We have made no such assessment.

The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe as well as our UK delegation in debating these important issues. The UK reaffirms its commitment to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in all their diversity and we welcome calls for the intensification of efforts to address this violence.

The debate included reaffirming the commitments made to women and girls with disabilities outlined in the Istanbul Convention. As a ratifier of both the Istanbul Convention and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UK is clear on our international commitments to upholding the rights of women and girls in all their diversity and preventing violence against them and prioritises this through policies and action at home and overseas.

The debate rightly shined a spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the need for international action. The UK continues to support the people of Afghanistan and coordinate with European and other partners. Afghanistan remains one of FCDO's largest bilateral aid programmes this financial year at £100 million. Since April 2021, the UK has disbursed over £593 million in aid to Afghanistan. This includes £17 million to support humanitarian organisations in Afghanistan's neighbouring countries. This has assisted Afghan migrants and asylum seekers moving across borders, and refugee and host communities in those countries. We continue to monitor the situation.

We recognise the significance of the award of the Václav Havel Prize to Osman Kavala and the subsequent PACE debate. The award and the overwhelming vote in favour of the release of Mr Kavala, highlight that Osman Kavala remains in prison despite two separate rulings by the European Court of Human Rights calling for his immediate release, a call that the UK has consistently joined. We will continue to work with Council of Europe Member States including Turkey, to find a solution to the situation.

The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues. Free and fair elections are the key to a functioning democracy, allowing citizens to choose how they are governed and by whom - democratic and open societies cannot flourish without them. The internal oppression carried out by the Russian Government fuels external aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere. We remain concerned about whether the 2018 Russian presidential election and the 2020 constitutional referendum were free and fair. The UK remains committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine.

The UK recognises the vital role the Council of Europe has played in preventing conflict within Europe and wider member states since it was founded in 1949 following World War II. The Council's recent work in establishing a Register of Damages caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine is a good example of how a regional organisation can react swiftly in response to situations of conflict. The work of the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers plays an important role in securing rights and freedoms across Europe, including against the threats to democracy at our doorstep.

The UK noted the debate held at the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe on the Humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and looks forward to the outcomes of the recent visit of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights to the region. We welcome the continued high levels of international engagement on these issues, the successful peaceful resolution of which are vital to the ongoing stability of the South Caucasus.

The UK’s National Cyber Strategy commits the UK to countering the proliferation of high-end cyber capabilities and reducing the opportunity for states and organised crime groups to access them via commercial and criminal marketplaces, as well as tackling forums that enable, facilitate, or glamorise cyber criminality.

With respect to spyware specifically, it is vital that all cyber capabilities are used in ways that are legal, responsible, and proportionate to ensure cyberspace remains a safe and prosperous place for everyone. In March 2023, the United Kingdom signed the Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware alongside 10 other like-minded countries, including the United States. As part of this, the UK and other signatories recognised the threat posed by the misuse of commercial spyware, such as Pegasus, and the need to strictly control its proliferation at both a domestic and international level.

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 provides a legal framework for the use of investigatory powers by UK law enforcement and the intelligence community where it is necessary and proportionate to do so. The Act also contains strong safeguards, including a ‘double lock’, which requires warrants for the most intrusive powers to be authorised by a Secretary of State (or Chief Constable in case of Law Enforcement) and approved by a Judicial Commissioner, as well as rigorous independent oversight of their use by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner.

The UK supports the Council of Europe's role in highlighting the devastating consequences of Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and welcomes the work of its Parliamentary Assembly in this regard. We support Ukraine's efforts to promote the principles needed to underpin a just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter, including President Zelenskyy's 'ten-point peace formula'. There is broad international consensus that for peace to be lasting it must be based on respect for the UN Charter, international law, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.

We recognise the significance of the award of the Václav Havel Prize to Osman Kavala and the subsequent PACE debate. The award and the overwhelming vote in favour of his release highlight that Osman Kavala remains in prison, despite the two European Court of Human Rights rulings calling for his immediate release. The UK has consistently joined this call. We will continue to work with Council of Europe Member States including Turkey, to find a solution to the situation.

We greatly value the work of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and welcome this debate, following the monitoring committee's report. The UK welcomes the French initiative to assess and reform the legal and judicial systems within France. The UK and France will continue to work closely together at the Council of Europe.

The UK welcomed the debate on far-right ideology and human rights within Europe. We put open societies and the protection of human rights around the world at the heart of what we do. Ideologies aiming to undermine human rights, democracy and rule of law are in direct opposition of our core values.

