70th anniversary of the Council of Europe: Declaration by the Committee of Ministers
129th Session of the Committee of Ministers (Helsinki, 16-17 May 2019)
Meeting for their annual session, over 30 foreign ministers from the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, including Monaco, adopted a Declaration on 17/05/2019, reaffirming the rights and duties of Member States and defining priority areas for future action:
• Development of the common legal and democratic space, comprising over 220 pan-European legal instruments for the defense of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
• Strength of the periodic and thorough assessment of all Member States ; valuable contribution of the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in upholding the common legal standards.
• Requirement of European unity; protection, promotion and reform of the European human rights heritage.
• Overriding priority of compliance with the standards and commitments undertaken; securing the independent functioning of the judiciary.
• Strong action to reverse the recent deterioration of freedom of expression in Europe; meaningful and transparent dialogue with civil society (key role).
• Importance of equality and anti-discrimination policies.
• Political solutions in conformity with the norms and principles of international law for unresolved conflicts that affect certain parts of the continent.
More information:
Monaco at the 129th Session of the Committee of Ministers in Helsinki
Website dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe