At a special commemoration session on 24 February to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the Ministers’ Deputies reaffirmed their unwavering support to Ukraine and its people. They reiterated that the Russian Federation bears full responsibility for its war of aggression against Ukraine, in violation of international law, and for all the destruction and loss of life it has caused. They also reaffirmed the Council of Europe’s central role in advancing a comprehensive accountability framework in this regard. [More information …]
On 25 February, the Deputies adopted Resolution CM/Res(2026)2 on the creation of the Preparatory Committee for the International Claims Commission for Ukraine and welcomed the voluntary contribution to support the establishment of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine, announced by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. They also heard a communication from the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, who briefed the Deputies on the tireless work of the team which continues to advance human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Ukraine despite extremely difficult circumstances due to the ongoing Russian aggression.
The Deputies held an exchange of views with Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian opposition, during which she expressed gratitude for the Council of Europe’s continuous support, especially through the Contact Group working with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, and reiterated her support for Ukraine. [More information …]
In addition, the Deputies continued their work on the development of a Council of Europe Strategy on External Action, which aims to enhance the global position of the Council of Europe as a regional contributor in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as protecting human rights, democratic security and the rules-based international order, including renewed multilateralism.
The Deputies also took note of the following documents:
- Opinion No. 28 (2025) of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) on the importance of judicial well-being for the delivery of justice;
- Opinion No. 20 (2025) of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) on diversity and inclusivity within prosecution services;
- the HUDERIA Model: context-based risk analysis (COBRA) resources, developed by the former Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI).
The other items examined by the Deputies appear in the Agenda and the decisions adopted are available in the meeting file.