The UK takes the challenge of far-right ideology seriously. Our counter terrorism strategy CONTEST is threat agnostic, and applicable and effective in tackling Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism. We continue to work with our partners to defend democracy and freedom globally and hold those who violate human rights to account.

The UK welcomes the Council of Europe (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly's 9 October debate on the observation of the early parliamentary elections in Montenegro. The UK understands the importance of election monitoring. We supported a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) to provide early projections of election results, as part of a package of CSSF-funded projects to strengthen election integrity against destabilising influences. We now look forward to government formation and furthering our support for Montenegro to conduct free and fair democratic processes and to strengthen electoral practices in line with Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and CoE recommendations.

We echo the sentiments of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in wishing strength to all those who have become victims of the enormous tragedy in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We express our steadfast and united support to Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism. Hamas does not speak for or act in the interests of the Palestinian people. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and its military operations must be conducted in strict accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Civilians must be respected and protected at all times. The Prime Minister has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 12 October. He reiterated the need to ensure the protection of innocent civilians and underlined the importance of safe humanitarian access to Gaza.

The UK Government has authorised the sending of a significant support package to the region, UK military assets will support regional stability and prevent escalation. On the 16 October, the Prime Minister announced a further £10 million in humanitarian funding for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), in response to the escalating conflict. We will continue to work with our regional partners so that essential aid can reach civilian populations in Gaza including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.

The UK has long condemned the destabilising activities of Hizballah and its affiliates, including Green Without Borders, in the region. Hizballah's activities, particularly along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, pose a grave threat to civilians living in the vicinity, as well as UN peacekeepers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). At this time of heightened tension in the region, there is an urgent need for calm along the Blue Line. We do not speculate about future UK sanctions designations.

The Department for Business and Trade works closely with the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, who recognise the importance of the CleanTech sector in Israel and its success and innovation in developing new technologies, along with the value that this can bring to the UK economy.

The Embassy both prioritises this sector and assists Israeli companies who wish to invest and expand into the UK. It also supports UK corporates who are looking for solutions that Israeli start-ups can provide in this sector.

The UK Government is committed to convene and lead international engagement on CCUS through engaging in multilateral fora and fostering bilateral relationships to collaborate and share lessons on CCUS.

Domestically, In March 2023 we announced up to £20 billion funding for early deployment of CCUS across all sectors. This includes the £1 billion Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Infrastructure Fund, supporting the ambition for CCUS in four industrial clusters by 2030 at the latest.

This follows previous UK Government investment into CCUS between­ 2004 and 2021 the UK Government has invested over £346 million into CCUS Research, Development and Deployment (RD&D). This funding has ensured the UK remains at the forefront of CCUS Research and Innovation, developing the skills, knowledge, and technology to allow the UK to deploy CCUS domestically and export our expertise around the world.

We welcome all steps to help move forward with the middle east peace process and follow those particular points with interest.

The Government has noted the debate and resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly on legislation currently before this Parliament. The Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. We will always make sure that our laws work in the best interests of the UK.

Having carefully considered the Government’s legislative programme in the round, we have decided not to proceed with the Bill of Rights Bill. The Government remains committed to a human rights framework that is up to date and fit for purpose and works for the British people.

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those that need it. Since 2015, over half a million people have been offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This includes those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as family members of refugees.

This Government is committed to ensuring that refugees arriving through safe and legal routes can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK.

All refugees and those granted protection in the UK have immediate access to the labour market and to mainstream benefits and services that support their integration. We are already working successfully with local authorities, strategic migration partners and community sponsors to implement measures that assist integration and enable self-sufficiency. The Home Office provides local authorities with funding to cover resettlement and integration costs for those who arrive through the UK Resettlement Scheme, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme or the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

We are further delivering on our commitment to strengthen support for refugees through our Refugee Transitions Outcomes Fund (RTOF) and Refugee Employability Programme (REP) helping them to move into work, learn English, access housing and build links in their local communities.

We monitor and evaluate our programmes of support, to better understand refugee needs and integration outcomes.

We recognise the worries that many countries, including Poland, have over the malign influence or interference of Russia in their domestic agenda. HMG expressed concerns in June 2023 that Poland's proposed State Commission on Russian Influence could undermine trust in the electoral process, which would not be in anyone's interests. President Duda has proposed amendments to the law, which the Polish parliament is considering. This is an important step. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has urgently requested an opinion on the State Commission law. We now await the opinion of the Venice Commission. As a good friend of Poland, the UK government will continue to follow this issue closely.

