STATUS EUROPA - Democracy and Human Rights in Europe 2023
In cooperation with the Council of Europe and our partner organisations, Kristiansand municipality will convene the fourth European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights on May 5th, 2023 in Kristiansand.
The European order has never been more profoundly challenged than through the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is in every way contradictory to respect for democracy, human rights and our fundamental values. It is time to reflect on the status of Europe.
Where do we stand, and what are we moving towards? The implications of the war are grave and lasting. It is necessary to consider how we can sustain and defend a functioning system of European cooperation. An important question for European institutions, such as the Council of Europe and the EU, is how cooperation can be sustained without Russian participation. There is also much concern and uncertainty among European citizens about the future of Europe. Therefore, defining the status and the way ahead for European cooperation is the main theme of the 4th European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights.
What to expect?
One of the key topics which will be addressed at the conference is the upcoming 4th Summit of the Council of Europe, which will take place in Reykjavik mid-May. The ramifications of the war in Ukraine for human rights, European relations and freedom of speech and artistic reflections will also be on the agenda.
The conference brings together high-level speakers and panelists from the Council of Europe, the EU and the parliamentary assemblies. There will be several speakers from the Nordic countries, including Iceland, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe. Other European countries, such as the Ukraine, will also be represented, as well as international organizations such as Reporters sans Frontières, Association of European Journalists, PEN, ICORN, Historians without borders etc.
We look forward to welcoming public institutions, media actors, parliamentarians, international organisations, as well as NGOs, companies, foundations, trade unions, thinktanks, universities and civil society at large.
Some of this year's speakers
Bjørn Berge is a former Norwegian diplomat who has recently been elected as the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. He has served as Secretary of the Committee of Ministers and Head of the Cabinet of SG Thorbjørn Jagland. He will give an opening statement at the conference.
Ine Eriksen Søreide is a Norwegian politician and a member of the Conservative Party (Høyre). She served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2021 and was the first woman to hold this position. Previously, she was the Minister of Defence from 2013 to 2017.
Sara Whyatt is a campaigner and researcher on freedom of artistic expression and human rights, notably as director of PEN International ‘s freedom of expression program for over 20 years and previously at Amnesty International’s Asia Research Department. In 2013 she took up freelance consultancy, working on projects among them for UNESCO, Freemuse, Culture Action Europe, PEN International, and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange. In 2019 she was selected onto UNESCO’s Expert Facility advising on its 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. She is also the author of the chapter on freedom of artistic expression in the Convention’s 2015 and 2018 Global Reports and has developed training programs for governments and CSOs on monitoring and reporting strategies on artistic freedom.
In 2022, Erik Møse was appointed as Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. He is a Norwegian judge and an expert in international human rights law and international criminal law. He is a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and a former judge of the Supreme Court of Norway. He chaired the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights, the expert committee drafting the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and has published extensively on human rights. Having presided over an international criminal tribunal, he has a profound understanding of human rights investigations and the collection of evidence.
Democracy Week
The European Conference is the main event of Kristiansand’s Democracy Week, which takes place from May 2nd - 8th. This is a week filled with panel discussions, political conversations and cultural events addressing challenges regarding democracy, human rights and freedom of expression. There will be several high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings, diplomatic participation, and wide media coverage.
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