"Putting human rights in the centre of our work and above political agendas and national specificities"
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear colleagues,
I have to start with the sad news that our colleague, Mr Jim Dobbin, member of the British delegation, passed away on 6 September while on an Assembly mission to Poland. He was a highly committed Assembly member and a strong believer in Europe.
I also need to inform you that Mr Vladimir Dronov, a long-standing member of the secretariat of the Assembly, head of the Election Observation Unit, died on 5 August after a long and brave struggle. Furthermore, Mr Bernard Freiss, one of our ushers passed away a week ago, on 21 September, and on 25 September we lost Héléna de Assis, Secretary General of the United European Left Group. We will remember their professionalism and their commitment to defend our common values.
I would also like us to recall the many persons who died this summer in tragic events. I mention, in particular, all those who lost their life in Ukraine, including the passengers of flight MH17, the many lives lost in the Mediterranean and those who died in conflicts not just in Europe but worldwide, in the Middle East, Syria and Iraq, including the hostages who were savagely murdered by terrorists.
Let us have a moment of silence.
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Thank you, dear colleagues.
I would like to highlight as a theme for my communication "the putting of human rights at the centre of our work and above political agendas and national specificities".
In this context I would like to say a few words about the Conference of the Presidents of Parliaments that took place in Oslo on 11 and 12 September bringing together around 60 Speakers of parliaments and senates. I will have the opportunity of thanking the host of this Conference Mr Thommessen, President of the Storting, tomorrow when he addresses the Assembly in the framework of the report on the "Counteraction to manifestations of neo-Nazism".
During this Conference, the Speakers of parliaments and their high level representatives confirmed their commitment to upholding our common values – human rights, the rule of law and democracy – as the basis for democratic security on our Continent and as a guarantee for peaceful coexistence and co-operation.
Today, 65 years after the establishment of the Council of Europe, more than ever we must continue defending and promoting these values. As it has always been the case, we can only succeed to live up to our responsibilities and to our duty if we focus on what unites us and not on what divides us.
It is important not to forget our common commitments, since we see today that human rights in Europe are facing numerous challenges on different fronts.
"Unprecedented crisis in Europe" is what we are getting used to hearing.
But we should keep in mind that Europe has seen worse, and it is exactly for this reason that the post- Second World War European human rights architecture is so precious.
A human rights culture is what our European human rights architecture seeks to create, and with it a respectful dialogue, inclusive co-operation and mutual confidence – it is the best remedy we have found against hatred, oppression and fear.
The crisis in Ukraine is a flagrant example of the threat to human rights in times of violence and conflict. It is also a reminder of the role the Council of Europe and our Assembly have to play in establishing long-lasting democratic peace through respectful dialogue and co-operation – the mission that the founding fathers of our Organisation had foreseen and a mission that is still relevant, and even more relevant, in today's Europe.
In my Communication you will see that along with the Presidential Committee, I met with Mr Naryshkin, Speaker of the State Duma in Paris on 2 September. I also met with Mr Turchynov, President of the Verkhovna Rada, a week later, while I was in Oslo. The purpose of these meetings was to keep avenues of communication open. This is what our founding fathers would have expected.
The cease fire agreement concluded recently is a glimmer of hope. But there is an urgent need to address the humanitarian and human rights consequences of the tragic events in Ukraine. There should be no impunity for human rights violations committed. Effective, transparent and impartial investigations into these violations are imperative for reconciliation. It is a debt to all those who died and suffered during the recent past and to those who unfortunately continue to suffer in Ukraine.
But there are other threats in Europe today that are far less obvious at first sight, albeit devastating in their effects. They undermine the very foundations of our democratic societies. Growing manifestations of neo-Nazism and rise of neo-Nazi parties and movements in Europe, some of which have entered parliament at national or EU level, are more than worrying in this regard. As the draft resolution on the "Counteraction to manifestations of neo-Nazism" that we will discuss tomorrow rightly points out, the rise of extremisms and xenophobia is not an isolated phenomenon, but a problem of pan-European dimension. Today we have to admit this deplorable fact and unite to combat this evil, before this slow killer to our common values does more harm.
