Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, in reply to questions from PACE members, has emphasised the importance of resolving the conflict in Catalonia on the basis of the existing Spanish constitution, or an amended version of it. He rejected the idea of international mediation, and instead offered the assistance of the Council of Europe’s expertise in the field of constitutional law.
Asked about the new law on language rights of national minorities in Ukraine, the Secretary General underlined that protecting the rights of minorities is a key part of the « core business » of the Council of Europe. He said he was initially alarmed by the new law in Ukraine, and referred to a recent meeting with the country’s Minister for Education. Mr Jagland said the Venice Commission had been consulted on the matter and that dialogue would continue with the authorities in Ukraine on the basis of the Commission’s forthcoming opinion.
When asked about the arrest and current trial of senior Amnesty International activists in Turkey, the Secretary General replied that he had raised the issue with the Turkish Prime Minister, and insisted on the respect for clear judicial procedures based on the European Convention on Human Rights. « We are living through very challenging times » he said, referring to the convention system, and called for the release of journalists, parliamentarians and human rights defenders from prison so that they could defend themselves without being in detention.
In response to a question concerning the partial non-payment of membership contributions by the Russian Federation, the Secretary General declared that « It is unacceptable that a member state does not finance the budget ». But he emphasised that the problem should be seen in a wider political and human rights perspective, and not just as a financial issue. He said the fundamental question was whether we want a Council of Europe with or without Russia, given that the organisation’s mandate is to protect citizens in all member states, including Russia. But he warned that continued non-payment in 2018 would lead to a much more serious situation that would have to be resolved by the Committee of Ministers.
Other questions concerned terrorism, the evolving refugee crisis and continuing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.