Council of Europe
131st Session of the Committee of Ministers,
Statement by
Mr Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
Hamburg, 21 May 2021

Mr. Chair, Madam Secretary General, Ministers, and colleagues,

It is my distinct pleasure to address this 131st Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

I sincerely thank Minister Maas, and the German Presidency, for the committed leadership of the Council during these trying times. 

This past year has tested us on all fronts – be it domestically, regionally, or globally. 

It has demonstrated - in no uncertain terms - that global challenges need to be addressed collectively, that we have much to gain from working with and learning from each other. 

We are, indeed, stronger together than apart.

But collective effort and multilateral cooperation does not happen on its own, it needs to be promoted and nurtured. Here, the Council of Europe has a key role to play.

With a unique and important mandate, the Council of Europe has been fostering multilateralism and cooperation in our region for over seventy years. 

Allow me to thank the Secretary General and all the dedicated staff, for working tirelessly to ensure that our core values of human rights, democracy, and rule of law are protected, promoted, and implemented throughout our region. 

In ever-changing global landscape, we must also ensure that our multilateral institutions are fit for purpose and continue to deliver on this crucial mandate. We look forward to working with you, Secretary General, and all stakeholders to achieve this goal.

Mr. Chair

Beyond the pandemic, our region is unfortunately faced with many challenges. 

In too many places, individuals are facing harassment, discrimination, and violence because of who they are, who they love, what they believe in, or for simply doing their job. 

This includes the systematic violation of the fundamental freedoms and rights of journalists and media workers, and of political opposition leaders, such as Navalny and Tsikhanouskaya. 

Human rights defenders are risking their lives and liberties for calling out injustices and for engaging in an open, democratic debate. We have a collective duty to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all. The Council of Europe has and should be a key venue for these efforts.

In this regard, I would be remiss not to highlight the tenth-year anniversary of the Council´s Istanbul Convention – a landmark in the prevention of violence against women, especially domestic violence. We deeply regret Turkey's withdrawal from the Convention and are concerned with pushback elsewhere in our region. 

Mr. Chair,

In closing, I wish my Hungarian counterpart a successful chairmanship. Iceland is very much looking forward to its own turn in 2022. 

Thank you.