During the plenary discussion held as a video conference, Minister Zbigniew Rau recalled that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic should be carried out in full respect of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, in line with the Council of Europe’s guidelines in this regard.

The ministers of the Council of Europe member states considered it necessary to prepare the Council for more effective and the same time flexible responding to the new phenomena faced by European societies in the post-pandemic period. That is why they adopted a decision on the Organisation’s activities in the face of challenges posed by the digitalisation of an increasing number of spheres of life. The Committee of Ministers also considered it essential to strengthen cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union. The Committee furthermore decided to continue efforts to improve the efficiency of the European Convention on Human Rights system.

In his address, Minister Rau stressed that people in Europe’s conflict areas must not be deprived of protection by the relevant Council of Europe monitoring bodies. Notwithstanding the fact that Belarus is not a member of the Council of Europe, the chief of Polish diplomacy also called for all possible measures to be taken which would help stop the continuing repression in this country. 

The 131st session of the Committee of Ministers marked the culmination of its six-monthly presidency held by Germany, which passed it over to Hungary. 

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The Council of Europe was founded in 1949 and today brings together 47 European states, except for Belarus. Japan, Canada, Mexico, the United States and the Holy See are Council of Europe observer states. The Council of Europe’s seat is in Strasbourg (France).

The Council of Europe focuses on the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It standardizes social and legal practices of its member states, and promotes European awareness based on shared values and combating intolerance.

The adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights in 1950 and the establishment of the European Court of Human Rights, which guards the principles laid down in the Convention, are commonly considered as the most important achievements of the Organization. The Council of Europe is also active in areas that are not directly linked to human rights, such as social issues, as well as legal, cultural and scientific cooperation. Matters relating to the operation of local authorities have also fallen into the scope of the Council of Europe’s competence. A total of 225 international agreements concerning matters mentioned above have been signed under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

Poland joined the Council of Europe on 26 November 1991. It signed the European Convention on Human Rights on 19 January 1993, which is a necessary condition for CoE membership. On 1 May 1993, Poland recognized the Court’s jurisdiction and the right to lodge an application under the Convention. Poland also joined 96 other conventions adopted by the Council of Europe.

 

MFA Press Office