Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers

Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers: Armenia succeeds Andorra

Strasbourg, 16 May 2013 - The 123rd session of the Committee of Ministers was held today in Strasbourg with Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Andorra, in the Chair. At the end of the meeting, the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers was passed by Andorra to Armenia.

The Ministers' discussions chiefly revolved around a report by the Secretary General on strengthening the impact of the actions undertaken by the Council of Europe concerning democracy, human rights and rule of law. They encouraged the Secretary General to continue his efforts to optimise the functioning and co-ordination of the Organisation's monitoring mechanisms while taking care that better use was made of the conclusions drawn from the monitoring actions. For that purpose, the Ministers invited the Secretary General to present them regularly with a situation report on democracy, human rights and rule of law in Europe founded on the conclusions of the monitoring mechanisms, accompanied by definite proposals for action.

Co-operation with the European Union and Council of Europe policy towards neighbouring regions were also on the meeting agenda.

During the session, the Committee of Ministers also adopted Protocol No. 15 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The Protocol will be opened for signature by member states on 24 June 2013.

Armenia will chair the Committee of Ministers for the next six months.

Back 14.12.2012 - Death of Mr Lluís Maria de Puig, former President of the PACE – Message by Mr Josep Dallerès, Chair of the Ministers' Deputies

14.12.2012 - "I was very sad to learn of the death of Lluís Maria de Puig. On behalf of the Committee of Ministers, I should like to extend my most sincere condolences to his family and friends. Everyone who knew him will remember his outstanding human and professional qualities and his commitment to the European cause. He did much to promote good relations between the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers so as to strengthen the action of our organisation, to which he was deeply attached. As Permanent Representative of Andorra, I should also like to praise the efforts made by Lluís Maria de Puig as early as in 1989, in his capacity as Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur, in the preparation of the Report on the situation in Andorra, which was a key element in the accession process of my country to the Council of Europe."