Monaco hosted the Committee of the Council of Europe during their 1567th meeting on 2 September 2026. One hundred ambassadors and permanent representatives of 46 Member States convened at the Oceanographic Museum before a reception at the Princely Palace. The events were one of the highlights of Monaco’s current Presidency of the Council of Europe.
Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, who is representing Monaco during its presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, opened the meeting. The Government Councillor had first addressed the Council of Europe on 20 May in Strasbourg, at the first meeting chaired by Monaco.
In her address, she called the meeting “a unique forum, where 46 Member States and 5 observers have chosen dialogue over division, in service of shared values.”
“Building on long-standing efforts, the committee has made progress on demanding issues, such as the fight against information manipulation and foreign interference, including disinformation,” said Berro-Amadeï. She also looked back on the Informal Conference of Ministers of Justice, chaired last June by the Secretary of State for Justice of Monaco, which strengthened the fight against money laundering.
The Sovereign’s upcoming trip to Strasbourg
Berro-Amadeï looked ahead to several events. Firstly, Prince Albert II will travel to Strasbourg to participate in the next session of the Parliamentary Assembly on 1 October. There, the Ministers of the Council of Europe will be invited to a special dinner, showcasing Monegasque cuisine.
The “Additional Protocol” to the to the CETS Convention No. 198 (which was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 15 May 2026 in Chişinău, Moldova) will be open for signature on 14 October 2026, in Strasbourg, during the Octopus Conference. Also known as an additional protocol the Warsaw Convention, it is a key convention of the Council of Europe and concerns money laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism.
Sports Conference to be held in Monaco
Then, in early November, the 19th Conference of the Council of Europe of Ministers responsible for Sport will be held in the Principality. It will focus on the prevention of and fight against violence against children, as well as on promoting sport as a vehicle for physical and mental health and well-being.
“We also welcome the opening for signature, on 26 May, of the Protocol amending the Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, which has since been signed by 11 member states and the European Union,” said Berro-Amadeï.
Reception at the Palace
After the meeting, participants were received by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene at the Prince’s Palace. The reception was an opportunity to showcase the Principality’s heritage and for the Sovereign to speak about the importance of the Council.
“In the face of the war against Ukraine, in the face of growing distrust between nations and the rule of law being called into question, multilateralism and dialogue remain irreplaceable.
No country, whatever its power, can meet such challenges alone. And the Council of Europe, with its conventions, its Court and its monitoring mechanisms, offers an indispensable framework, one that it falls to us collectively to preserve, to defend and to strengthen,” said Prince Albert II.
