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A. Draft resolution
(open)
B. Draft recommendation
(open)
Report | Doc. 16129 | 14 March 2025
Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America
Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
A. Draft resolution 
(open)1. Europe and Latin America share
multidimensional ties: the Parliamentary Assembly, in its Resolution 390 (1968) “Relations with Latin America”, already recalled that
“the many bonds linking Europe and Latin America are not simply
the result of the economic realities of the modern world, but also
of their heritage of civilisation”. Indeed, their cultures, politics
and economies are deeply intertwined, and the links forged during more
than five centuries of common history have facilitated the exchange
of ideas, traditions and values across the Atlantic Ocean.
2. With some exceptions, countries and organisations in the Latin
American region share the same fundamental values that lie at the
heart of the Council of Europe: the universality of human rights,
the irreplaceable nature of democracy and the primacy of the rule
of law over the rule of might.
3. The Council of Europe has already institutionalised relations
and established contacts with several regional organisations and
institutions in Latin America:
3.1. a
Co-operation Agreement was signed in 2008 between the Assembly and
the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino);
3.2. a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Council
of Europe and the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2011;
3.3. the European Court of Human Rights, together with the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human
and Peoples’ Rights, adopted the San José Declaration in 2018, establishing
a Permanent Forum of Institutional Dialogue;
3.4. dialogue and co-operation activities have been developed
with the Ibero-American System and its Sectoral Organizations.
4. The Council of Europe also has bilateral relations with a
number of Latin American countries. Mexico is the country with the
strongest ties with the Organisation, considering that, since 1999,
it enjoys observer status with the Council of Europe and the Mexican
Congress enjoys observer status with the Assembly. Other Latin American
countries co-operate with the Council of Europe, for example through
the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission):
since 2002, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Peru have joined the Venice
Commission as members, and Argentina and Uruguay as observers.
5. The existing links between Europe and Latin America are particularly
relevant in the current volatile and uncertain geopolitical context.
The rules-based international order is under attack, and at the
same time, the global challenges requiring a common international
response based on multilateralism and co-operation are growing:
geopolitical conflicts and threats to international security, climate
change and environmental degradation, energy transition and the
management of relevant natural resources, mass migrations, health risks,
and the use of artificial intelligence.
6. The Assembly considers that it is more important than ever
for Europe to strengthen its ties with regions that share its values.
The Latin American region should be considered as a natural ally.
While the existing partnerships with multilateral organisations
and countries in Latin America should be strengthened, the Council of
Europe should also seek to develop dialogue and new forms of co-operation
in the region.
7. The Assembly recalls that in the Reykjavik Declaration, the
Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe committed
to strengthening the role of the Organisation in global governance
by enhancing its external dimension, through a new engagement based
on its core values with democracies in the world. They also underlined
the need to promote increased ratification of Council of Europe
conventions that are open to non-member States, extending the outreach
of the Organisation to non-member countries also through the active
contribution of observer States, and called for more political dialogue
with other international organisations.
8. The Assembly pays tribute to the important contributions made
by the observer delegation of the Mexican Congress to the work of
the Assembly, and to the role played by Mexico as a State that has
observer status with the Council of Europe, for more than 25 years.
It therefore invites Mexico and its Congress to continue to promote
the work and standards of the Council of Europe, and to serve as
an inspiration for other countries and their national assemblies
in the region that might be interested in strengthening their relations with
the Organisation.
9. In line with these considerations, and building on Resolution 2581 (2025) “The need for a renewed rules-based international order”,
the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States and observer
States to:
9.1. strengthen their
relations with relevant multilateral organisations in Latin America,
in particular the OAS and the Ibero-American System, through high-level
meetings, sectoral agreements, technical co-operation activities,
exchange of expertise and joint events, with a view to:
9.1.1. upholding multilateralism and
the respect for international law;
9.1.2. promoting and protecting human rights;
9.1.3. countering the backsliding of democracy;
9.1.4. promoting the principles of the rule of law;
9.1.5. addressing the impact of pollution, climate change and
loss of biodiversity;
9.1.6. addressing the impact of new technologies and artificial
intelligence;
9.2. engage in a dialogue with Latin American States, to promote
Council of Europe standards and technical expertise and to encourage
their accession to the enlarged agreements, enlarged partial agreements
and conventions that are open to non-member States of the Council
of Europe, such as the Council of Europe Framework Convention on
Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule
of Law (CETS No. 225), the Venice Commission, and the Council of
Europe International Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions
(Pompidou Group).
