As delivered by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Ministers,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

History is always with us. We cannot escape it.

It is a defining feature of our identities –

As individuals and communities, and as countries and continents.

At its best, it helps to clarify and contextualise –

Paving the way to mutual understanding,
co-operation, and hopefully peace.

At its worst, it is a continuous source of dispute and discord –

Leading to resentment, hostility and even violence.

We had all hoped that the use of history to engineer or justify war belonged to Europe’s past.

But Russia’s appalling war of aggression against Ukraine has left us in no doubt that this is not the case.

Instead we have seen an old ghost in Europe haunt us once again – aggressive nationalism combined with a false historic narrative.

This kind of abuse of history must be addressed.

Dear friends,

For over seven decades we have worked together – the Council of Europe and our member states – to align history teaching with our core values –

Human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

This exhibition shows the way in which our thinking and approach has evolved over the years –

And the positive outcomes that this has delivered.

I urge you to take some time to have a closer look at it and to read it.

Underlying our actions has been the importance of factual information.

Yes, there will always be multiple perspectives and interpretations of the past – this is unavoidable.

But the core facts should be clear and serve as the basis for academic rigour.

From this starting point, our intergovernmental work has tried to develop an education policy that acknowledges complexity, but at the same time encourages critical thinking.

This approach sets learners on the road to an
open-minded and comprehensive interpretation of the past – and present –

Making them more resistant to the manipulation of history, fake news, disinformation and attempts to use history as a weapon or propaganda tool.

Like history, our policies continue to evolve –

And of course, you, Ministers of Education who know these subjects much better than me, will be key to their success or failure.

It is you who will set the curricula and create the policy frameworks for education in your countries.

So, my humble wish is that you will be inspired to make use of all the standards and tools provided by the Council of Europe –

To help teach history in a way that equips citizens with faith in their democracy, and the competences required to understand and defend their democratic culture.

One of our latest initiatives is of course the Observatory on History Teaching –

Which brings together governments and experts from across member states –

In an effort to distil common agreement on facts –

And help build respect for differing viewpoints, which is so central to reconciliation with the past.

It is an example of the evolution of our approach, and I believe it will only grow stronger the more member states choose to join it.

Dear friends,

This Organisation rose from the ashes of a continent ravaged by two World Wars.

The concept of “never again” was – and remains – central to our mission.

But we have experienced – and become more aware of – how swiftly the peace we take for granted in Europe can wither away.

Because we are not only captives of our past, but captains of our future.

And by humbly studying history and meeting the challenges of today, we can certainly ensure a better tomorrow.

Thank you for your attention.