The first Council of Europe Business and Human Rights Forum – BRAVE 2025 – brought together today in Strasbourg policy makers and representatives of leading companies and business associations to explore ways to strengthen cooperation in integrating human rights, democracy and rule of law into their operations.
The event highlighted the Council of Europe’s standards and activities that have an impact on business practices, including the European Convention on Human Rights – and its interpretation through the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights – the European Social Charter, and other initiatives such as those related to the environment and Artificial Intelligence.
Speaking at the opening, Secretary General Alain Berset stressed that many of the challenges that businesses face today can be solved through strengthening democracy. “Online disinformation, polarisation and manipulation undermine the trust that makes both democracy and business possible,” he said. “Every investor, every entrepreneur, every government wants certainty – especially in these uncertain times. But stability is not born out of power. It comes from trust and trust begins with democracy,” he added.
The Secretary General underlined that the New Democratic Pact for Europe, an initiative aimed at strengthening democratic security, opens new space for partnership between the Council of Europe and business. “It gives us an opportunity to explore the connection between democratic and economic performance, and to prove that open, rights-based societies are the most innovative and competitive,” he said.
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Srbuhi Galyan, Minister of Justice of Armenia, explained the leading role of the Ministry of Justice in translating human rights, democracy, and rule of law values into action as coordinator of the national strategy of human rights protection across all sectors, including in the economy, by promoting initiatives to strengthen corporate ethics, integrity and the culture of non-discrimination. ”We firmly believe that upholding human rights and running a successful business are complementary, non-competitive goals,” she stated.
