Speech by Mr René van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, at the opening of the 2nd part of the 2005 session

(Strasbourg, 25 April 2005)

'With the growth in contacts between people of all continents, we feel in a new way how necessary it is that there should be understanding between human communities with different traditions.  Peace depends on this respect for the cultural and spiritual identity of peoples. May Europeans found upon this conviction their disinterested contribution to the good of all nations!”

This was John Paul II’s vision of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue which he shared with us when he addressed our Assembly in 1988. This vision has become one of the keystones of our Organisation.

His Holiness Pope John Paul II dedicated his life to the service of understanding between peoples, peace and freedom across the world. We are grateful for his tireless efforts to end the division of our continent and promote democratic reforms. He was our firm ally in the fight against the death penalty. He denounced and fought poverty. He respected those belonging to other faiths and was respected by them.

The death of this great pilgrim of peace is a loss to us all.

May I invite you to join me in a minute of silence for prayer and meditation in remembrance of that great man. We will also devote this minute of silence to Prince Rainier of Monaco, a long-standing friend of Europe, whose political vision and wisdom paved the way for Monaco’s accession to the Council of Europe.

……(minute of silence)……

Dear friends and colleagues,

Let me, first of all, congratulate Pope Benedict XVI most warmly on his election. I trust that he will follow the example of John Paul II and be a firm ally of the Council of Europe in promoting the core values of our Organisation: human rights, democracy and the rule of law. I believe that he will continue fighting for peace, against poverty and building bridges to other religions.

Three weeks from now, the Third Summit of the Council of Europe will take place. Our Assembly has said very clearly what it expects from the Summit, which is, mainly to:

The Draft Final Declaration and the Draft Plan of Action are almost finalised.  I have asked the Committee of Ministers to send the latest versions of these texts in advance to the Assembly for our discussions in the Joint Committee this Thursday.

These texts are important, of course. However, what is more important is that the message contained in these documents is understood and assimilated by the leaders of our member states. Otherwise, our gathering in Warsaw will just be another opportunity for a “group photo”.

Our Assembly has called on the Parliaments of our member states to hold debates on the Third Summit. I have written letters to all Speakers in this respect and spoken in several Parliaments about the importance of the Summit. I have met leaders of the European Union and argued that the European Union should make increased use of the experience, instruments and mechanisms of the Council of Europe and avoid duplication. The Union should, of course, also publicly recognise this input provided by our Organisation .

Have we succeeded in sufficiently mobilizing our member states for the Summit? Honestly, I do not know. That’s why we need you, members of national parliaments, to ensure that your leaders attend the Summit and, most of all, commit themselves fully to implementing its decisions.  We have to make further use of our double mandate, here in PACE and at home in our national Parliaments.

At the Summit, we will take decisions for the future of democracy and human rights that concern the whole of Europe.

At the same time, many people of the European Union will be asked to take another decision which, in my opinion, will also have a major impact on the quality of democracy within the Union – the decision on the draft European Constitution. A current affairs debate has been requested and this Assembly may debate this matter later this week. However, already now I appeal to you, as politicians – to give a honest guidance to your citizens on this issue, devoid of any prejudices, fears or personal interests. This decision is crucial for the future of Europe.

As regards the promotion of democracy, I now turn to another continent entirely – Asia.  I attended the Conference of the Interparliamentary Union in Manila, where the main topic for discussion was the impact of domestic and international policies on the situation of women.  The accounts given by victims of domestic violence and trafficking were deeply moving.  I was proud to present the Council of Europe’s work on trafficking in human beings, women’s participation in politics and domestic violence against women. 

In Manila, at the invitation of Mr de Venecia, President of the Congress of the Philippines, I addressed the Consultative Council of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP). Within the next five years they intend to set up an Asian parliamentary assembly modelled on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).  To discuss the matter, I have invited a delegation of speakers of Asian parliaments to Strasbourg during the June part-session.  I am certain they will make the most of the intensive discussions they will have with many of you. 

After Manila, I went to St Petersburg for the Interparliamentary Conference on the 60th anniversary of the victory of the allied coalition during the Second World War.  The city of St Petersburg, which was besieged by the Nazis for 900 days and never surrendered, has become the symbol of human beings’ capacity for suffering, sacrifice and heroism.  I might also mention Rotterdam, London, Lidice, Khatyn and many other cities that remind us of what war is …

The end of that war marked the start of the Cold War which divided Europe for decades.  To my mind, in a sense, the Second World War ended only after the collapse of communism, which at last brought freedom to almost all Europeans. 

I am proud to say that the Council of Europe has become the symbol of this new free and united Europe.  I firmly believe that this must be recognised at the Third Summit and that the Council of Europe will be given the task and the means of developing and reinforcing this new democratic Europe.

To conclude, let me voice my support for the journalist Florence Aubenas and her guide and for the three Romanian journalists, all of whom are missing and held hostage in Iraq.  A request has been tabled for a debate under urgent procedure during this part-session.  I now call for the speedy release of these hostages and point out that freedom of the press and freedom of expression lie at the heart of the Council of Europe’s mission.

Thank you for your attention.