The role of the Council of Europe in preventing conflicts, restoring credibility of international institutions and promoting global peace

Recommendation 2259 (2023)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 12 October 2023 (23rd sitting) (see Doc. 15821, report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, rapporteur: Ms Lesia Vasylenko; and Doc. 15824, opinion of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), rapporteur: Mr Claude Kern). Text adopted by the Assembly on 12 October 2023 (23rd sitting).

1. Recalling its Resolution 2515 (2023) “The role of the Council of Europe in preventing conflicts, restoring the credibility of international institutions and promoting global peace”, the Parliamentary Assembly believes that the Council of Europe should develop additional tools to promote democratic security. While national defence is explicitly excluded from the scope of responsibility of the Council of Europe, the Organisation plays a crucial role in strengthening democratic security.

2. The Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, however, is the most recent, and extreme, example of the limited effectiveness of the Council of Europe’s current mechanisms when it comes to guaranteeing security as a basic precondition for the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

3. To remedy this weakness, the Assembly proposes the creation of a Council of Europe common democratic security policy, which would catalyse the efforts of the Council of Europe to protect and strengthen international security and enhance its impact in this area. The policy should ensure the comprehensive use of early-warning and confidence-building measures, improve policy making, strengthen accountability and prevent future conflicts.

4. In the light of the above, the Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to consider developing a common democratic security policy aimed at enhancing the role and impact of the Council of Europe in democratic security and conflict prevention, and at creating the preconditions for long-lasting peace. This policy should be devised and implemented within the legal and political mandate of the Council of Europe, in complementarity with the activities of other international organisations competent in this field, and in particular should address the issues of improving the United Nations governing bodies’ decision-making process, enhancing accountability for crimes in accordance with international law and enforcing the duty to make reparations for internationally wrongful acts.