10. The Assembly welcomes the fruitful collaboration of the European
Court of Human Rights with its regional counterparts, the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’
Rights, and encourages them to further strengthen their joint efforts,
in particular with regard to the promotion of their regional instruments,
the sharing of their jurisprudence with national courts, and the
available mechanisms for monitoring the enforcement of judgments.
11. Convinced of the importance of inter-parliamentary dialogue
and diplomacy in building bridges across continents, ensuring the
cross-fertilisation of ideas, and protecting and strengthening democracy,
human rights and the rule of law, the Assembly resolves to:
11.1. revive the Co-operation Agreement
signed with the Latin American Parliament in 2008 and contribute
to its implementation, by:
11.1.1. inviting
the President of the Parlatino, at appropriate intervals, to attend
and address the Assembly’s plenary during its part-sessions;
11.1.2. inviting a delegation from the Parlatino to attend the
Assembly’s part-sessions, conferences and other events, whenever
appropriate, and organising joint ad
hoc meetings on matters of common interest;
11.1.3. exchanging official documentation and putting its expertise
on parliamentary practice and procedure at the disposal of the Parlatino
and its members;
11.2. enter into a dialogue with the ParlAmericas, the independent
network comprised of national legislatures of the member States
of the OAS, to assess possible areas of collaboration on matters
of common interest.
12. The Assembly encourages national parliaments from the Latin
American region to explore the strengthening of their relations
with the Assembly, with a view to submitting a request for observer
status with the Assembly.
13. With regard to the general outreach of the Council of Europe
in the Latin American region, the Assembly recognises the value
of having available and updated texts and information regarding
the Organisation translated into Spanish, and recommends that this
effort be continued whenever possible.
B. Draft recommendation
(open)1. The Parliamentary Assembly
draws the Committee of Ministers’ attention to its Resolution …. (2025) “Strengthening
relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America”, in which
it underlines that Europe and Latin America share multidimensional
ties as well as the same fundamental values: the universality of
human rights, the irreplaceable nature of democracy and the primacy
of the rule of law over the rule of might.
2. The existing links between Europe and Latin America are particularly
relevant in the current volatile and uncertain geopolitical context.
The rules-based international order is under attack, and at the
same time, the global challenges requiring a common international
response based on multilateralism and co-operation are growing:
geopolitical conflicts and threats to international security, climate
change and environmental degradation, energy transition and the
management of relevant natural resources, mass migrations, health risks,
and the use of artificial intelligence.
3. The Assembly recalls that the Council of Europe has already
institutionalised relations and established contacts with several
regional organisations and institutions in Latin America:
3.1. a Memorandum of Understanding
was signed between the Council of Europe and the Organization of
American States (OAS) in 2011;
3.2. the European Court of Human Rights together with the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’
Rights, adopted the San José Declaration in 2018, establishing a
Permanent Forum of Institutional Dialogue;
3.3. dialogue and co-operation activities have been developed
with the Ibero-American System and its Sectoral Organizations;
3.4. a Co-operation Agreement was signed in 2008 between the
Assembly and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).
4. The Assembly considers that it is more important than ever
for Europe to strengthen its ties with regions that share its values.
The Latin American region should be considered as a natural ally.
While the existing partnerships with multilateral organisations
and countries in Latin America should be strengthened, the Council of
Europe should also seek to develop dialogue and new forms of co-operation
in the region. In the light of the above, and building on the Reykjavik
Declaration, the Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to:
4.1. further strengthen the relations
of the Council of Europe with relevant multilateral organisations in
Latin America, in particular the OAS and the Ibero-American System,
through high-level meetings, sectoral agreements, technical co-operation
activities, exchange of expertise and joint events, with a view
to:
4.1.1. upholding multilateralism
and the respect for international law;
4.1.2. promoting and protecting human rights;
4.1.3. countering the backsliding of democracy;
4.1.4. promoting the principles of the rule of law;
4.1.5. addressing the impact of pollution, climate change and
loss of biodiversity;
4.1.6. addressing the impact of new technologies and artificial
intelligence;
4.2. engage in a dialogue with States from the Latin American
region, to promote Council of Europe standards and technical expertise
and to encourage their accession to the enlarged agreements, enlarged
partial agreements and conventions that are open to non-member States
of the Council of Europe, such as the Council of Europe Framework
Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy
and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225), the European Commission for
Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), and the Council of Europe
International Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions (Pompidou
Group).
