Bern, 10 January 2024
Former federal councillor Alain Berset has expressed his interest in taking up the post of Secretary General of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe. The Federal Department of foreign affairs (FDFA) supports this candidacy and submitted it today to the chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council.
The Council of Europe promotes human rights, democracy and the rule of law in its 46 member states. Within the Council, intergovernmental agreements that are binding under international law, such as the European Convention on Human Rights, are concluded, with the aim of promoting economic and social progress and preserving Europe’s common heritage constructed to date. Switzerland joined the Council on 6 May 1963, becoming its 17th member state.
The Secretary General is elected for a five-year term by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly from a list of candidates that the Committee of Ministers submits to it.
The Parliamentary Assembly will take its decision in June 2024. The person elected will take office on 18 September 2024.
Source – Swiss Government