As a Grand Payeur and founding member of the Council of Europe, we are continuing to engage to ensure the Council of Europe works effectively and efficiently, whilst remaining sustainable. We will always push to see clear cost savings, increased efficiency and effectiveness where possible.

We welcome President Nataša Pirc Musar's speech in Strasbourg to mark 30 years of Slovenia's membership in the Council of Europe (CoE) and thank her for highlighting the devastating consequences of Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

We agree with President Pirc Musar's remarks that the Council of Europe must remain a global standard-bearer in addressing new and evolving human rights challenges, including on the environment and AI. The Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad were pleased to attend the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik alongside nearly forty other European leaders, including President Pirc Musar. Against the backdrop of Putin's heinous war against Ukraine, we stand united our European partners to defend our common values and support freedom, democracy and the rule of law across the continent.

We share the President Pirc Musar's focus on the need to de-escalate current tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and the importance of avoiding any further inflammatory actions or rhetoric and for a return to the EU-facilitated Dialogue.

The UK Government is aware of the presentation by Foreign Minister Szijjártó on 19 June which sets out the position of the Hungarian Government on a variety of topics, including on the war in Ukraine. These are longstanding policy positions of the Hungarian Government with which the UK is familiar. We maintain a constructive dialogue with Hungary, but where we have worries we do not hesitate to raise them. In recent engagements with the Hungarian Government the UK has stressed the importance of remaining united against Russia, and in steadfast support of Ukraine, and we will continue to do so.

The UK stands in solidarity with the Belarusian people, who have shown immense courage in the face of relentless repression by the Lukashenko regime. We are clear that this regime neither speaks nor acts in the name of the overwhelming majority of Belarusians, and we continue to work with likeminded partners to put pressure on the regime publicly and privately for their human rights violations. We also take very seriously our responsibilities to Belarusian nationals in the UK, and the Security Minister's Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward work in response to threats of foreign interference, including transnational repression.

No assessment has been made on this debate at this point, but we continue to work closely with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office on global health issues and governance raised in the relevant debate discussed including negotiations on the targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the new Pandemic Instrument at the World Health Organization and in preparation for the High Level Meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The United Kingdom continues to negotiate the text of the Pandemic Instrument and the amendments to the IHR to ensure they delivers on our priorities and provide the tools to achieve improvements globally in key areas of health emergency preparedness, prevention, and response. The Department of Health and Social Care also works closely with the Department for Business and Trade on health related issues linked to the World Trade Organization.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on states to focus on: access to the internet; improving digital literacy; promoting access to STEM education and careers; and ensuring equality of access to public services. The Government is already making progress on these issues.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is delivering on the Government’s commitment to universal access to reliable internet via its social tariffs initiative. To support low-income families, we have worked closely with Ofcom and the industry to bring a range of social tariffs into the market. These low-cost, high-quality broadband and mobile offers are available from a range of providers, across 99% of the UK and start from as low as £10 per month.

The Assembly called on States to ‘combat digital illiteracy regardless of gender, age, social status, economic situation, disability or any other personal characteristic’. The Government remains committed to developing digital skills across the whole of the UK. Through our Digital Entitlement scheme, free Essential Digital Skills Qualifications are available to enable people to gain the skills needed to participate in modern life.

The Assembly also called on States to ‘promote equal access to education and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers’. The Government is funding a new generation of AI talent through scholarships, each worth £10,000, supporting underrepresented groups, including women, to undertake AI and Data Science Conversion Courses. The conversion courses provide a masters in AI and data science, and allow those from a non-STEM background to learn the skills needed to secure employment in the UK’s cutting-edge AI and Data Science sectors.

The Assembly urged States to ‘ensure equality of access to public services’. We are working to ensure that online services are as inclusive as possible by making public sector websites accessible to as many people as possible. Furthermore, assisted digital support services aim to increase digital inclusion for those online users who lack digital confidence, digital skills or access to the internet.

As stated at the Council of Europe, the Government will continue to scrutinise and prioritise digital inclusion. The recent House of Lords inquiry into Digital Inclusion is an example of this oversight, and will ensure the Government continues to prioritise and deliver against this important area.

The UK stands in solidarity with the Belarusian people, who have shown immense courage in the face of relentless repression by the Lukashenko regime. We are clear that this regime neither speaks nor acts in the name of the overwhelming majority of Belarusians, and we continue to work with likeminded partners to put pressure on the regime publicly and privately for their human rights violations. We also take very seriously our responsibilities to Belarusian nationals in the UK, and the Security Minister's Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward work in response to threats of foreign interference, including transnational repression.

