Mr. Chairman,

I am privileged to speak on one of the four political priorities on which the heads of state and government had said they would like to see concrete progress for this ministerial session.

BUILDING A MORE HUMANE EUROPE – this has been Europe’s intention all along. Assuring the well-being and dignity of human beings is the European dream. The values we call European – democracy, human rights, rule of law – these are values which are upheld by all current and aspiring members of the European community for the obvious reason that we are convinced that these values, if promoted, can provide the framework for a dignified, humane existence for all.

This is what we have said for half a century. What the heads of state and government said in May, however, is that these values must be not pronounced but implemented, not adopted but applied, in order for European values to find a home throughout Europe.

This is a huge expectation of the Council, but this expectation is justified because the Council of Europe has already made major contributions towards these goals.

But just by looking at today’s Europe, we see that the job is half-done. If in the 21st century, we need conventions to legally outlaw the morally repugnant and intolerable acts of terrorism and trafficking, that means that in the 20th century, we didn’t do enough to break boundaries and make communities.

If we need to allocate funds, resources and experts to develop intercultural dialogue, then all this time, we have been talking more than listening, we have been speaking more than hearing.

On the other hand, we have done more in this half century than had been done at any other time in history. We changed the rules, moved dividing lines and raised expectations. Those who claim historical, cultural, religious, geographic membership in Europe now want economic and political membership, too. As a result, those who call Europe a voluntary empire are right. Those who say that in fact it is possible to have regime-change, European style, are right.

Mr. Chairman,

Following the Warsaw Summit and prior to this ministerial follow-up session, much work has been done and we owe this to your leadership. I want to refer to certain specific goals which the Committee of Ministers has identified, and which my country, too, holds dear.

The first is strengthening the long-term security of Europeans. The right to life assumes safety and security. It is a good thing therefore that many countries, including my own, have acceded to the three conventions opened for signature in Warsaw.

The second is the review of the Council of Europe’s strategy for social cohesion to seek protection of vulnerable groups and ensure equal access to social rights. The social and political risks of persistent and excessive inequality have come knocking on our door. Successful globalization without successful integration means we have put development before people. As a result, globalized societies together with modern technologies, can and have transformed diversity and alienation into antagonism. This goes counter to the idea of Europe where the search is on for security and prosperity through unity.

The third is the campaign to combat violence against women and for the protection of children. A task force has just been set up for the first, and a summit is being planned in Monaco, for the second. We endorse the objective of ‘building a Europe for and with children’ fully cognizant that protecting women is a necessary prerequisite.

Finally, there is a need for the development of intercultural dialogue, within European societies and between Europe and the rest of the world. This is a major challenge and one on which the long term cohesion of our democratic societies and international stability depends, especially in a climate in which cultural and religious divides are threatening to override the traditional and familiar political and ideological differences of the past. But, this too, can be done, since Europe has had a deep tradition of consistent, continuous, institutional dialog dating back to the Middle Ages. The strategy adopted at Faro clearly sets out the vision, the courses of action and the instruments. These include a multi-institutional platform, greater focus on cultural diversity and improved international cooperation to highlight the core values and universal rights that are our best response.

Mr. Chairman, let me speak now about Armenia and state the obvious: that in each of our cases, these universal democratic and economic challenges come against a background of national and regional concerns as well. In all cases, as we build our state and we nurture our society, our greatest task is to build democratic institutions which will serve us consistently and faithfully.

We are struggling with this in Armenia. In 10 days, we will hold a nationwide referendum on a package of constitutional reforms. This reform package is fully endorsed by this organization. These propose to modify the Constitution’s provisions regarding human rights and at the same time create the necessary mechanisms to protect those rights, to promote the democratic processes which are based on those rights, and to reinforce the democratic institutions which will protect those rights.

The reforms introduce serious checks and balances among the three branches of our government. The powers of Parliament are enhanced, thus so are those of political parties and, necessarily, the voters. The Constitution also mandates the independence of the judiciary. Finally, by strengthening the role of local governing bodies, the democratic rights of the individual are protected and reinforced. In other words, the powers of the president are abridged and the power of the other branches are strengthened. That’s regime change, European style.

Mr. Chairman,

The focus is on the strengthening of institutions, because more than elections, it is the existence and capacity of democratic institutions that defines and facilitates a society’s ability to function democratically. That is why Armenia co-authored the proposal to create the Forum on the future of Democracy; that is why we supported the Center for Local Self-governance Reforms.

The passage of our constitutional referendum will mean that we have nearly completed all of our Council of Europe commitments. Only one major commitment remains. That is the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. This one obligation remains incomplete. But we are hopeful that 2006 will bring us closer to fulfilling that obligation as well.

The negotiations of the last year have in fact brought us to a point that makes us think that the process is moving in a positive direction. We can only hope that now when we resume negotiations, that there will not be any straying from the commitments and agreements that have been reached thus far.

It is also very important that at this critical stage, that there be an end to calls for a military solution, because that runs counter to commitments to this organization, and also adversely affects the favourable atmosphere that exists today.

And finally, Mr. Chairman, I took part yesterday in the discussion at the Secretary General’s home, with Prime Minister Juncker on the issue of elaborating a framework for more effective cooperation between our organization and the European Union. This discussion must continue because the effective cooperation between these two, on common priorities, will greatly contribute to building a more humane Europe.

Thank you.