C. Explanatory memorandum by Mr Antonio Gutiérrez Limones, rapporteur
(open)1. Introduction
1. Europe and Latin America have
deep historical, political, cultural, and economic ties. They also
cherish common values, including respect for human rights, democracy
and the rule of law. The Council of Europe has relations with a
number of Latin American countries and regional organisations, at
different levels. The motion for a resolution at the origin of this
report – which I initiated – stems from the conviction that there
is a high potential and a mutual interest for strengthening these
relations and reinforcing multilateral co-operation with Latin America
based on common rules and values.
2. This idea is consistent with the Declaration adopted by the
Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe during their
4th Summit held in Reykjavik on 16-17 May 2023, through which they
committed to “strengthening the role of the Council of Europe in
the evolving European multilateral architecture and in global governance
by enhancing its external dimension, … through a new engagement
based on its core values with democracies in the world”. In addition,
they also called for more political dialogue with other international
organisations.
3. One year after the Reykjavik Declaration, the Committee of
Ministers, on the occasion of its 133rd Session, stressed again
the importance of strengthening the external dimension of the Organisation,
in particular through political dialogue, including at the highest
level, and co-operation with other international organisations,
as well as through the strengthening of relations with observer
States and non-member States which share its values.
4. Furthermore, in Resolution
2581 (2025) “The need for a renewed rules-based international order”,
the Parliamentary Assembly called on Council of Europe member States
to engage in a dialogue with countries from the Global South and
strengthen the Council of Europe’s co-operation with other multilateral organisations,
in Europe and beyond; it also committed to review and, where necessary,
enhance the effectiveness of its co-operation agreements with other
international parliamentary assemblies or organisations.
2. The steps taken so far
5. The Assembly has repeatedly
taken position in the past on the situation in Latin America and
the relationship of the Council of Europe with the region. In particular,
the following texts adopted by the Assembly should be mentioned:
- Resolution 354 (1967) and Recommendation 501 (1967) “General development of the situation in Latin America”;
- Order 304 (1970) and Resolution 441 (1970) “Relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America”;
- Order 409 (1982) “Europe and Latin America”;
- Resolution 835 (1985) “Situation in Latin America”.
6. Following my appointment as rapporteur in April 2022, the
Sub-Committee on External Relations of the Committee on Political
Affairs and Democracy – which I was chairing – held exchanges of
views in June 2022 with Mr Éctor Jaime Ramírez, member of the observer
delegation of Mexico to the Assembly, and with Ambassador Manuel
Montobbio, Permanent Representative of Spain and Chairperson of
the Rapporteur Group on External Relations of the Committee of Ministers
(GR-EXT) at that time. Mr Ramírez reiterated Mexico’s commitment
to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and noted that the
report could contribute to reactivating relations between the Assembly
and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino). Ambassador Montobbio
presented the Activity Report on the Reflection process on the Council
of Europe contribution to the international order and global governance,
as well as to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). The Activity Report proposals included
developing exchanges of views with relevant international organisations;
promoting Council of Europe instruments that are open to non-member States;
and developing relations with States and international organisations
sharing the Council of Europe’s values and principles and with which
dialogue could be further enhanced. Ambassador Montobbio stressed that
the Assembly’s ongoing work on strengthening relations with Latin
America would be a valuable contribution to achieve these goals.
