A European story, a shared future
Thirtieth anniversary of Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe
By Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Today, we remember the day Ukraine joined the Council of Europe 30 years ago. It was a different Ukraine. It was a different Europe, too. Democracy seemed unstoppable. Freedom and independence were sweeping across our continent.
Three decades later, war has returned to Europe, and the men, women, and children of Ukraine have paid a heavy price. This anniversary is an opportunity to honour their courage, to reaffirm our solidarity, and to recommit ourselves as Europeans to building a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Europe's strength lies not in power over others, but in the principles we live by together.
The Council of Europe is advancing accountability for Ukraine. The Register of Damage is now operational. A future International Claims Commission will soon follow. This is where justice begins, with recognition and compensation for what has been lost. It lives in the European Court of Human Rights, the only international court adjudicating violations of human rights arising from this war. And it continues with work on a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, because a war born of a violation of international law cannot end in impunity.
The long, patient work of reconstruction has already begun, even as fighting continues on the frontline. The Council of Europe is strengthening the foundations of democratic security through judicial reforms, anti-corruption measures, and free and fair elections. This is an integral part of the most ambitious Action Plan in our history.
An entire generation has only ever known a Ukraine inside the Council of Europe. Their values are our values. Their hopes are our hopes. And their future is our future.
Anniversaries remind us of who we are, and what we stand for. Ukraine remains our top priority. The Council of Europe is with you. When it is hardest. When it counts most.
The Council of Europe's support for Ukraine
Ukraine and the Council of Europe
Secretary General Alain Berset
