We need more multilateralism: The Council of Europe is the heart of European and international architecture

"Over the course of 70 years, the Council of Europe has become Europe’s preeminent body for protecting human rights and the rule of law," said the President of the Republic of Slovenia, emphasizing that it is also a vital part in seeking solutions to regional and global challenges. In a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, she presented her view of the role of the Council of Europe in strengthening the multilateral way of solving global problems and highlighted four options for action.

Firstly, as an advocate of Council of Europe’s values, Slovenia plays an important role in the global arena. This was also validated by the recent election of Slovenia as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2024–2025. "I believe this election is recognition by a vast majority of the UN membership in support of multilateral diplomacy and at the same time a rejection of the block mentality," said President Pirc Musar.

Secondly, now more than ever we need to reject attempts at blatant violations of international law. "Russian aggression on Ukraine, a sovereign country is an undeniable violation of the UN Charter," the President of the Republic was being clear and expressed support towards the efforts that would pave the road to a lasting and just peace in Ukraine.

Thirdly, the Council of Europe is primarily and most importantly the legal bedrock of Europe. "The Council of Europe is the legal spine that holds the body of Europe upright and functioning. Take away this legal foundation and Europe as we know it will collapse," she warned, stressing that the Council of Europe is also our continent’s watchdog on human rights and the rule of law, the two basic tenets of thriving democracies. "I strongly believe that the Council of Europe must remain a global standard-bearer in addressing new and evolving human rights challenges. New technologies and artificial intelligence are getting ahead of us and it is high time for the regulation of their use in a manner that respects human rights. If we fail to act now, the consequences may be quite devastating for our enjoyment of human rights," she said, calling on the Council of Europe to seize this opportunity and set robust standards regarding artificial intelligence’s ethical and responsible development and use.

Fourthly, President Pirc Musar sees the Council of Europe as an irreplaceable and critical part of the overall multilateral architecture. "We are observing the widespread backsliding of democracy, the rise of human rights violations, and the weakening of the rule of law and democratic institutions in Europe and elsewhere," she assessed, adding that the Council of Europe’s legal regime is an important part of the European stability and by its open instruments it also is an important contribution to the international rule of law. She also drew attention to the necessity of full and timely implementations of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and highlighted the importance of continued good cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union in the broadest sense. “We share the same flag and anthem. Sharing the same values makes our combined voice stronger and louder."

Today, the President of the Republic also met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox, and the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Síofra O'Leary. In support of the Council of Europe’s efforts for greater involvement of young people in policy making, President Pirc Musar also visited the European Youth Centre Strasbourg (EYCS), where she talked with young people about their role in tackling global challenges, especially in the field of climate change.

During her visit to Strasbourg, President Pirc Musar has been the guest of honour at a special reception in on the occasion of Slovenia's Statehood Day and the 30th anniversary of our membership in the Council of Europe, where she addressed the guests together with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Tiny Kox and Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjørn Berge. MP Tamara Vonta, head of Slovenian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and currently its vice-president, has also been among the speakers.