The Activity Report proposals included
developing exchanges of views with relevant international organisations;
promoting Council of Europe instruments that are open to non-member States;
and developing relations with States and international organisations
sharing the Council of Europe’s values and principles and with which
dialogue could be further enhanced. Ambassador Montobbio stressed that
the Assembly’s ongoing work on strengthening relations with Latin
America would be a valuable contribution to achieve these goals.7. In May 2023, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
held hearings with Ms Carmen Almendras Camargo, former Vice-Chancellor
of Bolivia; Mr Enrique Ojeda Vila, Director General of Casa América
(Spain); and Mr Javier Velasco Villegas, Ambassador of Chile to
Spain, during which the latter stressed the great potential for
developing more streamlined and flexible relations between the Council
of Europe and Latin American countries. The meeting was yet another
opportunity to emphasise the need to enhance the Council of Europe’s
co-operation not only with its geographical neighbours but also
with countries sharing its common values.
8. In November 2023, the President of the Assembly, Mr Tiny Kox,
visited Mexico, where he met with representatives of the Congress
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then Washington D.C. (USA),
to meet with officials of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The Mexican authorities confirmed their willingness to play a more
active role in promoting the values of the Council of Europe in
the region, given their status of observer State. Similarly, the
Secretary General of the OAS expressed his interest in expanding
the co-operation between the two Organisations.
9. On 30 September 2024, the Committee on Political Affairs and
Democracy held a hearing with Ms María Corina Machado, National
Co-ordinator of Vente Venezuela, who had been awarded the 2024 Václav
Havel Human Rights Prize that same day. Ms Machado joined the committee
meeting online, from a hidden and secured location in Venezuela.
During the hearing, the current political crisis in Venezuela was
discussed, and it was stressed how the international community could
play a role in pushing Maduro’s regime towards a negotiated transition.
10. Furthermore, in December 2024, I visited Panama, to attend
the 38th Ordinary Assembly meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean
Parliament (Parlatino). During this visit I met with the President
of the Parlatino, Mr Rolando González Patricio, and its Secretary
General, Mr Juan Martín Rodríguez, who were both eager to relaunch
the collaboration with the Parliamentary Assembly.
11. While in Panama, I also met, inter
alia, with the President of the Chamber of Representatives
of Uruguay, Ms Ana Olivera Pessano, who showed interest in exploring
the possibility for the national parliament of Uruguay to become
an observer to the Parliamentary Assembly.
12. In addition, I was given the floor to address the plenary
of the Parlatino’s Ordinary Assembly meeting, calling for a renewed
impetus in the relationship between the Assembly and the Parlatino,
and emphasising the role that political dialogue and parliamentary
diplomacy can play in facing the main global challenges such as
the threats to international security and peace, the climate change,
the rising inequalities and the development of new technologies
and of artificial intelligence.
13. From Panama I travelled to Colombia, where I met with Ms Patricia
Cortés, Director for Europe of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and Mr Heraclito Landinez Suárez, member of the Chamber
of Representatives: both expressed interest in strengthening the
ties of Colombia with the Council of Europe and its Assembly. This
was also confirmed by Mr Jaime Raúl Salamanca Torres, President
of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives, whom I had the chance
to meet briefly.
3. Existing relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America
3.1. The Organization of American States
14. The Organization of American
States (OAS) is a regional organisation supporting democracy, human rights,
security and development in the American continent. It came into
being in 1948 with the signing in Bogotá, Colombia, of the OAS Charter, just one year before the Statute establishing the Council
of Europe (ETS No. 1), and inspired by the same wish to consolidate
peace, ensure progress and protect democracy and human rights. The
OAS Charter entered into force in December 1951.
15. The OAS was established to achieve among its member States
“an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to
strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty,
their territorial integrity, and their independence”. The OAS brings together
all 35 independent States of the Americas and constitutes
the main political, juridical, and social inter-governmental forum
of the region.
The OAS brings together
all 35 independent States of the Americas and constitutes
the main political, juridical, and social inter-governmental forum
of the region.16. It is worth mentioning that the OAS also has 74 permanent
observers, out of which 44 are Council of Europe member States (only
Andorra and San Marino, among Council of Europe member States, do
not have this status). On the other hand, 3 OAS member States enjoy
observer status with the Council of Europe (Canada, Mexico and the
United States), and 2 States enjoy observer status with both Organisations
(the Holy See and Japan).
