The Council of Europe continues to support its member states in protecting and upholding the human rights of persons in vulnerable situations in the context of migration and asylum by drawing on its specific standards and expertise, in close coordination with the other international organisations active in this field, underlined the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on Migration and Refugees, David Best, presenting the second interim report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) to the Committee of Ministers.
In this context, the SRSG's office aims to ensure:
- Coherence of the Council of Europe's responses to migration and refugee issues;
- Close cooperation with other international organisations, notably with the United Nations, the European Union and the OSCE and their specialised agencies.
- A common approach among member states, consistent with the organisation's standards on fundamental rights, in particular through the Network of National Focal Points on Migration (NFPM);
- Provision of concrete tools to member states in the form of flexible legal instruments, training, capacity-building activities and advice, by developing factual and legal expertise on these issues.
The SRSG emphasised that millions of people displaced from Ukraine due to Russia's full-scale aggression will remain a primary focus of the SRSG Office and the ongoing implementation of the Action Plan.
Priority will also be given to the most vulnerable among refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children and women who suffered physical and psychological violence.
Migrant smuggling is a growing challenge, noted the SRSG, who added that the Second International Conference on People Smuggling on 10 and 11 September will provide an opportunity to take stock of and examine possible ways of dealing with the issue.
The instrumentalisation of migrants is a concern for several member states. In response, the Council of Europe could play a role in promoting a better understanding of this phenomenon and providing responses aligned with the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum and its implementation will also be followed closely to ensure consistency with relevant Council of Europe conventions and standards.
The second interim report provides an overview of the work carried out by the Council of Europe in the field of migration and asylum for the period from January 2023 to April 2024.
