The Council of Europe’s parliamentary body has adopted a resolution calling on governments across the organisation’s 46 member states to prohibit so-called “conversion practices” and provide for criminal sanctions. The text was approved during the winter session in Strasbourg.
The resolution, Resolution 2643 (2026), was adopted on 29 January 2026 following a debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. According to the Assembly’s published voting record, it passed by 71 votes to 26, with two abstentions.
In the adopted text, the Assembly defines “conversion practices” as measures or efforts aimed at “changing, repressing, or suppressing” a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and says they are based on the belief that such aspects of identity are “pathological or undesirable” or capable of being changed. The resolution lists a wide range of alleged methods, including psychological or behavioural counselling, spiritual or religious rituals, aversion techniques, and forms of coercion and abuse.
The document states that conversion practices “have no scientific basis” and describes a series of potential harms, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. It also cites condemnation of these practices by medical and psychological organisations, and argues that they reinforce the idea that sexual orientation or gender identity may need to be “cured” or changed.
The resolution frames the issue in terms of personal autonomy and the right to respect for private and family life, and says conversion practices persist across Council of Europe member states, “often covertly”. It calls for action both in countries that have not legislated and in those that already have measures in place, urging enforcement and access to support for victims.
A central demand is for states to introduce legislation prohibiting conversion practices “providing for criminal sanctions” and using “a clear and comprehensive definition” that covers healthcare, education, religious and commercial settings. The resolution also calls for complaint procedures and monitoring mechanisms, civil measures such as protection orders, and bans on advertising, including online promotion. It further recommends extending prohibitions to referrals to practitioners operating in other jurisdictions.
Beyond criminal law, the text calls for co-operation with civil society, professional bodies and religious institutions, including dialogue aimed at enforcement. It recommends training for health professionals, educators, members of religious institutions, law enforcement and prosecutors to improve identification and response. It also urges member states to ensure that comprehensive sexuality education covers diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity, and includes information about conversion practices and associated risks. The resolution calls for specialised victim support services, survivor networks, and further research and data collection on prevalence and impact.
At the same time, the adopted text includes a passage stating that a ban “should not limit supportive interventions” by parents, organised religious institutions or qualified clinicians, provided that such interventions do not attempt to change, repress or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
The report underpinning the resolution was prepared for the Assembly’s Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination by Kate Osborne, who served as rapporteur. In a separate news release summarising the vote, the Assembly said the experience of “pioneering countries” such as Malta could inform legislative reforms and help address loopholes.
Several European states have already introduced partial or comprehensive restrictions. In Germany, the federal parliament, the Bundestag, adopted an “Act to Protect against Conversion Treatments” on 7 May 2020, including penalties for carrying out or advertising such practices under specified conditions.
The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly brings together parliamentarians from across the organisation’s member states and issues resolutions and recommendations, but it does not enact binding law. In reporting the development, Deutschlandfunk noted that the Assembly’s decision is an appeal to national lawmakers rather than legislation in itself.
