The Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, has commended the response of the Council of Europe to the major crises of the past few years, saying “It was able to adapt its procedures to continuing its work through the pandemic and demonstrated its unity around the values upon which the Council of Europe was founded by condemning Russia´s aggression and by recommending its expulsion from the Council of Europe”.

In the run up to the Summit Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir calls for justice for the victims of the war against Ukraine and a comprehensive system of accountability for human rights violations and international crimes, to avoid impunity and to prevent further violations. She expects the Summit to produce meaningful decisions that guide the organisation’s work in meeting urgent challenges, such as the climate crisis and rapid technological changes, which are having major effects on human rights. The Icelandic Presidency will “use this platform to champion the rights of women and girls, the environment, and children and youth”.