The Englishman Terry Davis, aged 66, married and the father of two children, assumed the post of general Secretary of the Council of Europe on 1st September. Elected by the parliamentary Assembly meeting in Strasbourg in June this year, Davis will serve for a five-year term, and perform an important executive and ceremonial role. He has behind him a long professional career as a company director, professor of history and law, and 28-year service as an MP in London. His inaugural speech in the Palais de l’Europe was remarkable for its eloquence and strong European emphasis: “We must act in such a way that the real heart of Europe beats in the Council of Europe, at Strasbourg. As the new general Secretary of this organization I wish to accept this challenge”. Davis continued: “Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are the values that distinguish Europe from the rest of the world. These values form the basis of the work of the Council of Europe to achieve greater European unity through tolerance, mutual respect, consensus and cooperation”. To put this potential to work, “my priorities said Davis are clear: defining the scope of the activities of the Council of Europe and adopting fundamental principles for everyone, building effective relations with other organizations, and being a strong voice for the Council of Europe”. The Council, founded in 1949, comprises 45 member states and represents over 800 million citizens; Monaco, its 46th member state, is due to enter shortly. Dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the common principles of its members, especially in terms of their identity and their linguistic and cultural heritage, it is Europe’s most authoritative organization for the defence of human rights. It has taken many initiatives to win over citizens, and in particular the young, to the ideals of continental integration. The Council of Europe has three main organs: the Committee of Ministers, the parliamentary Assembly and the permanent Secretariat. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1321 N.ro relativo : 61 Data pubblicazione : 08/09/2004
