Secretary General in the UK: “The ECHR is Europe’s democratic compass”

The Secretary General of the 46-member Council of Europe, Alain Berset, paid his first official visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 April.

On Wednesday, the Secretary General met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper and Minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds. He also attended a lunch hosted by House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle.

At a time when Europe is quickly rearming whilst also facing democratic backsliding, Secretary General Berset stressed that the Council of Europe's role in building long-term democratic security across the continent must be further strengthened.

Discussions also focused on ongoing negotiations towards a political declaration on issues related to migration and the European Convention on Human Rights, ahead of the forthcoming meeting of Council of Europe foreign ministers in Chișinău on 15 May. They also addressed the future role of the Council of Europe, with a shared interest in strengthening its political and geopolitical dimension in response to current challenges.

The Council of Europe and the UK working on issues affecting Europe

In addition, the talks covered ensuring accountability for Ukraine, in which the United Kingdom has played a significant role. The Council of Europe is notably working with Ukraine, the European Union and partners across Europe and beyond to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which around 20 countries have already pledged to support, aimed at filling an existing legal gap and prosecuting senior political and military leaders responsible.

Following the meetings, the Secretary General said:

"We had excellent discussions on the challenges facing Europe. I greatly appreciate the United Kingdom's commitment to the rule of law and its strong support for ensuring accountability for Ukraine.

"We also discussed how to manage migration while remaining true to our shared values and ensuring that people are treated fairly and humanely.

"I look forward to working towards a broad consensus, among all 46 Council of Europe member states, on a political declaration on this issue at the meeting of foreign ministers in Chișinău next month."

During the visit, the Secretary General underlined the historical role of the United Kingdom in shaping the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights, noting the convention's lasting impact for people across the country, including through landmark judgments from the Strasbourg court.

Alain Berset speaks at Oxford University

On Thursday 23 April, the Secretary General gave a keynote speech alongside Attorney General Richard Hermer at a joint event on "Democratic security after the rupture" at the University of Oxford's Bonavero Institute of human rights.

Underlining the importance of democratic security in addressing growing threats to the international legal order, Secretary General Berset said: "Real security begins with institutions people can trust and democracies that can withstand pressure.

"In these times of rupture, the European Convention on Human Rights is Europe's democratic compass. Its message is simple: there can be no human rights without democracy, and no democracy without the rule of law."

Earlier in the day, the Secretary General met London-based ambassadors from Council of Europe member states and participants in the Attorney General's Youth Ambassadors Programme.

Secretary General Alain Berset

The United Kingdom and the Council of Europe