Full and unwavering support for Ms Francesca Albanese

Written declaration No. 833 | Doc. 16349 | 24 February 2026

Signatories:

Ms Gabrielle CATHALA, France, UEL ; Ms Seher AYDAR, Norway, UEL ; Ms Alice BERNARD , Belgium, UEL ; Ms Laura CASTEL, Spain, UEL ; Ms Sevilay ÇELENK, Türkiye, UEL ; Ms Sophia CHIKIROU, France, UEL ; Ms Joanne COLLINS, Ireland, UEL ; Mr Emmanuel FERNANDES, France, UEL ; Mr Vinzenz GLASER, Germany, UEL ; Ms Gökçe GÖKÇEN, Türkiye, SOC ; Ms Ann GRAVES, Ireland, UEL ; Ms Marthe HAMMER, Norway, UEL ; Ms Saskia KLUIT, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Ettore Antonio LICHERI, Italy, UEL ; Mr George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Alessandra MAIORINO, Italy, UEL ; Mr Berdan ÖZTÜRK, Türkiye, UEL ; Ms Sandra REGOL, France, SOC ; Ms Anne STAMBACH-TERRENOIR, France, UEL ; Mr Constantin STARÎŞ, Republic of Moldova, UEL ; Ms Gala VELDHOEN, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Zeynep YILDIZ, Türkiye, NR

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We express our support for Ms Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967, for the independent and rigorous exercise of her mandate.

Ms Albanese has alerted the international community and carefully documented the serious violations of international law in Palestine, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Her analyses fall strictly within the framework of her mandate and the obligations arising from international law.

We recall that the independence of mandate holders under the special procedures constitutes an essential pillar of the international human rights protection system. Attempts at intimidation or discrediting compromise this multilateral framework.

We condemn the position of France, Germany, and Italy, which have called for Ms Albanese’s resignation. This decision weakens the independence of UN mechanisms and sends a very worrying signal regarding the protection of international experts.

We welcome Ms Albanese’s constant commitment to truth and justice. The member States of the Council of Europe must fully guarantee the independence and protection of UN mandate holders so that the defence of international law and fundamental human rights remains coherent and impartial.