Monaco celebrates 20th anniversary of accession to Council of Europe

The twentieth anniversary of Monaco’s accession to the Council of Europe* was celebrated in Strasbourg on 2 October, in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, President of the National Council Thomas Brezzo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, and Monaco’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe H.E. Gabriel Revel.

The celebrations were also attended by the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is the current President of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, as well as ambassadors and parliamentarians from Council of Europe member states, senior officials from the organisation and representatives of the Prince’s Government, National Council and Monaco City Hall.

The Sovereign Prince held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to discuss, among other things, Monaco’s presidency of the Committee of Ministers in 2026.

The highlight of the day came when H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince officially opened a multimedia exhibition recounting the history of Monaco’s accession. This was jointly put together by the National Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, in collaboration with the Archives of the Prince’s Palace, the Central Records Office and the Monaco Audiovisual Institute. The exhibition will be open for viewing throughout October at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, and on the website of Monaco’s Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe: monaco-coe.gouv.mc

Finally, the celebrations concluded with the unveiling of a participatory work by artist Mr One Teas. The painting, titled Ode à la liberté (Ode to Liberty), depicts an open window looking out to human rights, and will be gifted to the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe

Monaco became a member of the Council of Europe on 5 October 2004, thus becoming the organisation’s 46th member state. Set up in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II, the Council of Europe is headquartered in Strasbourg. It is the oldest and the leading human rights organisation in Europe.

It is completely distinct from the European Union, in terms of both its composition and its activities, which are based on three pillars: human rights, the rule of law and democracy. All member states are parties to the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights, the organisation’s reference text.