The UK Government has repeatedly called for the opening of the Lachin Corridor to civilians and the movement of humanitarian cargo. The UK has a strong record of supporting humanitarian responses in this region and FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian agencies about the current situation. We will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months. The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe as well as our UK delegation, in producing reports and resolutions to address urgent issues in Europe.

We have noted the findings of the independent election observation missions in the recent Turkish Presidential and Parliamentary elections, including by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in their report and debate on 19 June 2023 and by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). We note from their conclusions that the elections offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives and voter participation remained high, but there remains more work to do to ensure media freedom and fair judicial treatment of political opponents in Turkey. In our regular interaction with Turkey, we consistently encourage Turkey to uphold the rule of law, protect freedom of expression and assembly and to live up to its international obligations as a founding member state of the Council of Europe. The UK, along with all other Council of Europe member States, will respond to the report and debate through the Committee of Ministers.

We support the Council of Europe's role in highlighting the devastating consequences of Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and welcome the work of its Parliamentary Assembly in this regard.

The UK is fully committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine, and to working with our international partners to maximise the effectiveness of our sanctions package targeting Putin and those who enable him to fight his war. We will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend itself and secure a just and lasting peace.

Foreign powers reaching across national borders to silence political dissent is unacceptable, and we are steadfastly committed to defending the rule of law and protecting individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK.

We will carefully consider the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Assembly. We continually assess potential threats to the UK and use a range of tools and measures to counter them, in co-ordination with partners. The Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference, and is reviewing the UK's approach to transnational repression.

The UK welcomed remarks made by Latvia at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. We look forward to the application of Latvia's policies during its presidency in protecting and promoting democracy and rule of law across Europe. The Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon were pleased to attend the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik alongside nearly forty other European leaders. The UK agrees with European partners that the Council of Europe is playing a vital role in supporting Ukraine. Its work to establish the Register of Damage is an important step in securing financial accountability and supporting justice for the people of Ukraine. The Prime Minister signed the Register at the Summit, as a founding participant, and we will continue to work with the Council and our friends worldwide to ensure support for it.

Building respect for human rights, including Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) and the rights of ethnic and religious groups, is a crucial element underpinning the UK's foreign policy in the Middle East. We regularly emphasise the importance of human rights through our engagements with Governments and other key partners.

We will continue to monitor the situation for ethnic and religious groups in the region, to speak out against human rights violations and abuses, and to press authorities to safeguard the human rights for all their citizens.

The UK has long made clear our apprehension towards Iran's reckless and destabilising activity in Syria. Iran's support to militant and proscribed groups, including Hizbollah, directly counters UK interests. In Syria, Iran has propped up Bashar al-Asad, prolonging the crisis and enabling him and his brutal regime to commit innumerable human rights violations and abuses. The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran and the regime are held to account for their destabilising activity in Syria and we will continue to support efforts pursuing a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Women in Iran are reporting greater enforcement of Iran's strict hijab and morality laws by automated recognition technology. We continue to track reports of a Chinese company providing Iran with face-recognition technology, which could be used to violate human rights. The UK is committed to holding Iran to account and calling out Iran's human rights violations in a range of multilateral fora. The UK raised Iran at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution on Iran human rights, supported the creation of a UN Fact Finding Mission and helped ensure Iran's removal from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

As an independent nation in control of our trading future, the UK government considers a broad range of factors when developing international trade policy – including benefits to the UK economy and our international obligations.

In line with those international obligations, the Government will continue to ensure that our trade policy reflects our high standards and protections – both in new trade agreements and via multilateral fora.

Having secure and growing trading relationships can increase UK influence and assist open conversations with partners on a range of issues, many of which are listed in the Council of Europe report “Doc. 15739”.

The UK condemns Russia's forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. Those responsible for atrocities must be held to account and the UK is supporting the investigations of both the Ukrainian authorities and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The arrest warrants issued by the ICC are an important step towards accountability.

We respect the jurisdiction of competent national or international courts, such as the ICC, to determine if the crime of genocide has occurred in Ukraine. We will continue to call on Russia to cease forced transfers, allow unhindered, immediate and safe access for humanitarian organisations, and facilitate the safe return of children to Ukraine, in line with Russia's obligations under international law. The UK has contributed 150,000 euros to the Council of Europe's new Ukraine Action Plan.

