Presidency of Liechtenstein

Made up of representatives of the Council of Europe’s 46 member States, the Committee of Ministers is the Council’s decision-making body. Liechtenstein is represented on the Committee of Ministers by its Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler. In practice, at the weekly meetings it is the member States’ permanent representatives who deputise for the ministers. For Liechtenstein it is Ambassador Domenik Wanger of the Permanent Representation in Strasbourg who has this task. The presidency (also known as the chairmanship) passes from State to State in alphabetical order every six months.

Liechtenstein is using its presidency of the Committee of Ministers to promote and strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. There will be a special focus on promoting a forward-looking and inclusive orientation for the Council of Europe too. The presidency also provides a major opportunity to make the Council of Europe’s work and impact more visible in Liechtenstein.

During the presidency, the following priorities will be pursued: “United by our values towards a future for the needs of all”

a) «United by our values»

• Reinforcing of the Council of Europe’s base values of human rights, democracy and rule of law
• Follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit, including accountability for the most serious crimes in the war of aggression against Ukraine
• Strengthening of the European Court of Human Rights, particularly improved execution of judgments
• Ministerial session combined with celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe’s creation
• Freedom of expression and in particular safety of journalists

b) «Towards a future»

• Children, Youth and Education
• Youth event in connection with the Ministerial session and celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe
• Environment
• Artificial Intelligence

c) «For the needs of all»

• Women and girls, with emphasis on the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence

• Trafficking in human beings

• Handover of the presidency from Latvia to Liechtenstein, including a concert with Isa-Sophie Zünd (on piano and a Latvian saxophonist) and inauguration of the “Liechtenstein tram” (15 November 2023, Strasbourg); participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler.

• Meeting of the Standing Committee of the PACE (27-28 November 2023, in Schaan); participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler.

• Expert conference on “Inclusion of child migrants and refugees in and through sport” (28/29 November 2023 in Schaan); participation of Minister of Sport Dominique Hasler.

• PACE plenary session with the Liechtenstein PACE delegation and addresses by Prime Minister Daniel Risch and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler (22-26 January 2024, in Strasbourg).

• Presentation of the priorities of the Presidency to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler (1 February 2024, in Vienna)

• Side event to UN Commission on the Status of Women (March 2024); participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler.

• Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Plenary session in Strasbourg (with Liechtenstein representatives and a planned address by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Sabine Monauni, 26-28 March 2024, in Strasbourg).

• High-level Conference on improving the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments, particularly those regarding the involuntary the involuntary confinement and treatment of persons suffering from mental illness and incapacity (27 March 2024, in Strasbourg).

• Holding of an ordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers in Liechtenstein, among other things to prepare the Ministerial session, participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler and reception given by  H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (4-5 April 2024).

• PACE plenary session with the Liechtenstein PACE delegation and addresses by H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler (15-19 April 2024, in Strasbourg).

• Meeting of experts of the Bern Convention (Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats), Group of Experts on Protected Areas and Ecological Networks (17-18 April 2024, in Ruggell); participation of Minister for the Environment Sabine Monauni.

• Meeting of experts of national co-ordinating bodies established under the Istanbul Convention (Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence) (29 April 2024, in Liechtenstein); participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler.

• Youth event, Council of Europe’s 75th anniversary celebrations, including a concert by the Liechtenstein Symphony Orchestra and Ministerial session of the Council of Europe with handover of the presidency to Lithuania (15-17 May 2024, in Strasbourg); participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler.