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CoE Official Calls for Gender Strategy in Liechtenstein
December 21, 2017
In his report on Liechtenstein, the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks called on the country's government to adopt a "national gender equality strategy" to ensure the equal treatment of men and women, including by improving access to abortion and considering quotas for women in politics.
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Ukraine Opposes CoE Reconciliation with Russia
December 21, 2017
RFERL reports that Ukraine's representation to the Council of Europe (CoE) is opposing reported attempts by the CoE Secretary-General to convince countries to restore to Russia its voting rights in the CoE's Parliamentary Assembly out of fear that, if it can no longer vote, Russia will withdraw from the international body.
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ECtHR: University Lecture Surveillance Violated Privacy Rights
December 21, 2017
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held in November that video surveillance of public lectures at the University of Montenegro with the knowledge of the lecturers but without their consent unlawfully interfered with the lecturers' right to privacy.
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EC Initiates Sanctions Process Against Poland
December 20, 2017
Politico reports that the European Commission (EC) has, for the first time, triggered the EU's process of sanctioning a member state for failing to uphold the core values of the bloc in an action against Poland over judicial independence concerns caused by an array of court reforms pursued by the country's government.
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NGOs Call for Expansive Rights Agenda in Southern Europe
December 20, 2017
Representatives from a group of civil society organizations at a recent event hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee called for greater rights protections in Europe’s Mediterranean Basin, including greater support for migrants, increased protections for women, and better "social protection" for residents.