The Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, commended the response of the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly to the major crises in the past few years. "It was able to adapt its procedures to continuing its work through the pandemic and demonstrated its unity around the values upon which the Council of Europe was founded by condemning Russia´s aggression and by recommending its expulsion from the Council of Europe," she said.
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly as part of Iceland´s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the Prime Minister called for justice for the victims of the war in Ukraine and a comprehensive system of accountability for human rights violations and international crimes, to avoid impunity and to prevent further violations.
In the run up to the fourth Summit in Reykjavik in May, Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir outlined the most pressing issues confronting the Council of Europe:
- a resolute re-commitment to our fundamental values and principles,
- clear support for Ukraine where the issue of accountability is addressed,
- meaningful decisions that guide the organisation's work in meeting urgent challenges, such as the climate crisis and rapid technological changes, which are having major effects on human rights.
The priorities of the Icelandic Presidency reflect the commitment to fundamental values and to multilateral cooperation. "We will use this platform to champion the rights of women and girls, the environment, and children and youth," she added.
