21/06/2022 Session
In a new security context fraught with risks, where Russian aggression against Ukraine has done “grievous harm” to the international order, Council of Europe member States should “renew their commitment to the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law”, PACE has said.
Approving a resolution based on a report by Bogdan Klich (Poland, EPP/CD), the Assembly said they should reiterate their support for the Organisation as “a shared space for these values to thrive, in the pursuit of peace based upon justice and international co-operation”.
The Council of Europe should enhance its member States’ security, within its mandate, and help them to become more resilient in countering threats and preventing conflicts, the parliamentarians said. “Security is a wider concept than defence,” they pointed out.
Meanwhile the “backsliding of democracy in Europe” should be urgently addressed through greater support for the role of civil society, innovating democratic practices, finding new ways of involving citizens in decision-making, reinforcing adherence to the rule of law and human rights, and safeguarding media plurality.
The parliamentarians called for the convening of a Fourth Council of Europe Summit, the creation of an “early warning mechanism” to address threats to its core values, and an initiative to monitor democratic developments in member States.