Celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of Monaco's membership of the Council of Europe

On 6 and 7 October 2014, the High Commissioner and her Deputy, Cécile Vacarie-Bernard, attended celebrations in Strasbourg to mark the 10th anniversary of Monaco's membership of the Council of Europe, at the invitation of the Monegasque Government.

Mr José Badia, Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed an audience of senior figures from the Council of Europe. In his speech, he confirmed Monaco's commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, highlighting the recent creation of the Monegasque High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation as a practical example of this commitment.

The High Commissioner was also invited to participate in the formal submission of Monaco's instruments of ratification for two important and celebrated European conventions: the Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) and the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).

In addition to these celebrations, the High Commissioner and her Deputy also attended a three-day human rights training course organised by the European Court of Human Rights, where they had the opportunity to engage in fruitful discussions with judges, mediators and legal practitioners from other European countries.