Published almost a year after the 4th Council of Europe Summit, which took place in Reykjavik in mid-May 2023 and was entitled “Our Rights, Our Future”, the 2024 Report by the Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, looks back at the “promise” made there to counter the decline in democracy.
This is not the time to assess success or failure, she believes, but it is essential to measure the work accomplished.
From her point of view, it is “immense”.
With regard to support for Ukraine and the desire to ensure that the Russian Federation is held to account, a “priority of the Summit”, she highlighted the creation of the “Register of Damage” caused by Russia’s war of aggression, the first step before the establishment of a compensation mechanism for victims.
The Register now has staff and offices in The Hague, as well as a satellite office in Kyiv.
It is operational and, by the end of 2023, 43 States and the European Union had joined.
Proof of a “collective determination” for which the Council of Europe is providing the necessary “forum, structures and support”.
Other support mechanisms for Ukraine include support for the Prosecutor General in his investigation into “gross human rights violations”, the creation of a “Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine” and cooperation in the reception of refugees.
The Reykjavik Declaration also stressed the importance of full implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, an area in which the Secretary General is detailing progress.
She also highlights the successful conclusion of the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, the first of its kind in the world, the work on the environment and human rights, and the fight against migrant smuggling.
As the Council of Europe celebrates its 75th anniversary, the Secretary General reiterates her confidence in multilateralism.
“We have faced terrible circumstances before, and we have overcome them. We can do that again”, she concludes.
“Our rights are not an end point or a destination, but rather a moral compass for our journey through life”.
Link to the 2024 Report: https://aeur.eu/f/c1t (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)