The Council of Europe's Secretary General, Alain Berset, has concluded his visit to Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland, which focused on the need to promote democratic security and multilateralism, and to strengthen ties with the United Nations and international bodies, in the delicate context of a breakdown in the international rules-based system.
Alain Berset addresses United Nations Human Rights Council
"International law is either universal or meaningless," said the Secretary General Alain Berset of the Council of Europe at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council on 23 February in Geneva.
During the session he reiterated that "international law, including international human-rights law, remains the last common language capable of restraining power in a fragmenting world".
Referring to Ukraine he stated that "the Council of Europe did not abandon law to the pressure of force" and that it "built accountability where none had existed before" - through a Register of Damage for Ukraine, an International Claims Commission, and work toward a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression.
"Institutions that protect democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are no longer at the margins of security debates. They are the foundation of stability," he said.
Bilateral meetings at the UN
On this occasion, the Secretary General met with representatives of Council of Europe member and non-member states, including the Minister for Africa, Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad, Cheikh Niang, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway, Espen Barth Eide, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Maka Botschorishvili, and the Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Angola, Téte António, with a view to strengthening cooperation on human rights and democratic governance.
In addition, he met officials from other international organisations, including the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Sidharto R. Syryodipuro, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, and the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Teros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to promote increased cooperation and dialogue between the Council of Europe and the institutions based in Geneva.
"We will reinforce democratic strength at home and work with partners who are ready to act," said Alain Berset.
On 24 February, the Secretary General also took part in an event, co-organised by the Council of Europe on the sidelines of the session as a lead-up to the high-level conference on social rights to be held on 18-19 March in Chisinau (Republic of Moldova).
"Social rights are essential to democratic stability, social justice, and sustainable development," he said.
The discussion centred on how investing in social rights can strengthen public trust and democratic resilience, the aim being to translate the undertakings of the Doha World Summit for social development (2025) into concrete action in a European context, particularly by means of the European Social Charter.
Democratic security at the heart of Europe's new order
"What democratic security in a rearming europe?" was the theme of the Secretary General's speech given at a public conference hosted by the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe and the University of Lausanne on 24 February.
At a time when Europe is undergoing one of the most unstable periods in its recent history, security issues inevitably lie at the heart of public debate. With increasing military budgets, growing hybrid threats and the return of high-intensity warfare at its gates, Europe's geopolitical landscape has been shaken to its core. Mr Berset presented a political and institutional analysis of these issues to more than 1,000 participants, highlighting the growing tensions between security imperatives, respect for the rule of law and protection of fundamental freedoms.
"As Europeans, we have a choice to make. It must be made in Ukraine, but it must also be made in each of the member states of the Council of Europe. It is a choice to live in a world governed by transparent and predictable rules, rules chosen in accordance with democratic principles. A world where peaceful relations, dialogue and accountability prevail over force, violence, brutality and impunity," he concluded.
Read Alain Berset's speech in full
The Council of Europe's support for Ukraine
The Council of Europe and the United Nations
Switzerland and the Council of Europe
