Back “Confidence in Tomorrow”

Statement by Secretary General on Europe Day 2024
“Confidence in Tomorrow”

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić made the following statement to mark Europe Day on 5 May: “75 years ago, 10 European countries founded the Council of Europe. So, on this Europe Day we reflect, inevitably, on the extraordinary and unique role that our Organisation has played over the course of three quarters of a century. Setting legal standards in human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, so that people throughout our 46 member states are entitled to live in peace, security, and dignity.

“Tragically, that promise has not always held as we see today in our member state, Ukraine, which continues its brave and important resistance to Russia’s appalling war of aggression. But there can be no doubt that individuals across our continent have had their lives transformed and saved because of the European Convention on Human Rights, and because of more than 200 legal instruments that the Council of Europe has produced.

“Europe Day 2024 is an opportunity to look forward. In line with the Reykjavik agenda, the future of Ukraine, the impact of Artificial Intelligence and the quality of our environment are among the defining challenges of our times. Acting now is vital not just for us, but the generations that will come after.

“The Council of Europe is about to hold a Youth Conference: “Confidence in Tomorrow”. By working together now, we can justify that confidence, ensuring that our fast-evolving societies are defined by the best of values. Values that have guided our action for 75 years. To benefit of all Europeans. Happy Europe Day”.

SECRETARY GENERAL STRASBOURG 3 MAY 2024
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The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation, with 46 member states, including Armenia. All our member states are party to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is the cornerstone of human rights protection in Europe.

The Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, represents the Secretary General in Armenia. It closely co-operates with national authorities supporting the implementation of statutory obligations to the Council of Europe by Armenia through co-operation projects.


 

Armenia and the Council of Europe – bringing human rights from the conference table to your kitchen table

The Council of Europe works for you. We want to give visibility to the role, standards and work of the Council of Europe in its member states, to show how Council of Europe membership has helped achieve particular results or changes. Our aim, through a variety of events and actions, is to highlight ways in which the Council of Europe’s action has helped improve the life of individuals and contributed to improving people’s enjoyment of fundamental rights.

 

Whether it is the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level, or the Council of Europe's work in many fields, such as working to abolish the death penalty or to ensure freedom of expression and freedom of the media, or to adress online and technology-facilitated violence against women through the Istanbul Convention and Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the Council of Europe has achieved a lot since 1949. View achievements »