Ávarp utanríkis- og þróunarsamvinnuráðherra á ráðherrafundi Evrópuráðsins
I want to start by congratulating Georgia and Greece for their excellent work during their presidencies. Thanks are also in order for the Secretary-General for her first annual report.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a broad impact on all of us. The Icelandic Government is firm in its stance that all restrictive measures must be proportional, limited in time and thus respect all standards of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
The pandemic has underlined some of the daily challenges we are faced with like a magnifying glass, as the Commissioner on Human Rights put it so well. Gender-based violence has increased and it´s saddening that one’s home is not always a safe space and especially not for women, children and LGBTI persons. Iceland expresses its worries of increased scepticism towards the Istanbul Convention which is an issue that must be addressed within the Council of Europe.
We have seen limitations to the freedom of the press and insufficient protection of journalists, threatening the very core of free media and democracy. We must now more than ever safeguard free media and a free public debate and tackle disinformation with education and open access to reliable information.
The European Court for Human Rights is a unique institution and has been the cornerstone for human rights protection on the European continent for the past decades. It has improved the rights and freedoms of European citizens and impacted the lives of a number of individuals directly.
The Court‘s solid and valuaable reputation has been steadily built with tireless work, professionalism and ambition. Let us never forget that reputation can be lost or damaged if we take the slightest step backwards- or if we take a wrong turn. Iceland lends its continued support to the work of the Court.
Finally, let me once again restate Iceland’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to reiterate our support for Ukraine´s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We encourage two other Member States - Azerbaijan and Armenia – to engage in consultations and negotiations towards a peaceful solution and the severe situation in Belarus must be high on the agenda of the Council of Europe.
My best wishes go out to Germany, for their upcoming chairmanship.