The Parliamentary Assembly has demonstrated its strong political backing for the upcoming Reykjavík Summit of the Council of Europe. Through various texts, including Recommendation 2245 (2023) titled ‘The Reykjavík Summit of the Council of Europe – United around values in the face of extraordinary challenges,’ the Assembly has provided substantial input to the Summit. Members of parliament from the 46 member States of the Council of Europe, along with representatives from other Assembly delegations, convened on the eve of the Summit to discuss two pivotal themes that will be central to the Summit’s discussions.
The meeting commenced with an opening statement by PACE President Tiny Kox, who emphasized the Assembly’s longstanding advocacy for the Summit, particularly in response to Russia’s significant acts of aggression. President Kox highlighted the alignment between the decisions expected at the 4th Summit and the ideas generated within the Assembly over the past year.
Following introductory remarks by Birgir Ármannsson, Speaker of the Alþingi (Parliament of Iceland), Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine), Bjarni Jónsson, Chairperson of the Icelandic delegation to the PACE, and Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the meeting proceeded with two panel discussions.
The first panel, titled “The Council of Europe as a key player of the multilateral architecture,” featured participants such as Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland; Sylvie Bermann, former Ambassador of France to Beijing, London, and Moscow; and Alice Bergholtz, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe.
The second panel, centered on “The Council of Europe as a pioneer of human rights protection: the new generation of rights,” included notable speakers like Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland; Ilze Brands Kehris, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights; Nathalie Smuha, expert on Artificial Intelligence from the Institute for European Law, KU Leuven; and Tinna Hallgrímsdóttir, youth representative in the Icelandic Climate Council. The exchange of views with Assembly members concluded with a statement by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarus democratic opposition, followed by final remarks from Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and PACE President Tiny Kox.
The Parliamentary Assembly’s unwavering support and active involvement in the lead-up to the Reykjavík Summit underscore its commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. As delegates from across Europe gather for this historic event, expectations are high for meaningful discussions and the formulation of impactful decisions that uphold the values shared by the Council of Europe.
 titled 'The Reykjavík Summit of the Council of Europe - United around values in the face of extraordinary challenges,' the Assembly has provided substantial input to the Summit.){kind=link}