"Hate speech is a warning signal: the louder it sounds, the greater the threat of genocide. It precedes and promotes violence.” These words, expressed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, are increasingly resonating in every corner of the world. The United Nations defines hate speech in its UN Strategy and Plan of Action to Combat Hate Speech...
It is difficult to explain to someone who is unfamiliar with everything that happened during the Civil War, Franco's regime and the transition to democracy what it means that, 50 years after the death of dictator Francisco Franco, one of those responsible for crimes during the transition in our country has been summoned to testify....
Indigenous human rights defenders face a constant and growing threat around the world. Front Line Defenders' recent report 2024-2025 highlights that while indigenous peoples represent only 6% of the world's population, they make up 17.9% of all human rights defenders killed. This alarming statistic reflects a systemic crisis of violence and criminalisation against those protecting...
On 2 June 2025, the Audiencia Nacional handed down a landmark ruling for transparency and access to information in Spain. It ruled that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation proceeded improperly by refusing Access Info's claim to the self-assessment documents produced by Spain in the framework of the implementation of the United...
At a critical time for the planet, marked by the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and pollution, UN experts have urged Council of Europe ministers to legally recognise the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right. The negotiations focus on the need to establish a binding Additional Protocol to the...
The Omnibus Package is a European Commission initiative that seeks to simplify corporate sustainability regulations, with the aim of reducing the administrative burden on companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. This proposal introduces important changes to key directives such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the EU...
April 3, 2023 marked the beginning of a paradigm shift in Europe. The first meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law was established and took place. After more than a year of work by experts and stakeholders from the 46 member states of the...
At FIBGAR, we are excited to announce an important step forward in our commitment to promoting democracy, human rights, and citizen participation. From now on, we are part of ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy, a global alliance that brings together local and regional authorities with civil society actors to work together in building resilient,...
"The task of politics is to prevent conflict; the task of education is to establish peace. We must convince the world of the need for a universal, collective effort to lay the foundations for peace." Maria Montessori Every May 16, the world celebrates the International Day of Living Together in Peace, a date that was established by...
The Council of Europe’s 2024 annual report by the Secretary General, “Towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe”, offers a timely and urgent reflection on the state of democracy across the continent. Despite Europe’s relatively strong performance in global indices on human rights and democratic governance, the report reveals deep and persistent challenges to democratic institutions,...
