Europe has witnessed dramatic changes in recent years , which gave Europe more peace and unity than ever before in its history, as well as a constant economic growth which - combined with a colossal technological revolution - afforded to European societies an unprecedented high level of affluence. The financial crisis of recent months now threatens to undermine  general stability and self-confidence, creating serious uncertainty. The task is bigger than just to pull Europe out of the economic predicament. Our societies are changing.  .

Immigration flows are modifying international population trends.. In several European States the number of people with the immigration background constitute more than 10 % of the population. At the same time the demographical tendencies show clearly that the European societies are aging. More and more people look with concern at the sustainability of the European model of social welfare. European security, respect for human rights, and the rule of law are surely facing new challenges.

The international agenda in the last several months has been dominated by the economic issues. The world has been going through the most serious economic recession in many years. Globalization hasn't been a universal formula providing an answer to all challenges. It is natural that for both the politicians and  the ordinary people the most important imperative has become to protect the economic conditions of the life of  the society - jobs, wages, pensions, cost of living. Politics becomes more pragmatic. Aspirations gravitate down to the earth.

Yet, as the world and Europe are now recovering from the crisis, we should remind ourselves of the key lesson of the past 60 years: that the sustainability of the civilizational progress can only be based only on upholding the universal values of the human civilization – the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

At the global level, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948, entails essentially political commitments, whereas the European Convention on Human Rights is a legally-binding charter with a specific Court judging on human rights violations. The recent 60th anniversary of the European Convention served as an opportunity to send an important signal – the Convention has become unalienable part and parcel of the European identity. Its provisions are the compass for the progress of the European project. Perhaps not a model for other continents, but it should serve as the source of inspiration to our partners across the globe.

The Council of Europe continues to pursue normative standard-setting and monitoring of legislation in our 47 Member States, in order to prevent violations happening. Our mission  is  democratic or "soft" security : protection of fundamental rights, tolerance, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, respect for minorities, prevention of extremism, racism and torture, combined with intergovernmental co-operation against crime, terrorism, corruption, money laundering, and trafficking of human beings.

The Strasbourg hemicycle is the only pan-European forum where the 27 European Union countries are on an equal footing with 20 other European nation states such as Russia, Turkey, and states in the Balkans, and the Caucasus. 

 Europe is looking back on  sixty years of human rights and fundamental freedoms provided by the Convention. We can be proud of the achievements: the concept of a liberal society rooted in democracy with relative peace and prosperity has been developed and broadened to ever more countries on the European continent.

Today, I believe, international politics has come to a crossroads. We need a strong multilateralism, rooted in the idea of human rights and sustained by a rational and critical debate, and adapted to the challenges of the 21st century.

Peace and stability need new approach to security - a political innovation and a complementary element to traditional military "hard security". And "innovation is key to any success", wrote Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter. Today our societies are changing from within. Main threats to security originate within States rather than between them. The democratic acquis of Europe are at stake.

The European response to the challenges should be based on what I call the deep security concept. Deep security is built only by upholding the values upon which the society is based and not by sacrificing them. Security should be fostered through more democracy. The democratic principles and practices can make it stronger. The deeper the common values are rooted in the society, the stronger its security. Deep security implies the need to change our mindset, to make it adaptive to change and to cultivate the culture of being open to change and diversity. The concept of deep security means building security by participation and not simply by passive protection.

To be a European citizen is to be a member of a community based on full enjoyment of individual rights – guaranteed by democratically elected governments and protected by an impartial and independent judicial system – as well as tolerance, mutual respect and acceptance of diversity. It also means accepting certain responsibilities in respect of others, complying with the rules of democracy and contributing to the development of a fair and cohesive society. The European system of the protection of human rights will be significantly strengthened by the accession of the European Union to the European Convention of Human Rights. Mandated by the Lisbon Treaty, the accession negotiations have acquired promising dynamics. Hopefully they would come to the successful conclusion in 2011. The "European model" is under scrutiny due to a resurgence of intolerance and discrimination.

Many  Council of Europe member states have seen a deterioration of social ties, growing religious radicalism and inter-ethnic tensions leading too often to violence. Distrust, doubt and fear have increased divisions between different communities and are entering our hearts and minds. We must have confidence in our democratic core values – the values for which we have fought. Europe is a continent of minorities. The important question now – key to the concept of "soft security", is how are we going to "live together"?

A group of nine eminent persons, chaired by former German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joschka Fischer, is helping the Council of Europe, under the current Turkish Chairmanship, to advise on how we can best address the new challenges and safeguard our core values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The purpose of the Group is fundamentally to look deeper beneath the surface of current political developments in Europe and examine their root causes. I am persuaded that it is necessary to take a closer look at what is happening to our societies, analyse the anxieties of the people, their needs, and their preoccupations. Without understanding the changes occurring in our societies, without listening attentively to the expectations of European citizens, no organisation will be able to provide relevant answers and be judged as useful in times of rapid change. The pace with which European socities are changing will not recede. The Council of Europe will be busy for the years ahead. Its role as the guardian of the common values is as important as ever.

Thorbjørn Jagland is Secretary General of the Council of Europe