19/04/2026 Equality and Non-Discrimination
A PACE committee is calling on Council of Europe member states to strengthen co-operation between national parliaments and equality bodies, warning that democratic values and the principle of non-discrimination are under growing pressure across Europe.
In a draft resolution based on a report by Tuula Haatainen (Finland, SOC), the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination states that “equality is one of the most sensitive barometers of democracy, and gender equality provides a particularly clear indicator. Regressions in women's rights may serve as an early warning sign of broader democratic backsliding.”
On the role of equality bodies, the report notes that they “provide assistance and legal support to victims of discrimination and advise public authorities, including legislators and policy makers, on the design, implementation and evaluation of equality policies.” The committee called on member states to guarantee the “independence, autonomy and effectiveness of equality bodies, including through adequate and sustainable financial and human resources, and protection from political interference”.
On the relationship between equality bodies and parliaments, the committee underlined: “co-operation between parliaments and equality bodies should be strengthened, including by consistently seeking or accepting their contributions in legislative processes and duly taking their opinions and recommendations into account. Such co-operation should be clearly defined, structured, and based on transparent and established procedures.”
The report calls on member states “to consider the establishment of a Europe-wide early warning mechanism on equality and non-discrimination in order to identify and respond to risks of backsliding in a timely manner, based on measurable indicators developed in co-operation with national statistics organisations and European and international bodies.”
The committee also addressed the growing influence of digital technologies, expressing concern about the risk that “digital technologies, especially artificial intelligence, may be misused, leading to increased discrimination, hate speech and disinformation.” At the same time, it recognised that technological advances, when responsibly applied, can support equality and inform policymaking. Member states were called upon “to sign, ratify and implement the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.”