Alain Berset

Armenia and Azerbaijan: A milestone on the road to lasting peace - Portal - www.coe.int Secretary General Washington DC 8 August 2025

I welcome today’s milestone for a lasting peace between #Armenia and #Azerbaijan, agreed in Washington DC.

@coe.int is ready to support its member states as they turn this page in their shared history.

www.coe.int/en/web/porta...

This year marks the 10th anniversary since 2 August was recognised as European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.
This was a crucial step toward acknowledging the suffering of Roma communities and confronting decades of silence and denial.

Full statement: www.coe.int/en/web/porta...

Srebrenica.
A genocide.
A name for the unspeakable.
But also, a promise:
To never forget the more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who lost their lives.
30 years on, remembrance is resistance.
The @coe.int stands against the hatred that led to this atrocity.

Met with Alain Berset in the margins of the #URC2025 to discuss the latest geopolitical developments in Europe.

The EU supports the Council of Europe efforts to ensure accountability for crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

@coe.int stands firmly with #Ukraine - for peace built on justice, institutions, and the rule of law.
Thank you to #Italy and #Ukraine for hosting and leading this essential conference.
#URC2025
🧵7/7

I underlined @coe.int’s concrete support for #Ukraine:
Over 30 projects. €43 million mobilised.
40,000+ claims to Register of Damage for Ukraine.
Supporting justice, anti-corruption, war crimes victims, and the fight against violence against women.
All in line with Ukraine’s European path.
🧵 6/7

During my intervention at the panel on “Strengthening Rule of Law through Integrity and Enforcement Efforts”, I stressed the urgent need to advance the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.
Justice is the starting point of recovery. For #Ukraine and for Europe.
🧵 5/7

With MFA Țoiu and @thordiskolbrun.bsky.social, we underlined #Romania’s key role in supporting Ukraine’s democratic resilience and its path to EU accession. Grateful for Romania's strong support to @coe.int’s work on tackling disinformation.
🧵 4/7

On the margins, met with @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu and Deputy PM Stefanishyna. Multilateral coordination and the @coe.int play an essential role in Ukraine’s reconstruction and reforms on the path to EU accession.
🧵 3/7

The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 opened with a clear commitment: international partners stand with #Ukraine, not only in words but through concrete action and long-term vision. #URC2025
🧵 2/7

At #URC2025 in Rome — a day of strong, united support for #Ukraine’s justice and recovery, grounded in the values of the Council of Europe. 🇺🇦🇪🇺
A recap 👇
🧵 1/7

“No justice → no recovery. No institutions → no trust. No law → no peace.”

At #URC2025, I reaffirmed: justice is the first step towards Ukraine’s recovery.
The @coe.int stands with #Ukraine —for accountability, for trust, for peace.

Excellent discussion with @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu on Europe’s geopolitical challenges.
We agreed to join forces, adapt to new realities, and continue defending democratic values—standing firmly with @coe.int member state #Ukraine, an integral part of our European family.
#URC2025

🇺🇦 On the road to #URC2025 in Rome: recovery begins with accountability.

The @coe.int backs #Ukraine’s justice journey — from a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression to reforms in courts, anti-corruption, and legal aid.
#StandWithUkraine

Justice has spoken.

In a historic judgment in Ukraine & the Netherlands v. Russia, the European Court of Human Rights ruled:
Russia committed widespread, flagrant abuses of human rights since 2014, including the downing of #MH17.

There’s no place for impunity in Europe.
#ECHR

Photo: ©Photothek

Many young Europeans now ask: can democracy still deliver?

In the face of war, lies, and rising extremism, we must treat democratic security like military security.
We need a New Democratic Pact.

My speech from Berlin ↓
www.coe.int/en/web/secre...

In the face of war, disinformation, & rising extremism, we need more than hope. We need a New Democratic Pact.

With @aussenminister.diplo.de, we discussed 🇩🇪’s key role — from #Ukraine to democratic security.

75 years of Germany in @coe.int — a milestone for European unity!
@diplo.de

Thank you to #Bulgaria and Minister Georgi Georgiev for signing the @coe.int Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer — joining countries committed to protecting those who defend the rights of others.

What a start to #WEURO2025 — and a reminder of what’s at stake.
A goal means little if the game isn’t fair. That’s why @coe.int & #UEFA work to protect rights, fairness & inclusion — on and off the pitch.
Good luck to all teams!

Child exploitation is a global crime — it demands a global response.
With UN Special Rapporteur @mamafatimas.bsky.social, we discussed how the @coe.int #Lanzarote Convention can play a central role in that effort.
Grateful for such a powerful voice in the fight to protect every child.

Protéger les enfants, c’est préparer l’avenir.
Avec Mme la Ministre Naima Ben Yahia, nous avons parlé progrès, défis, et engagement.
Le Maroc, partie prenante à plusieurs conventions du @coe.int, participe activement à notre espace juridique commun.

15 years on, the #Lanzarote Convention remains @coe.int's strongest legal tool to protect children from sexual violence. In light of evolving threats, we must close the gap between law and practice, with the urgency our children deserve.
More: www.coe.int/en/web/secre...

With Foreign Minister Grlić-Radman, we share a commitment to building stronger, more resilient democracies—also in the Western Balkans.

With @coe.int, #Croatia is helping shape a Europe that’s stable, democratic and united.

Tonight, the European family came closer together.
As President Zelenskyy said: “This tribunal gives us a real chance to bring justice for the crime of aggression.”
Let’s rally behind it.
No reward for aggression.
Vive l’Ukraine libre. Vive l’Europe.

#Ukraine and @coe.int have signed an agreement to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.

This historic moment reminds us: international law must apply to all — with no exceptions, and with no double standards.

Met with President Zelenskyy ahead of the signature of the bilateral agreement between @coe.int and Ukraine on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.
His visit sends a powerful message:

Law must speak louder than the bombs.

The arc of history bends toward justice.

Grateful to Prime Minister Robert Abela for Malta’s voluntary contribution to the Council of Europe.
It’s a concrete show of support for our shared values – and our New Democratic Pact.
We are working to renew democracy across Europe.
@coe.int

Thank you to Parliamentary Assembly for this candid Q&A.
We spoke about the war in #Ukraine, the situation in #Gaza, the role of the #ECHR — and why a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression matters.
🎥 Watch full video here: youtu.be/jNSk5vvc_Bk

I look forward to welcoming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Council of Europe tomorrow.
As strikes continue, we are closing the accountability gap — and bringing the crime of aggression under the rule of law.
Europe and the world need the Special Tribunal.
@coe.int