31/12/2024 President
As we approach the end of 2024, the time has come not only to look back at our achievements but also to look forward to what awaits us in the future. This year we marked the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe with several events organised in the parliaments of our member states.
Marking this anniversary, proud of it though we are, should not be a moment for complacency. Rather, for me as a historian, I see it is an opportunity to return to our roots and revisit the historic foundations of the Council of Europe whose 75 years we are celebrating.
I wish we could go back in time and feel again the same enthusiasm and hope that citizens felt when, after a devastating world conflict, the founders of Europe decided to create the conditions for such a war to never happen again, forging the way for a closer union endorsed by the peoples of Europe. They decided to celebrate diversity as an asset rather than as a source of division. To place international law above the power of arms, and to put the might of the law ahead of the law of the mighty.
The Council of Europe is the living result of this drive towards multilateralism, nurtured by one simple consideration: that reconciliation always leads to a better future than hatred.
The participation of member states in the Council of Europe has led to the achievement of many civilizational goals, and helped our standards of reference and mentalities to evolve for the better. These include abolition of the death penalty, the prohibition of torture and progress on fundamental rights such as the right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, as well as fighting racism, protecting minorities, celebrating cultural diversity, upholding children’s rights and combating violence against women, to name but a few.
More are in preparation as we face new challenges, such as the environmental and migration crises. I am particularly happy that the Council of Europe has again been a pioneer, opening for signature a Convention on Artificial Intelligence and human rights. It is the only international, binding treaty in the world in this field, and finds the delicate balance between, on the one hand, using the wonderful capacities given to us by AI in the best possible way, and on the other, respecting our individual human rights and the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law.
As times change, we must honestly recognise that our achievements are never guaranteed and should not be taken for granted. We must therefore remain steadfast in upholding, protecting and strengthening the values that guide us, and continue to fight for them. I am convinced that the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly are well-equipped to meet the new, multifaceted challenges that our European democracies are facing.
I hope that 2025 will be a year when our common values become ever stronger and closer to the hearts of Europeans. But, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, I particularly wish that the rule of law prevails over the rule of force and that a lasting peace based on justice and accountability returns to our member state Ukraine!