17. The co-operation between the Council of Europe and the OAS
was institutionalised in a 2011 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
where the two Organisations identified the following issues as priority areas
in which co-operation should be developed: human rights protection,
development and awareness raising; freedom of the media, data protection,
information society and internet governance; women’s rights, elimination
of violence against women and fight against trafficking in human
beings; children’s rights and the rights of persons with disabilities;
social cohesion; democracy building, electoral matters, good governance
and civil society; conflict prevention and management, post-conflict
rehabilitation; rule of law: strengthening the judiciary, fighting
terrorism and transnational organised crime, corruption and cybercrime;
reducing the production, trafficking and use of illegal drugs; promoting
international legal standards, in particular by exploring the opportunity
for each Organisation to encourage accession by its members to selected conventions
(or legal instruments) adopted by the other Organisation.
18. This MoU paved the way for sectoral agreements, such as the
one signed by the Council of Europe International Co-operation Group
on Drugs and Addictions (Pompidou Group) and its counterpart in
the OAS, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD),
on 25 February 2021. The OAS is also an observer to the Group of
States against Corruption (GRECO) since 2011.
19. Furthermore, a co-operation agreement was signed between the
European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission)
and the OAS on the advancement and realisation of exchange, co-operation
and technical assistance actions related to the further development
of the principles of rule of law and separation of powers in Latin
America (2020). As an example, following a request of the OAS Secretary General,
the Venice Commission adopted in December 2024 a Final Opinion on
possible constitutional and legislative solutions to conduct future
electoral processes in Haiti, and a Report on election observers
as human rights defenders.
and a Report on election observers
as human rights defenders. 3.2. The Inter-American System of Human Rights
20. The Inter-American System of
Human Rights is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and protecting human
rights in the OAS countries. It is composed of two principal and
autonomous organs: the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). Both
bodies can decide on individual complaints concerning alleged human
rights violations and may issue emergency protective measures when
an individual or the subject of a complaint is in immediate risk
of irreparable harm. The Commission also engages in a range of human
rights monitoring and promotion activities, while the Court may
issue advisory opinions on issues pertaining to the interpretation
of the Inter-American instruments at the request of an OAS organ
or member State.
Both
bodies can decide on individual complaints concerning alleged human
rights violations and may issue emergency protective measures when
an individual or the subject of a complaint is in immediate risk
of irreparable harm. The Commission also engages in a range of human
rights monitoring and promotion activities, while the Court may
issue advisory opinions on issues pertaining to the interpretation
of the Inter-American instruments at the request of an OAS organ
or member State.21. There is a solid judicial dialogue ongoing between the European
Court of Human Rights (the Court) and the IACtHR. In 2018, the two
regional human rights courts as well as the African Court on Human
and Peoples’ Rights adopted the San José Declaration, establishing
a Permanent Forum of Institutional Dialogue aimed to “strengthen
the protection of human rights and access to international justice
of the people under the jurisdiction of the three courts, to contribute
to state efforts to strengthen their democratic institutions and human
rights protection mechanisms, and to overcome the common challenges
and threats to the effective validity of human rights by working
together.”
22. In line with this Declaration, the three courts met yearly
and undertook important projects, including the publication of an
annual Joint Law Report which showcases their case law and encourages
a jurisprudential cross-fertilisation. In particular, the three
courts have held three International Human Rights Forums: in 2019 in
Kampala, in 2021 online, and in 2023 in San José, with the signature
of a Second San Jose Declaration.
23. As the IACtHR also deals with social rights, a conference
was held on 3-4 October 2019 in Madrid, to broaden the discussion
between the IACtHR and the Council of Europe European Committee
of Social Rights. This was the first dialogue between the two institutions
and it laid the ground for a relationship of mutual knowledge and
co-operation to be further developed.
24. The Court also maintains regular relations with many South
American countries, often within the framework of a dialogue of
judges.
3.3. The Latin American Parliament (Parlatino)
25. Parlatino was established in
1964 by parliamentarians from 14 countries of Latin America, and institutionalised
by a treaty in 1987. Its members are democratically constituted
national parliaments of the region and are represented by pluralist
parliamentary delegations. The 23 countries and territories whose parliaments
are members of Parlatino are Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay,
Peru, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.
