Ministers Back Ukraine Tribunal, Open Lawyer Convention
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today reaffirmed its steadfast support for Ukraine by initiating the process to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Special Tribunal for Ukraine
“Member states have chosen to establish the Special Tribunal within the framework of the Council of Europe. Now it is up to them to follow through on the political will they have expressed. Funding for the Tribunal must also be secured. The path before us is justice – and it must prevail,” said Secretary General Alain Berset.
Ministers welcomed the ongoing efforts to reach an agreement on the establishment of a Claims Commission for Ukraine, possibly under the auspices of the Council of Europe, and reaffirmed their determination to secure the return of Ukrainian children unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by Russia.
They also emphasised the importance of stepping up support for Ukraine, in particular through the Action Plan “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction 2023-2026”, which allows the Ukrainian authorities to move further down the path towards accession to the European Union.
New Democratic Pact for Europe
The Committee of Ministers welcomed the Secretary General’s roadmap “Towards a new Democratic Pact for Europe”.
“What we are experiencing is not just another crisis. It is a crisis of the order itself. Our institutions, our freedoms, and our values have become the targets. That is why we need a New Democratic Pact for Europe – a pact that protects not only against war, but against the slow, silent, daily erosion of who we are,” said the Secretary General.
Protecting lawyers and the environment
17 countries signed the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, which was opened for signature during the ministerial session. This is the first of its kind on the international stage, marking a significant step forward in safeguarding the rights and the safety of lawyers. The Convention is open to the Council of Europe member States and beyond.
“By signing this Convention, we are doing more than protecting a profession. We are affirming a principle: To protect lawyers is to protect democracy itself,” said the Secretary General.
Ministers adopted the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law together with a strategy for the environment.
Strategic direction
Building on the report on follow-up to the Reykjavik Declaration and the Secretary General’s 2025 annual report “Towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe”, ministers reviewed progress since the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government (May 2023) and agreed on key areas for future action. These include the rule of law, social rights, the rights of the child, digital rights and artificial intelligence, protection of journalists, equality, youth participation, and civil society.
Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
At the close of the 134th Session, Malta assumed the rotating Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers (14 May – 14 November 2025), taking over from Luxembourg.
“We often live next to one another, but not with one another. We often speak about each other, but not to each other. That is why we made it a priority to focus on living together – le vivre-ensemble,” said Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Bettel.
“It is during such difficult times, marked by attacks on multilateralism and the international rules-based order, that our renewed commitment to dialogue and to the shared values of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law becomes all the more vital. Throughout history, this Council has proven its agility and its readiness to meet global challenges,” said Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta.
Decisions adopted
Q&A Special Tribunal
https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/committee-of-ministers-backs-special-tribunal-for-ukraine-sets-strategic-priorities-opens-convention-to-protect-lawyers-and-adopts-environmental-treaty%C2%A0