Hatred, intolerance and racism cannot be part of today's and tomorrow's Europe. Therefore, I hope you will wholeheartedly support the initiative of the Committee on Equality and Non Discrimination to establish a "No Hate Parliamentary alliance" and that you will contribute to the "No hate speech" campaign of the Council of Europe.
On 10 September, the President of the Norwegian Storting and I invited the Presidents of Parliaments and Senates across Europe to support the idea of youth activists to establish a European Day of remembrance for victims of hate crime. The proposed day for this commemoration is 22 July, marking the horrendous massacre in Utøya and the bombing in Oslo. It is our duty, as parliamentarians, to raise awareness of the awfulness of these acts and prevent such tragedies in the future.
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Mesdames et Messieurs, cher(ère)s collègues,
Si le Conseil de l'Europe est ce qu'il est aujourd'hui, c'est aussi grâce à l'action des femmes et des hommes ambitieux qui croient en la valeur des droits de l'homme et agissent au quotidien partout où les droits et les libertés des individus sont menacés. Les activistes des ONG et les défenseurs des droits de l'homme sont nos partenaires précieux. Et c'est dans ce contexte que nous aurons le plaisir de décerner aujourd'hui le prix des droits de l'homme Vaclav Havel.
Il y a quelques jours j'ai terminé ma visite de travail en Azerbaïdjan. En plus des réunions avec les autorités du pays, j'ai pu rencontrer trois défenseurs des droits de l'homme et journalistes azerbaïdjanais, partenaires de longue date du Conseil de l'Europe, qui se trouvent aujourd'hui en prison – et je remercie les autorités azerbaïdjanaises d'avoir facilité ces rencontres.
Je voudrais que ces visites des prisonniers soient perçues non seulement comme un symbole, mais aussi comme notre message politique. Toutes celles et tous ceux qui défendent les droits et les libertés doivent pouvoir compter sur un soutien tangible. Une des missions du Conseil de l'Europe et de cette Assemblée est de leur apporter ce soutien.
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Mesdames et Messieurs, cher(ère)s collègues,
En conclusion je voudrais nous féliciter tous de l'entrée en vigueur le 1 août de la Convention d'Istanbul. Comme je l'ai dit à Rome durant la conférence à l'occasion de cet évènement : « La Convention d'Istanbul a une âme. Elle constitue un projet pour la société de demain, dans laquelle la violence faite aux femmes ne sera plus justifiée, pardonnée, minimisée. Elle sera prévenue, combattue, punie et finalement refusée par tous. »
L'entrée en vigueur de la Convention d'Istanbul en temps record, grâce à l'action conjointe et coordonnée de tous les acteurs, est réjouissante – d'autant plus que cette Convention représente un instrument juridique à vocation universelle, ouvert aux Etats non membres du Conseil de l'Europe. La Convention offre une vision d'une société meilleure, une société plus égalitaire aussi. Mais la réalisation de cette vision est loin d'être acquise. Ainsi, nous devons travailler pour sa mise en œuvre.
Les droits de l'homme ne sont jamais acquis, dans aucun de nos pays. Ils constituent un combat quotidien et un engagement permanent. Quelles que soient les différences entre nos sociétés, nos cultures et nos traditions, les droits de l'homme sont les mêmes pour tous.
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Secretary General, Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
During this week in Strasbourg we will have the opportunity of benefitting from numerous hearings in Committees, network and side events and exhibitions like the living library. These add to the richness of our work. I would like to end my communication by welcoming that the ONE in FIVE Campaign to stop sexual violence against children has been extended for a further year. To give you an idea of the impact that this campaign is having, a short video will now be shown to you. It has already been seen by several million people and I would encourage you to use this and other materials available at the campaign desk outside the hemicycle, to carry out awareness raising activities around the 20 November, Universal Children's Day.
I wish us all a productive session, I wish us to work together with dignity and mutual respect, placing human rights at the centre of our work and above our differences and political cleavages.