26. According to its statute, Parlatino’s aims include upholding
the full realisation of freedom, social justice, economic independence,
representative and participatory democracy, through free and transparent
elections, abiding by the principles of non-intervention, people’s
right to self-determination and the effective rule of law; ensuring
strict respect for human rights; contributing to the strengthening
of international peace, security and the legal order; striving for
the strengthening of the parliaments of Latin America, thus safeguarding
the constitutional and democratic life of States; maintaining relations
with parliaments, international organisations and States in all
geographical regions.
27. In 2008, in view of their common concerns and complementarity
at intercontinental level, the Assembly and the Parlatino agreed
to establish a political dialogue, particularly with a view to promoting
the principles of parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and respect
for human rights, which they formalised through a Co-operation Agreement.
28. Accordingly, “the Parlatino will encourage the competent authorities
to make use of the possibilities to sign, ratify or accede to the
relevant Council of Europe conventions, which are open to non-member
States, as well as the expertise offered by the [Venice Commission]
and by the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity
(North-South Centre)”. The agreement also foresees that the two
Assemblies “will endeavour to encourage the competent Latin American
authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions and abolish
the death penalty, where necessary”.
29. Despite its relevance, this Co-operation Agreement has remained
unexploited to date due to a lack of resources and the change of
political priorities.
3.4. The Ibero-American System
30. The Ibero-American System consists
of the 22 member countries, comprising three Council of Europe member
States (Andorra, Portugal and Spain) and one observer State (Mexico),
the Ibero-American General Secretariat and the Ibero-American Sectoral
Organizations, namely the Organization of Ibero-American States for
Education, Science and Culture (OEI), the International Youth Organization
for Ibero-America (OIJ), the Ibero-American Social Security Organization
(OISS), and the Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Ibero-American
Countries (COMJIB).
31. The Ibero-American System includes, among its main purposes
and lines of action, human rights, rule of law and democracy. These
are channelled by its co-operation programmes and Sectoral Organizations, which
can be interesting counterparts for Council of Europe’s external
relations and the achievement of the proposed objectives and lines
of action for its contribution to international order and global
governance.
32. So far, the Council of Europe’s relations with the Ibero-American
System have been mainly developed by the Venice Commission – as
explained by its former President Gianni Buquicchio during the exchange
of views held in the GR-EXT in the framework of the reflection process
– and mainly carried out with the COMJIB. In June 2021, Mr Buquicchio,
together with the Secretary of the Venice Commission, Ms Simona
Granata-Menghini, paid a visit to Madrid where they held a meeting
with relevant counterparts of the Ibero-American System. Those contacts
were further developed during a visit in June 2022 by the new President
of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy-Malaurie and Ms Simona
Granata-Menghini.
33. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that in 2018 the OEI started
co-operation activities with the European Institute of Cultural
Routes and was subsequently granted “participatory status” with
the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council
of Europe in 2021.
34. In the framework of the GR-EXT reflection process, an informal
high-level exchange was held on 21 February 2022 between the GR-EXT
Chair and relevant services of the Secretariat and the Ibero-American General
Secretariat – whose delegation was chaired by the Ibero-American
Deputy Secretary General, Mr Marcos Pinta Gama. This exchange confirmed
areas of common interest for co-operation as well as the potential
for further developing such co-operation.
3.5. Relations with Latin American countries
3.5.1. Mexico
35. As a State enjoying observer
status the Council of Europe and its Assembly since 1999, Mexico
has a privileged relation with the Organisation. In 2020, marking
the 20th anniversary of this status, a Joint Declaration was adopted
on a Council of Europe-Mexico strategic partnership, which foresees
high-level meetings on a regular basis to exchange views on issues
of common interest and discuss areas of co-operation on human rights,
democracy and the rule of law. The partnership also foresees that
Mexico will continue to actively participate in the negotiation
of the Council of Europe’s legal instruments and promote their broader ratification.
36. Mexico is party to eight Council of Europe conventions, and
has the right to sign 18 other conventions. Furthermore, Mexico
is a member of the Venice Commission and the Pompidou Group. During
his visit to Mexico in November 2023, the then President of the
Assembly Mr Tiny Kox made a Joint Statement with Ms Ana Lilia Rivera,
Speaker of the Mexican Senate, and Ms Marcela Guerra Castillo, Speaker
of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, in which they declared “that
a stronger bond between the Council of Europe and Mexico, as well
as other Latin American countries, will give further strength to
human rights, democracy and rule of law as universal values which
surpass geographical boundaries”, and in which they reiterated their
“commitment to keep co-operating and working together in this direction”.
