French Chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers
Foreign Ministers of the 47-member states of the Council of Europe met in Helsinki, Finland, on 16 and 17 May 2019, in the context of the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Council of Europe.
At the end of the ministerial session chaired by the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timo SOINI, Finland, handed over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to France, following which the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Amélie DE MONTCHALIN, presented the priorities of her country's Presidency.
The main goals of the French Presidency are to preserve and strengthen the European system of human rights protection, to strive towards a Europe that brings people closer together and fosters unity, and to promote equality and a culture of “living together” as well as ensuring the Council of Europe adapts to the times and addresses the new challenges surrounding human rights and the rule of law; in particular digital technology issues and artificial intelligence.
The Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe passed from France to Georgia , at a meeting at the organisation’s Strasbourg headquarters on 27 November 2019. France’s Secretary of State in charge of European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin gave an overview of her country’s achievements.
Priorities of the French Chairmainship
The French delegation to the Congress comprises 18 representatives and 18 substitutes.
The head of the delegation is Mr Jean-Louis TESTUD.
Local and regional democracy in France
Institutional Communication Unit
Dmitri MARCHENKOV