The UK has followed the resolution which was approved at the Parliamentary Assembly at the Council of Europe on 25 April 2023 and supports the re-evaluation of the Partnership for Democracy which came into place in 2010. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are important values, which the UK strives to uphold domestically and promote internationally. Platforms such as the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly are vital in this area.

We were aware of the debate in April and were pleased that the Parliamentary Assembly considered this important issue. The UK resolutely supports Moldova in the face of Russian aggression and disinformation. On 16 March, the Foreign Secretary met Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu in Chisinau. He reiterated the UK's steadfast support for sovereign Moldova as it pursues a path of freedom and independence. He also committed a further £10 million of support towards economic and governance reforms. This is in addition to £12 million over three years pledged in 2022 to build a stronger, more resilient Moldova, through our work on anti-corruption, counter-disinformation and reform. On 9 December 2022, the UK sanctioned two Moldovans, Mr Ilan Shor and Mr Vladimir Plahotniuc under its Global Anti-Corruption regime.

The UK thanks the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe for bringing this topic into focus. The UK is a strong protector of children online and through passage of our Online Safety Bill, we will become one of the safest places to be a child online. We are continually taking steps to empower users of all ages to make safer and well-informed choices online through resources such as the UK Government's Online Media Literacy programmes and our yearly action plans.

The UK welcomes the Council of Europe's (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly debate on the Presidential elections in Montenegro. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observer mission, to which the UK government contributed, concluded the elections overall to be "competitive and well-run".

The UK government supported a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) to provide election monitoring, reporting of irregularities and broadcast of an early results forecast. The UK will continue to support Montenegro to conduct free and fair democratic processes, including during Parliamentary elections scheduled in June and to encourage Montenegro to strengthen electoral practices in line with ODIHR and CoE recommendations.

We greatly value the work of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and welcome this debate, following the monitoring committee's report. The UK thanks San Marino for the work they are doing to comply with all of their obligations. We will continue to engage with San Marino, to promote our shared values.

Government departments stand ready to respond to natural hazard risks. The Resilience Directorate and the COBR Unit in the Cabinet Office work across Government, including with the Government Office for Science, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the UK Health Security Agency , the Meteorological Office and private sector organisations, to assess the risk of natural hazards, build resilience and develop response plans to respond effectively should hazards occur.

The Government is committed to tackling risks and vulnerabilities. The UK Government Resilience Framework, published in December 2022, is the first articulation of our new strategic approach to resilience. The Framework is a risk-agnostic plan to strengthen the systems, structures, and capabilities which underpin the UK’s resilience to all risks, including those which are yet to emerge.

The UK is committed to fulfilling its international human rights obligations. This includes the obligation to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights against the UK. Currently, only 14 judgments against the UK are still under the supervision of the Committee of Ministers. This is lower than almost all member States with similar population size. At the end of 2022, outstanding judgments and decisions against the UK made up only 0.23% of the total [14 out of 6,112]. We support the Council of Europe’s work to improve the effectiveness of the tools available to the Committee of Ministers in the supervision of the execution of judgments.

The Government has noted with interest the debate on the European Convention on Human Rights and national constitutions, and the associated report by the Assembly’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights which recognises “the UK having the lowest number of ECtHR applications (and indeed admissible applications), per capita, of Council of Europe member States.

The Government has also noted the discussion in the Committee’s report of legislation currently before this Parliament. The United Kingdom is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. We will always make sure that our laws work in the best interests of the UK.

We welcome the recent speech the Icelandic Foreign Minister made at the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe regarding the Icelandic priorities at the upcoming Council of Europe Head of State Summit later this month and agree that a key priority for the Summit is continued support to Ukarine and opposition to Russia's aggression. The Summit will be an opportunity to re-invigorate Europe's oldest multilateral organisation so that it plays a strong role in strengthening and securing democracy across Europe and ensure support for Ukraine, through continued pressure on Russia.

We welcome the recent speech the Icelandic Foreign Minister made at the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe regarding the Icelandic priorities at the upcoming Council of Europe Head of State Summit later this month and agree that a key priority for the Summit is continued support to Ukarine and opposition to Russia's aggression. The Summit will be an opportunity to re-invigorate Europe's oldest multilateral organisation so that it plays a strong role in strengthening and securing democracy across Europe and ensure support for Ukraine, through continued pressure on Russia.

The Human Rights Commissioner is an independent non-judicial role with the mandate of promoting awareness of and respect for human rights in the 46 Council of Europe member states. The UK Government will carefully consider the Commissioner for Human Rights Annual activity report.