“Today, we pay tribute to all those who lost their lives during the reign of horror and inhumanity.
More than ever we share our determination to remember, to honour and to never forget for it was on the ashes of a continent devastated by war that the Council of Europe was founded to bring about European unity and to stand guard of democratic principles. Over seven decades, it has brought to life a human rights protection system unique in the world, and a democratic system where governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society work together as indispensable parts of the whole.
Today, I am alarmed to hear extremist political discourse and to see anti-Semitism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-gypsyism and homophobia on the rise again in Europe. It is a stark reminder to all of us that the rights and freedoms we are enjoying are not a given, and that even absolute values can be questioned if they are not constantly upheld and defended.
All tiers of governance, civil society and the private sectors have an important role to play in this respect and as President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities I stress that the first line of defense for our democracies is in our towns and cities.
As those closest to the citizens, local and regional authorities are in a key position for protecting and promoting our democratic values and for building citizens’ trust. They can recognize rising intolerance and discrimination at an early stage and are essential to build cohesion within and between local communities. After all, it is in towns and cities, where people live side by side, that strangers can become neighbors and friends.
Mayors, local and regional councilors have a responsibility vis-à-vis all their fellow citizens to establish inclusive societies based not on prejudice and the rejection of others, but on dialogue, tolerance and concertation. They cannot do this on their own. All levels of governance need to come together to build a Europe of Citizens, a Europe of Cities and Regions, a Europe of genuine participation and social justice, genuine inclusion and tolerance.”
The Council of Europe was one of the initiators of the introduction of a Holocaust Remembrance Day and every year, 27 January is marked by a commemorative ceremony and the laying of wreaths on the Council of Europe square in Strasbourg. This year, due to the public health crisis, the commemoration will take place exclusively in the presence of Council of Europe personalities.
