On 17 November, the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers passed from Hungary to Italy during a meeting with representatives of the Organisation’s 47 Member States.

The outgoing President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, presented the results of his country’s presidency to the Committee of Ministers.

The new President of the Committee of Ministers Luigi Di Maio, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, outlined the priorities of the Italian presidency which will run for six months.

Italy will focus on three main themes: recommitting to our shared principles and values; enhancing women’s empowerment and the rights of children and adolescents; and building a people-centered future.

At this meeting, the Committee of Ministers also adopted a Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (“Budapest Convention”) on enhanced co-operation and the disclosure of electronic evidence.