ZAGREB, March 27, 2019 - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić has been short-listed for the position of secretary-general of the Council of Europe, the CoE said on Wednesday.

The other shortlisted candidate in the final round of the selection process is Belgium's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and minister of defence, Didier Reynders.

Apart from them, the other two candidates in the first round were former Lithuanian premier and lawmaker, Andrius Kubilius as well as a former Greek foreign minister and parliamentary deputy, Dora Bakoyannis.

The Committee of Ministers interviewed the four candidates separately in March, before deciding upon a final list of candidates that will be transmitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly will then proceed with the election of the next Secretary General, which is due to take place in June 2019. The mandate of the new Secretary General starts on 1 October 2019.

The current Secretary-General is Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian Prime Minister and parliament speaker.

Croatia chaired the CoE from May to November 2018.

More news about Marija Pejčinović Burić can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 7, 2019 - Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland said on the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8, that vital goals were being achieved to end violence against women but that more progress was needed. In that context, he commended Croatia for ratifying the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

"The Istanbul Convention requires criminalising and legally sanctioning different forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment and psychological violence," Jagland said but noted that despite the progress, there were still problems concerning its ratification in some countries.

"In some cases, such as Bulgaria, ratification has been blocked due to concerns and misconceptions over the term 'gender'. However, I believe such misinterpretations can be clarified if the correct information is duly provided and there is the political will to do so, for example in Croatia, which ratified the Istanbul Convention in June last year," said Jagland.

"Azerbaijan and Russia still have not signed our treaty. And 11 Council of Europe member states – Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Hungary, Moldova, the Slovak Republic, Ukraine and the UK – have signed, but not yet ratified," Jagland said, noting that monitoring the countries that have ratified the convention was important for ensuring compliance with its guidelines.

"Our Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) regularly goes on location to research how member states live up to convention requirements. Through GREVIO, we reinforce both cooperation with member states and identify areas for improvement.

"Earlier this year for example, GREVIO recognised progress in a report published about Portugal, which has developed comprehensive policies and preventive measures, especially to promote gender equality and combat gender stereotypes. In Sweden, GREVIO highlighted numerous legislative and policy measures adopted over the past 40 years that clearly demonstrate this member state's commitment to prevent and combat violence against women," the Council of Europe head said but noted that despite the progress, there was no room for complacency.

"We must continue to fight for ratification in all Council of Europe member states because women and girls cannot be deprived of their most basic human right: a life free from violence," he said, urging all member states to ratify without delay the Istanbul Convention.

More news on the Istanbul Convention ratification can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 11, 2019 – Croatian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić is one of the four candidate that have applied for the position of Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, this European organisation reported on Friday.

The CoE states that at the expiry of the deadline for member states to propose candidates for the election of the next Secretary General, the following candidatures have been sent by Belgian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Didier Reyners, a former Lithuanian premier and lawmaker, Andrius Kubilius, as well as a former Greek foreign minister and parliamentary deputy, Dora Bakoyannis.

"The Committee of Ministers will interview the four candidates separately in March 2019, and decide upon a final list of candidates that will be transmitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe," the CoE reported.

The Parliamentary Assembly will then proceed with the election of the next Secretary General, which is due to take place in June 2019. The mandate of the new Secretary General starts on 1 October 2019.

The current Secretary-General is Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian Prime Minister and parliament speaker.

Croatia chaired the CoE from May to November 2018.

More news on Croatia and the Council of Europe can be found in our Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 22, 2018 - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić briefed the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg on the six-month presidency over the Committee, which focused on the fight against corruption and symbolically handed the Council of Europe presidency keys to Finland, the ministry said in a press release.

Croatia was involved in all the activities that deal with the current political challenges within the Council of Europe, notably pushing for stronger cooperation between the Committee of Ministers and the Council's other main bodies.

Over six months of its Council of Europe presidency, Croatia organized 28 events, including meetings, and presented its tourism through a rich cultural program in Strasbourg.

In her address, Pejčinović Burić said that one of the main priorities of Croatia's presidency was the fight against corruption. The central event was a ministerial conference held on that topic in Šibenik, resulting in a declaration on the launch of a network of bodies for the prevention of corruption under the auspices of Croatian, French and Italian anti-corruption authorities.

At the end of the meeting, she symbolically handed Finland the Council of Europe presidency keys, wishing it success during its presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

Pejčinović Burić also met with Council of Europe Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland and Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini for talks on the future activity of the Committee of Ministers and other current Council matters.

For more on Croatia’s activities in the Council of Europe, click here.

ZAGREB, October 6, 2018 - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, speaking in Dubrovnik on Tuesday, emphasised the importance of cooperation between northern and southern Mediterranean countries, adding that Croatia wanted to promote stability and peace in the Mediterranean.

Jandrokoviž was speaking at a conference of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), entitled "Building Democratic Security in the Mediterranean: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibility", which marked the end of the parliamentary dimension of the Croatian chairmanship of the Council of Europe.

The conference brought together parliamentarians from Council of Europe member states and the Middle East and North Africa region to discuss different political challenges and challenges to stability in the Mediterranean.

"Unfortunately, in the last few years this region has not generated stability but a lot of security challenges. Without the cooperation of all countries, there will be no peace. This conference offers answers on how to improve the cooperation and define common values and how those with advanced democratic standards can help those that trail behind them," Jandroković said.

He said that peace, stability and security in the Mediterranean region were of key importance for Europe. "We in Croatia are very much open to cooperation and sharing our experience. Based on its recent past, Croatia has gained unique experience relating to the democratic transition. We have shown how within a relatively short period a country can achieve democratic security and join the world's most developed countries," he added.

PACE President Liliane Maury Pasquier said that the Council of Europe had a duty to seek solutions to security and democratic challenges in the Mediterranean region.

The universal values of the rule of law, democracy and human rights are part of our common legacy and our systems of governance are firmly founded on this legacy. We will not take these values for granted, and we are aware that there is no simple democratic model for all countries and all situations. Everyone must find their own way to democracy, but exchange of experience and good practice makes us all stronger to proceed in that direction, Maury Pasquier said.

She praised the Croatian chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, saying that during those six months Croatia had constructively contributed to the work of the Council of Europe and its bodies.

Croatia has been very engaged in helping the Council of Europe to put the focus on the values of the rule of law, democracy and human rights. This conference will strengthen these values, especially in the southern Mediterranean. It is very important for everyone to live in as peaceful, safe and democratic an environment as possible, Maury Pasquier said.

For more on Croatia’s presidency of the Council of Europe, click here.

ZAGREB, October 15, 2018 - The Croatian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the CoE and the Croatian Ministry of Justice have organised an international conference on ways of strengthening transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors to combat corruption, which is taking place in the coastal city of Šibenik on 15 and 16 October.

While significant improvements have indeed been made, Croatia still has a very long way to go in terms of the justice system.

ZAGREB, October 12, 2018 - The Ministry of Justice, acting as part of the Croatian chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers and in cooperation with the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), is organising an international ministerial conference in the central Adriatic city of Šibenik on October 15-16.

ZAGREB, October 3, 2018 - The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has praised the efforts of the Croatian authorities to reduce prison overcrowding.

ZAGREB, June 27, 2018 - Croatia wants to turn a new page and develop political and economic relations with Serbia in such a way that outstanding issues are resolved with partners with whom it is possible to talk to, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Strasbourg on Tuesday after provocations in the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe by a member of the Serbian Radical Party Alesksandar Šešelj, a son of convicted war criminal Vojislav Šešelj.