3.5.2. Other countries
37. In 2002, Brazil, Chile, Costa
Rica and Peru joined the Venice Commission as members and Argentina and
Uruguay as observer States. The Venice Commission prepared several
opinions upon request from the authorities of Latin American countries.
It also developed a wide range of activities (seminars, conferences) with
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru in fields such
as democratic transition, constitution-building, constitutional
justice and electoral legislation.
38. Several Latin American States are parties to Council of Europe’s
conventions that are open to non-member States. The countries that
are most closely linked to Council of Europe’s instruments (in terms
of ratifications of conventions and participation in partial agreements)
are Argentina and Chile.
3.6. Council of Europe’s projection to the Spanish-speaking world
39. The availability, in Spanish,
of information on the Council of Europe and of its documents constitute
a key factor to reach the Spanish-speaking world and foster and
develop the Organisation’s relations with Latin America. At the
initiative of Spain, a number of actions were taken in recent years
to facilitate such availability:
- inauguration of the Council of Europe’s webpage (and Twitter account which became X) in Spanish on 5 May 2022, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Council of Europe, which is offered in the same way as the webpages in German and Italian;
- translation and publication of the European Court of Human Rights’ case law and the Venice Commission’s opinions, in the framework of their co-operation with Spanish counterparts;
- publication of other collective books such as Construyendo los derechos humanos en Estrasburgo (Building human rights in Strasbourg) and El Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos y el Consejo de Europa (the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe), at the initiative of the European Court of Human Rights and the Permanent Representation of Spain to the Council of Europe, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe in 2019 and the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights in 2020,
4. Possible areas of co-operation
40. It is high time to reactivate
the co-operation between the Assembly and the Parlatino, bearing
in mind that already back in 2019, the Assembly had considered it
“timely to evaluate its co-operation agreements with various international
parliamentary assemblies or organisations with a view to possibly
updating them and enhancing their effectiveness”.
41. This can be done through various means already contained in
the 2008 Co-operation Agreement, including through reciprocal representation;
joint activities on areas of common concern, notably parliamentary democracy,
rule of law, human rights and North-South relations; and various
working arrangements, including regular exchange of official documentation
such as adopted resolutions and recommendations, with the possibility
for the Assembly and the Parlatino to submit written communications
on subjects under consideration in the other Assembly, when appropriate.
42. The members of the Mexican Congress sitting in the Parlatino
have already expressed their availability to facilitate this process.
Furthermore, during the meetings I held in Panama with the President
and Secretary General of the Parlatino, they both expressed a sincere
interest in relaunching the Co-operation Agreement, stressing the
need to focus on specific issues such as the defence of multilateralism,
the respect for human rights, and acting against the climate change
crisis. The idea of holding joint committee meetings of the two Assemblies
was also discussed.
43. The ParlAmericas, an independent network comprised of national
legislatures of the member States of the OAS and headquartered in
Ottawa (Canada), could also be a potential partner for the Assembly.
This would provide an effective means not only for promoting the
Organisation’s fundamental values of democracy, human rights and
the rule of law and its conventions embodying these values, but
also for extending the Council of Europe’s outreach to Latin American
countries.
44. Relations with Latin American organisations sharing Council
of Europe’s values and principles such as the OAS and the Ibero-American
System should be strengthened and developed as well. As an example,
the office of the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
expressed strong interest for a dialogue with the Council of Europe
and its Assembly on matters related to human rights protection.
45. On 21 February 2022, an informal exchange was held with members
of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, which included a presentation
of the rule of law mechanisms and conferences of the Ibero-American
System and highlighted the already existing co-operation with the
Venice Commission. The two Organisations should continue these technical
exchanges, exploring other possible areas and topics of common interest,
and considering holding high-level bilateral meetings to further
consolidate them.
