Monaco to host Council of Europe Ambassadors during its Presidency of the Committee of Ministers

On 2 September 2026, as part of its Presidency of the Council of Europe’s* Committee of Ministers, Monaco will host the 1,567th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies. The event will be attended by the Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of the Organisation’s 46 Member States.

The Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe’s decision-making body. It meets once a year at ministerial level and weekly at Ambassador level at the Organisation’s headquarters in Strasbourg.

The 1,567th meeting, marking the resumption of the Committee’s work following the summer break, will be held at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, rather than at the Organisation’s headquarters in Strasbourg. Proceedings will be opened by Ms Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and President of the Committee of Ministers, and chaired by H.E. Mr Gabriel Revel, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the Council of Europe. The meeting is expected to be one of the highlights of Monaco’s Presidency and illustrates the Principality’s long-standing commitment to multilateral dialogue and stronger protection for human rights.

The Monegasque Presidency will also host a thematic debate on ‘the environmental crisis and human rights’, where experts including Dr Céline Dubreuil-Degortes from the Ocean Policy Department at the Oceanographic Institute will present the latest scientific findings, legal challenges, and policy perspectives on the issue, to stimulate discussion between the Member States.

* Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe is the continent’s leading organisation for the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It currently has 46 Member States and represents the interests of 700 million citizens.

Three questions for H.E. Mr Gabriel Revel, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the Council of Europe

1. What do the weekly meetings of the Ministers’ Deputies involve?

The Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe’s decision-making body. Each week in Strasbourg, it brings together the Ambassadors of the Organisation’s 46 Member States and its five Observer States.  

These meetings help ensure that the Organisation can carry out its work effectively, whilst providing a forum for discussing issues relating to human rights, the rule of law, and democracy in Europe, and working together in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation to find common responses to the major challenges facing our countries.

1. Why is this meeting being held in Monaco?

During their term, Member States holding the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers generally host one meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies in their own country, something that is widely appreciated by the delegations. It was therefore a natural choice for Monaco to host the 1,567th meeting.

Hosting the meeting is a way for the country holding the Presidency to demonstrate its commitment to the Council of Europe, whilst giving the Ambassadors an opportunity to learn more about the country’s heritage, history, and distinctive character.

1. Why was the environmental crisis chosen as the subject of the thematic debate?

The subject reflects Monaco’s long-standing commitment to protecting the environment and tackling climate change and biodiversity loss. H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince has made these issues a central part of Monaco’s international action, and the Principality plays an active role in multilateral initiatives to promote more sustainable development.

The debate also follows on from the commitments made at the Council of Europe’s Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Reykjavík in 2023, which recognised the urgent need for stronger action by the Council of Europe in response to the environmental crisis and its impact on fundamental rights.