22/05/2026 Standing Committee
A meeting of PACE’s Standing Committee opened in Monaco today, with a series of opening speeches which focused on the urgent need to uphold the founding ideals of the Council of Europe in ever more worrying times – and on the concrete steps which the organisation is taking, including bringing accountability to Ukraine and protecting human rights.
Monaco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Isabelle Berro-Amadeï – who took over as Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers a few days ago – set out the main priorities of Monaco's Presidency for the next six months, presenting its guiding theme: “Protecting everyone through an effective Organisation to address current challenges”.
Citing the worrying European context, the Minister said Monaco’s Presidency came at a time when it was more than ever necessary to reaffirm the founding values of the Council of Europe and the ideal which it has represented since 1949: “Beyond the crises our continent faces today, we are called upon to preserve together a certain ideal – the ideal of a Europe based on human dignity, justice, freedom and the deep conviction that durable peace is not possible without democracy and law.”
“Seventy-seven years ago, the founding figures of the Council of Europe wanted to build an organisation capable of protecting this ideal after the tragedies of the 20th century. This heritage leaves us no choice. It obliges us to preserve the strength of law over the logic of power, to make multilateralism live and to strengthen dialogue,” she added.
Welcoming the parliamentarians to the Principality, the Speaker of Monaco’s National Council Thomas Brezzo recalled the need to defend the rule of law and the values of the Council of Europe. “Europe is not merely a market, nor is it merely a set of budgetary procedures. What gives direction to our peoples, what enables us to distinguish progress from resignation, is a shared democratic compass. And this compass is precisely what the Council of Europe represents.”
In her opening remarks, PACE President Petra Bayr hailed Monaco’s contribution to the work of the Assembly, describing its delegation as “a powerhouse at PACE”, and wished the Monegasque Presidency all success. She also highlighted the Assembly’s role in creating a Special Tribunal for the crime of Aggression against Ukraine, as well as the recent adoption of the Chisinau Declaration reaffirming states’ commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights.
“Europe does not shy away from emerging challenges and is ready to find an effective response to them, without compromising on our fundamental principles and values. This is just another signal that our continent is ready to be a leader of democratic world even in the current volatile context,” she said.