46. On 4 April 2022, the then GR-EXT Chair and relevant services
of the Secretariat held an informal high-level exchange with the
participation of OAS Secretary General Mr Luis Almagro. This confirmed
the interest in co-operation that exists on both sides and highlighted
some similarities concerning respective mechanisms and the active
role of each organisation in promoting the instruments of the other.
The Venice Commission, the Pompidou Group, GRECO, the European Committee
of Social Rights, and the Convention on Cybercrime (ETS No.185) were
mentioned in particular, as well as co-operation between the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights and, on the one hand, the European Court of
Human Rights and, on the other hand, the European Committee of Social
Rights. The
high-level dialogue is continuing through regular contacts between
the Secretaries General of the two organisations, who last met in
September 2024.
were
mentioned in particular, as well as co-operation between the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights and, on the one hand, the European Court of
Human Rights and, on the other hand, the European Committee of Social
Rights. The
high-level dialogue is continuing through regular contacts between
the Secretaries General of the two organisations, who last met in
September 2024.47. As an observer State and close partner, Mexico could also
play an instrumental role in enhancing the Council of Europe’s unique
conventional system by promoting conventions that are open to non-member States,
as well as well by inspiring other countries to become observers.
A possibility would be to hold an annual hearing on the relationship
between the Council of Europe and Mexico within the Sub-Committee
on External Relations of the Committee on Political Affairs and
Democracy, in order to take stock of achievements and possible challenges.
48. This format could subsequently be extended to other Latin
American countries. In particular, the political dialogue already
established with Mexico could also be developed with other Latin
American States sharing the Organisation’s values and principles.
Special attention could be given to political dialogue and co-operation with
Latin American States member of the Venice Commission. As an example,
Colombia could benefit from the technical expertise provided by
the Council of Europe in the ongoing implementation of its peace
process.
49. Several Latin American countries have also been actively involved
in the preparatory work to negotiate the Council of Europe Framework
Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy
and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225): Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru,
and Uruguay. The Framework Convention was open for signature on
5 September 2024, and it should be promoted among countries and multilateral
organisations in the region.
Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru,
and Uruguay. The Framework Convention was open for signature on
5 September 2024, and it should be promoted among countries and multilateral
organisations in the region.50. The initiatives and lines of action carried out in recent
years to increase availability in Spanish of information on the
Council of Europe and of its documents should continue and be consolidated,
while making full use of their potential to strengthen Council of
Europe relations with Latin America and promote its external and
global outreach.
5. Conclusions
51. The rules-based international
order is under attack, but at the same time, the list of global
challenges that need a joint, international answer based on multilateralism
and co-operation is growing longer: these include geopolitical conflicts,
climate change and environmental degradation, energy transition
and the management of natural resources, mass migrations, health
risks, and the use of artificial intelligence.
52. Now more than ever, in order to tackle these challenges, counter
the backsliding of democracy and secure the protection of human
rights, it is crucial for Europe to strengthen its bonds with regions
that share the same values, and Latin America should be considered
as a natural ally. As another illustration of the development of
Europe’s relations with Latin America, the European Union has established
trade, political and co-operation agreements with 27 Latin American
countries, and regularly holds meetings with the Community of Latin
America and Caribbean States: these meetings represent an important
forum for dialogue between the two regions. Furthermore, the European
Union recently signed trade agreements with the Southern Common Market
(MERCOSUR) (in December 2024) and with Mexico (in January 2025),
which, once ratified, will further strengthen the economic bonds
between the two regions.
53. The Council of Europe should increase its external projection
and outreach in the Latin American region, including through enhanced
high-level political dialogue and interparliamentary co-operation.
The important bonds already established with organisations such
as the OAS, the Ibero-American System, and the Parlatino, should
be encouraged and strengthened, with a specific focus on high-level
political dialogue, parliamentary diplomacy, technical co-operation
and mutual support on common issues.
54. Furthermore, the Council of Europe standards and expertise
should also be further promoted among Latin American States, encouraging
them to access the Organisation’s enlarged agreements, enlarged
partial agreements and treaties.
55. A renewed attention towards Latin America by the Council of
Europe will not only contribute to strengthening democracy, human
rights and the rule of law at the global level, but will also enrich
the portfolio of possible solutions to the main challenges that
the European continent is facing, through the exchange of ideas
and experiences with the region.