The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Bjørn Berge, today met with a group of Serbian students who arrived in Strasbourg on bicycles, having made the journey from Novi Sad. The meeting took place in the European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe.
The Deputy Secretary General listened to the messages from the students and promised to transmit them to the competent bodies of the Council of Europe. He also presented the priorities of the organisation, notably in the efforts to restore confidence in democracy in Europe and make it more resilient. This is also the main objective of the Secretary General’s initiative for the New Democratic Pact.
He also explained the mandate and the working methods of the Council of Europe in advancing democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe. Every member state has legal obligations to honour standards, based on the European Convention on Human Rights.
If and when any issue arises with regard to these standards, the organisation acts through its competent bodies and institutions and agreed procedures and mechanisms. These include the Secretary General, the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Commissioner on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. The Council of Europe also offers guidance and support to all its member states in resolving any questions that they may face in meeting the membership obligations.
