As delivered by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends

The Council of Europe was founded 74 years ago –

In the wake of two devastating world wars –

And on the promise of “never again” to the violence, destruction and loss that had torn the continent apart.

Instead, there would be peace, based on the greater unity of the Organisation’s member states –

And rooted in European standards of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Last week, in Reykjavik, the Council of Europe held a Summit of its Heads of State and Government.

There, I reminded our continent’s leaders that what has been built over more than 7 decades amounts to a towering achievement –

Unique in world history.

Our Organisation has grown from 10 states to 46.

Each has ratified the European Convention on Human Rights –

Which has the force of law –

And is interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.

Along with the European Social Charter, this forms the basis of human rights in Europe –

And provides the inspiration for more than 200 further treaties and tools that have been adopted to tackle a full range of challenges.

The impact of all of this has been transformative.

Lives have been changed – and even saved.

Yes, national governments are responsible for meeting these commitments.

But persuading those governments of the need for action –

And even convincing the general population –

Has often needed organisations to stimulate debate and to make the case for positive change.

Civil society groups –

Backed by philanthropy –

Have marched in the streets –

Produced articles, adverts, and literature –

And campaigned for action by governments and politicians of the day.

They have been central to changing hearts, minds, and laws –

And they are an essential part of functioning and effective democracies.

They, you, are also needed now as much as ever.

When I addressed Europe’s Heads of State and Government last week, it was not to deliver only good news.

The need for a Summit was made clear by the Russian Federation’s brutal, illegal, and ongoing aggression against Ukraine –

And member states endorsed further measures to support Ukraine –

Particularly on accountability –

Where the Council of Europe will now establish a Register of Damage –

To further support the Ukrainian people in recording the losses they have incurred –

And through measures designed to protect the rights of Ukrainian children who have been abducted to Russia –

Or who are elsewhere – and vulnerable – on our continent.

But while Russia’s pivot away from European values is the most terrible example that we have seen –

With the most awful of consequences –

Extreme populism and nationalism have re-emerged elsewhere too –

Often accompanied by anti-rights movements –

That seem to have fed from the multiple crises that Europe has faced in recent years –

Including the financial crash, dramatic peaks in migration, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, I published my latest annual report.

It was clear about the trend towards democratic backsliding and the political will needed to address it.

Today, for example, we see freedom of expression under attack –

With journalists subject to increased intimidation, physical violence and even murder –

Often with impunity.

We witness freedom of assembly and association being squeezed –

With civic space shrinking and laws being used, misused, and invented to limit legitimate protest.

And we see the terrible rise of hate speech –

Especially online –

Which intimidates and harms so many, especially young people.

The Reykjavik Summit was an opportunity for European leaders to show their determination to turn back the tide of democratic backsliding.

And they did.

They recommitted to European values and standards –

To Principles of Democracy that are designed to measure and ensure the health of democracies -

To the implementation of European Convention and the unconditional execution of the Court’s final judgments –

And to apply those standards to challenges facing our societies –

Whether those challenges are old, evolving, or new.

Take violence against women and domestic violence –

Where our gender equality strategies –

And our gold standard Istanbul Treaty –

Are among the tools that we use to help countries prevent such violence, protect victims, and punish the perpetrators.

Take also our action plan on the needs of vulnerable migrants and refugees –

And the steps that we have taken to help European governments meet the physical – and psychological – needs of those who have fled Ukraine in search of safety –

Lastly, I also want to mention the leaders’ commitment to action on the environment –

Where the triple challenge of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss poses an ever-greater threat –

And to which our response includes work on new tools to address human rights and the environment –

And, specifically, environmental crime.

These three examples –

Violence against women –

Asylum-seekers, migrants, and refugees –

The environment and climate change –

Each will be addressed by governments.

But here too civil society and philanthropy are key actors.

Funding shelters for abused women.

Providing food, clothing, and housing – and education, skills, and opportunities – for new arrivals –

And producing the research, knowledge, and solutions we need to save our planet.

All this generosity and work has helped bring critical issues to the fore in public debate –

Generating the particular blend of awareness, energy, and momentum required to move forward –

And for our societies to make real progress and become more inclusive.

On all these issues and more, the Council of Europe has benefitted –

Directly and indirectly –

From our relationship with civil society and the generosity of philanthropists.

Indeed, over recent years, we have taken specific measures to bring civil society closer to the heart of decision-making –

Where it belongs.

Many people look at Europe today and they see only crises.

But they see an incomplete picture.

They overlook just how much has been achieved on our continent in what is, historically, a very short period of time.

And they underestimate the capacity of democracies to adapt, redouble and respond.

It was the crisis of the Second World War that forged the compass that set a better direction.

And, with political will, it is the crisis caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine that will set us back on the right path once again.

I have hope that this will happen -That Reykjavik will prove to have been a key moment in the process –

And that Europe’s future will be one in which a democratic, inclusive culture allows individuals, civil society, and philanthropy to prosper.