In Reykjavik, Iceland, Prime Minister Robert Abela, together with the leaders of the member countries in the Council of Europe, addressed the general debate during the fourth summit of the Council of Europe since its establishment his 74 years ago.
Prime Minister Robert Abela’s speech:
Madame President,
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to start by expressing my heartfelt thanks to you Prime Minister
Jakobsdottir, and your dedicated Presidency team, for the excellent organisation of
this Summit and warm hospitality.
“Europe will be forged in crises and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for
those crises.”
Jean Monnet was right. The first European political organisation – the Council of
Europe – was forged in the aftermath of the most devastating war on our continent
and in the midst of the catastrophic crises that ensued.
74 years later, we are again faced with a brutal war and an increasing number of
crises emanating from it.
A brutal war initiated by a former member state of this ‘common European home’;
that had committed to its values and subscribed to the promise of ‘never again’.
A promise broken unilaterally by Russia through its illegal, unjustified, and
unprovoked acts of aggression against Ukraine.
For already 447 days, our brothers and sisters in Ukraine have been under direct
attack and at the receiving end of the most serious crimes under international law.
It was not only fitting therefore, but necessary, that we reconvened today:
To unite for Ukraine.
To seek solutions for this horrific crisis.
To reunite around our shared values which forged this Organisation.
And to recommit to the pursuit of peace based upon justice and international
cooperation.
For there can be no peace without justice. And no justice without accountability.
That is why we need to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes to ensure
that all those responsible are held accountable, and the Victims’ rights to truth,
justice and reparations are realized.
Madame President,
Concurrently with this major crisis, our continent is faced with other crises for which
we need to stand united and summon our political will to address them.
I am talking about:
– Climate change – for which we must scale up our efforts to prevent and minimise its ravages.
– Migration – for which we must strengthen our fight against migrant trafficking
and smuggling and increase our support to frontline states as well as countries
of origin and transit.
– And the democratic backsliding – for which we must uphold the timely
‘Reykjavik Principles for Democracy’.
The rise of the anti-gender movement is another worrying challenge for which we
must double our efforts to counter its harmful rhetoric; and prioritize gender equality
in all our work and at all levels.
The Council of Europe has been pivotal in setting solid standards in the field of
human rights. Particularly through the system developed around its first ever
Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights.
As a beating heart is central to sustaining life, so is the Convention system to the
Council’s protection of human rights.
We need to continuously invest in it and provide it with the tangible and collective
support necessary to ensure its long-term sustainability and effectiveness.
We look forward in this respect, to the European Union’s accession to the
Convention and to welcoming those democratic European countries willing to join
it.
Madame President,
In conclusion, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law are the core values that
brought us together.
Let us make sure that we continue to respect, promote, and protect them while never
losing sight of what’s on the other side of ‘never again’.
