Civil Society Newsletter- 3 June 2026


N°1

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR LA VERSION FRANCAISE

Europe’s security starts with democracy: Council of Europe Secretary General’s 2026 annual report

Europe does not have to choose between security and democracy. It never did and cannot afford to start now. In his 2026 annual report, entitled “The New Democratic Pact for Europe in times of rupture”, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset calls for a legal and democratic framework that lasting European security can depend on, and for rebuilding people’s trust in institutions.

New study on the situation of NGOs in Europe in 2024-2025

The Expert Council on NGO Law has just published a study on “Recent adverse developments for non-governmental organisations in Europe”.

This study evaluates the current situations of NGOs in the Council of Europe member states. It shows that the situation for NGOs is generally becoming worse, with the adoption of more “foreign agent” type laws, increased criminalisation of legitimate activities, reductions in the funding available.

Read the study here ›

Implementing the European Court's judgments: Latest decisions from the Committee of Ministers

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has published the case-by-case decisions taken during its meeting from 9 to 11 March on the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The Committee of Ministers adopted 42 decisions concerning 21 states during the meeting.

See more decisions to implement the ECHR's judgments ›

New Manual Empowers Municipalities with Intercultural Tools for LGBTI+ Inclusion

With support from the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities (ICC) Programme’s grant scheme, a new training manual is equipping public institutions with concrete tools to develop LGBTI+ intercultural competences, marking a milestone in the practical application of the Council of Europe's inclusion approach to help professionals turn rights into concrete everyday experiences of safety, equity, and belonging for LGBTI+ people.

Discover this collaborative tool advancing LGBTI+ inclusion across Europe ›

Strengthening support for refugee women and girls through co-operation with civil society organisations in Armenia

Civil society organisations across Armenia are strengthening their co-operation to better support refugee communities in Armenia, and address the complex challenges they face, from access to employment to social inclusion and protection. A networking event held in Gyumri brought together organisations working in refugee response and women’s empowerment to strengthen co-ordination, share practical experiences, and increase the effectiveness of support.

See how stronger cooperation leads to more effective support ›

CDNET holds its first plenary meeting in Strasbourg

The first plenary meeting of the Steering Committee for New and Emerging Digital Technologies (CDNET) took place on 16-17 April 2026 in Strasbourg.

It brought together member States, participants, observer States, civil society organisations holding observer status and invited experts. Discussions, inter alia, covered the state of play for the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and broader developments in AI governance.

More information about the plenary meeting ›

Report of the international conference now available: “Shaping Democratic Renewal: civic space and the path to a New Democratic Pact for Europe”

The Council of Europe has published the report of the international conference “Shaping democratic renewal: civic space and the path to a New Democratic Pact for Europe”, which took place in Strasbourg on 2-3 February 2026.

Consult the full conference report and watch the conference recordings ›

CDADI and GEC publish joint statement on the fundamental importance of equality, gender equality, diversity and inclusion for the New Democratic Pact for Europe

The Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI) and Gender Equality Commission (GEC) published their first ever joint statement. Both committees underline that equality and equal participation form the backbone of democracy.

Read the full statement and see why equality matters for the future ›

Lanzarote Convention: how Civil Society can contribute

Involvement of civil society actors and national human rights institutions (NHRI) is essential for the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention).

Explore how your organisation can contribute ›

The engagement of the Group of States against Corruption with Civil Society

Non-governmental organisations are key actors in the implementation and monitoring of Council of Europe standards. GRECO engages with Civil Society in various ways to support its work accross Europe.

Discover how your organisation can engage with GRECO ›

Istanbul Convention: the monitoring process country by country

This page presents all documents related to ongoing or completed evaluation procedures carried out under the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), for each Party to the Convention.

Follow the monitoring process country by country ›

The ICC Programme publishes its 2025 annual report

The Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities (ICC) Programme has published its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year of dynamic growth, innovation, and partnership in advancing diversity, equality, and social cohesion across cities and regions worldwide.

Explore the ICC Programme 2025 highlights ›

Empowering civil society to improve access to justice in migration, environment, and women’s rights in Turkiye

In March 2026, in Ankara, over 130 representatives from civil society organisations came together for the launch of the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programme, “Fostering Civil Society Participation and Capacity Building in Access to Justice in Türkiye”.

Learn more about this launch event and joint programme ›

Publication of the Compendium of Promising Practices on Access to Nationality for Stateless Children

The European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) published the Compendium of Promising Practices on Access to Nationality for Stateless Children, following its adoption at its 105th plenary meeting (18-20 November 2025). Child statelessness deprives children of their basic right to a nationality and legal identity, hampering their enjoyment of fundamental rights.


Other News

GENDER EQUALITY Pathways to end violence against women – Mission Driven Initiative (Pathways Initiative - 2025-2030) INTERCULTURAL CITIES PROGRAMME Mapping and celebrating cultural diversity, by Reggio Emilia and Modena CONFERENCE OF INGOs Romania: legislative initiative prompts concerns from the President of CINGO and its Expert Council on NGO Law Civil participation in Serbia and Greece: CINGO publishes two country reports calling for improvements 135th ministerial session: CINGO President supports New Democratic Pact and European Human Rights Court against risks of instrumentalisation of “emotional theme of migration”


Consultations and Hearings

DEMOCRACY: Join the Public Hearing on The Reykjavik Parameters for Democracy - From Diagnosis to Action: Towards Democratic Security - 8 June 2026 SOCIAL RIGHTS: Third party organisations are invited to submit comments on States Parties reports - 30 June 2026


Upcoming events

HEALTH: Thematic Dialogue on Social Media and Children’s Mental Health – 4 June 2026 ENVIRONMENT: 1st European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) - 3 and 4 June 2026 GENDER EQUALITY: Conference on Women forging lasting peace: Dismantling barriers to gender-inclusive conflict resolution and peacebuilding - 9 June 2026 ANTI-DISCRIMINATION, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Colloquium ‘How can we better combat discrimination based on "race" or ethnic origin? Exploring and addressing its root causes' - 17 June 2026

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