ministers to instruct the CAHAI to focus its work in the future on the elaboration of the specific elements of an appropriate legal framework, which could include a binding legal instrument, as well as non-binding instruments as appropriate, in parallel with progress that…
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Hongrie : la minorité rom a besoin d’une aide « d’urgence » en matière d’éducation, de logement et de soins de santé, selon les constats du nouvel avis sur les minorités
Dans son dernier avis sur la Hongrie, le Comité consultatif de la Convention-cadre pour la protection des minorités nationales du Conseil de l’Europe a estimé que les personnes appartenant à la minorité rom sont confrontées à des difficultés structurelles dans tous les domaines de la vie publique, notamment l’éducation, l’emploi et l’accès au logement et aux soins de santé (voir les commentaires du Gouvernement de Hongrie, en anglais seulement). Des mesures doivent être prises « d’urgence » pour lutter contre l’abandon prématuré de la scolarité et promouvoir un enseignement inclusif et de qualité des Roms, y compris dans les zones marginalisées, indique cet avis. Il est indispensable d’élaborer un programme de recrutement et de formation des…
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La surveillance numérique par les services de renseignement : les États doivent prendre des mesures pour mieux protéger les individus
Dans une déclaration conjointe publiée ce jour, la Présidente du Comité de la « Convention 108 » du Conseil de l’Europe sur la protection des données, Alessandra Pierucci, et le Commissaire à la protection des données du Conseil de l’Europe, Jean-Philippe Walter, ont appelé les États à renforcer la protection des données à caractère personnel dans le contexte de la surveillance numérique effectuée par les services de renseignement, en adhérant à la convention du Conseil de l’Europe sur la protection des données, la « Convention 108+ », et en promouvant un nouvel instrument juridique international prévoyant des garanties effectives et démocratiques dans ce domaine. « Les pays doivent s’accorder au…
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Digital Surveillance by intelligence services: States have to take action to better protect individuals
In a joint statement issued today, the Chair of the Council of Europe’s data protection “Convention 108” committee, Alessandra Pierucci, and the Council of Europe’s Data Protection Commissioner, Jean-Philippe Walter, called on States to strengthen the protection of personal data in the context of digital surveillance carried by intelligence services, by joining the Council of Europe convention on data protection “Convention 108+” and by promoting a new international legal instrument providing democratic and effective safeguards in this field. “Countries must agree at international level on the extent to which the surveillance performed by intelligence services can be authorised, under which conditions and according to which safeguards, including independent and effective…
