Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America

Recommendation 2296 (2025)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 10 April 2025 (17th sitting) (see Doc. 16129, report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, rapporteur: Mr Antonio Gutiérrez Limones). Text adopted by the Assembly on 10 April 2025 (17th sitting).

1. The Parliamentary Assembly draws the Committee of Ministers’ attention to its Resolution 2603 (2025) “Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America”, in which it underlines that Europe and Latin America share multidimensional ties as well as the same fundamental values: the universality of human rights, the irreplaceable nature of democracy and the primacy of the rule of law over the rule of might.

2. The existing links between Europe and Latin America are particularly relevant in the current volatile and uncertain geopolitical context. The rules-based international order is under attack and, at the same time, the global challenges requiring a common international response based on multilateralism and co-operation are growing: geopolitical conflicts and threats to international security, climate change and environmental degradation, energy transition and the management of relevant natural resources, mass migrations, health risks and the use of artificial intelligence.

3. The Assembly recognises that the Council of Europe has already institutionalised relations and established contacts with several regional organisations and institutions in Latin America:

3.1 a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Council of Europe and the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2011;

3.2 the European Court of Human Rights, together with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, adopted the Declaration of San José in 2018, which establishes the Permanent Forum of Institutional Dialogue;

3.3 dialogue and co-operation activities have been developed with the Ibero-American system and its sectoral organisations;

3.4 a co-operation agreement was signed in 2008 between the Assembly and the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino).

4. The Assembly considers that it is more important than ever for Europe to strengthen its ties with regions that share its values. The Latin American region should be considered as a natural ally. While the existing partnerships with multilateral organisations and countries in Latin America should be strengthened, the Council of Europe should also seek to develop dialogue and new forms of co-operation in the region. In the light of the above, and building on the Reykjavik Declaration, the Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to:

4.1 further strengthen the relations of the Council of Europe with relevant multilateral organisations in Latin America, in particular the OAS and the Ibero-American System, through high-level meetings, sectoral agreements, technical co-operation activities, exchange of expertise and joint events, with a view to:

4.1.1 upholding multilateralism and the respect for international law;

4.1.2 promoting and protecting human rights;

4.1.3 countering the backsliding of democracy;

4.1.4 promoting the principles of the rule of law;

4.1.5 addressing the impact of pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity;

4.1.6 addressing the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence;

4.2 engage in a dialogue with Latin American States, to promote Council of Europe standards and technical expertise and to encourage their accession to the enlarged agreements, enlarged partial agreements and conventions that are open to non-member States of the Council of Europe, such as the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225), the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), the Council of Europe International Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions (Pompidou Group) and the enlarged partial agreement on the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, once it is established.