Written declaration No. 591 | Doc. 13770 | 23 April 2015

Commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian genocide

Signatories: Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Mr Damien ABAD, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Ferdinando AIELLO, Italy, SOC ; Ms Brigitte ALLAIN, France, SOC ; Ms Luise AMTSBERG, Germany, SOC ; Ms Liv Holm ANDERSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Ingrid ANTIČEVIĆ MARINOVIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Danielle AUROI, France, SOC ; Mr Vahan BABAYAN, Armenia, EC ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Theodora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Gérard BAPT, France, SOC ; Mr José María BENEYTO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Ana BIRCHALL, Romania, SOC ; Mr Piet De BRUYN, Belgium, NR ; Mr Gerold BÜCHEL, Liechtenstein, ALDE ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Elena CENTEMERO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Massimo CERVELLINI, Italy, NR ; Mr Corneliu CHISU, Canada ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr James CLAPPISON, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Agustín CONDE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Corneliu Mugurel COZMANCIUC, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr David CRAUSBY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Mr Zsolt CSENGER-ZALÁN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Katalin CSÖBÖR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Marie-Christine DALLOZ, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Don DAVIES, Canada ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Sergio DIVINA, Italy, NR ; Ms Aleksandra DJUROVIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Ivana DOBEŠOVÁ, Czech Republic, ALDE ; Ms Elvira DROBINSKI-WEIß, Germany, SOC ; Ms Nicole DURANTON, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernd FABRITIUS, Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Mihai-Viorel FIFOR, Romania, SOC ; Ms Ute FINCKH-KRÄMER, Germany, SOC ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Daniel FLOREA, Romania, SOC ; Mr Bernard FOURNIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Claude FRÉCON, France, SOC ; Mr Giuseppe GALATI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Tina GHASEMI, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Jonas GUNNARSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Nazmi GÜR, Turkey, UEL ; Mr John HALLIGAN, Ireland, UEL ; Mr Matjaž HANŽEK, Slovenia, UEL ; Mr Gábor HARANGOZÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Ms Helena HATKA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Alfred HEER, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Françoise HETTO-GAASCH, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Ms Rózsa HOFFMANN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksii HONCHARENKO, Ukraine, EC ; Ms Arpine HOVHANNISYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Ms Anette HÜBINGER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Mr Gediminas JAKAVONIS, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Eva-Lena JANSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Lotta JOHNSSON FORNARVE, Sweden, UEL ; Mr Aleksandar JOVIČIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Antti KAIKKONEN, Finland, ALDE ; Ms Liana KANELLI, Greece, UEL ; Ms Marietta KARAMANLI, France, SOC ; Ms Naira KARAPETYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Niklas KARLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Eirini KASIMATI, Greece, UEL ; Ms Ksenija KORENJAK KRAMAR, Slovenia, ALDE ; Mr Attila KORODI, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Rom KOSTŘICA, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Ms Julia KRONLID, Sweden, NR ; Ms Dalia KUODYTĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Athina KYRIAKIDOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Inese LAIZĀNE, Latvia, EC ; Mr Olof LAVESSON, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Pierre-Yves LE BORGN', France, SOC ; Mr Jean-Yves LE DÉAUT, France, SOC ; Mr Jacques LEGENDRE, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr François LONCLE, France, SOC ; Mr Andrii LOPUSHANSKYI, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Jacob LUND, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Dirk Van der MAELEN, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Philippe MAHOUX, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Jenő MANNINGER, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Thierry MARIANI, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Rait MARUSTE, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Ms Pirkko MATTILA, Finland, NR ; Mr Frano MATUŠIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Michael McNAMARA, Ireland, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Ana Catarina MENDES, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Jean-Claude MIGNON, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Dangutė MIKUTIENĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Marie-Claude MORIN, Canada ; Mr João Bosco MOTA AMARAL, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, Poland, EC ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Oľga NACHTMANNOVÁ, Slovak Republic, SOC ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, EC ; Mr Michele NICOLETTI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Aleksandar NIKOLOSKI, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', EPP/CD ; Ms Marija OBRADOVIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Žarko OBRADOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Judith OEHRI, Liechtenstein, ALDE ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr José Ignacio PALACIOS, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard PASQUIER, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Ángel PINTADO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Yves POZZO DI BORGO, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Gabino PUCHE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Luc RECORDON, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr André REICHARDT, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Frédéric REISS, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Michel RIVARD, Canada ; Mr François ROCHEBLOINE, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Alexander ROMANOVICH, Russian Federation, SOC ; Ms Maria de Belém ROSEIRA, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr Rudy SALLES, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Milena SANTERINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Kimmo SASI, Finland, EPP/CD ; Ms Deborah SCHEMBRI, Malta, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Nikolaus SCHERAK, Austria, ALDE ; Mr Andreas SCHIEDER, Austria, SOC ; Mr André SCHNEIDER, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Elisabeth SCHNEIDER-SCHNEITER, Switzerland, EPP/CD ; Mr Mher SHAHGELDYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Olena SOTNYK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Maria Edera SPADONI, Italy, NR ; Mr Marc SPAUTZ, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Ms Lorella STEFANELLI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr Ionuț-Marian STROE, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Michał STULIGROSZ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Pavlo UNGURYAN, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Snorre Serigstad VALEN, Norway, UEL ; Mr Francesco VERDUCCI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Dimitris VITSAS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Sergiy VLASENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Volkmar VOGEL, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Klaas de VRIES, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Nataša VUČKOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Mr Johann WADEPHUL, Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Katrin WERNER, Germany, UEL ; Mr Morten WOLD, Norway, EC ; Mr Maciej WYDRZYŃSKI, Poland, ALDE ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Svitlana ZALISHCHUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Tobias ZECH, Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Kristýna ZELIENKOVÁ, Czech Republic, ALDE ; Ms Marie-Jo ZIMMERMANN, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia, EC ; Mr Levon ZOURABIAN, Armenia, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Genocide is an unconceivable crime for a society which is founded on tolerance and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Early prevention of such crimes can surely stop the escalation of conflicts, tragedies and humanitarian catastrophes. The absence of unequivocal and timely condemnation of the Armenian genocide largely contributed to the failure to prevent future crimes against humanity such as the Holocaust and other genocides.

24 April 2015 marks the Centennial of the Armenian genocide. 1,500,000 Armenians perished as a result of this hideous crime perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire.

The undersigned parliamentarians pay tribute to the memory of innocent victims and condemn all forms of crimes against humanity and genocide and deeply deplore attempts at their denial.

Prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity should be amongst our priorities. Further development of the international capacities in this regard is instrumental. The Council of Europe has an important role to play within the international efforts in contributing to the prevention of crimes against humanity. It should encourage its member States to come to terms with their own past and prepare grounds for future reconciliation between peoples.