1. Peace in Europe - the role of the Council of Europe in comparison with the two other institutions OSCE/EU A contribution to the VI. Political Academy on “Political Management and Diplomacy “ from the Konrad - Adenauer - Foundation in Macedonia by Andreas Gross (Switzerland) Political Scientist & Swiss MP & Leader of the Social-Democrats in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Skopje, 31 st of October 2008 www.andigross.chwww.andigross.ch info@andigross.ch

2. The Council of Europe(*1949): How (Western) Europe after the war tried to learn and built European Institutions in order to prevent new catastrophes Guarantee internationally, what all lost and what can not be protected nationally: Democracy (Rule of law) Human Rights (Protection of Minorities) Social security (Social market economy) The constitutional factors of Peace ! S

3. The six most important periods in the history of the CoE and their specific character 1941-2009 1941 - 1948 Federalistic constitutional based Integration projects 1948 -1959 Political limits in a Cold War divided Europe & Establishment of a far reaching legal Protection for Human Rights (10-13) 1960 - 1970 Consolidation of established western- European Democracies (15) 1971-1988 Democratic Transformation of southern European post- fachist - states (19) 1989-1996 After the end of the cold war: Integration of central European post-communist states (32) 1997-2009 Building a United Europe including post-war Balkan, post-totaliatrian Russia and Caucasian Countries (47)

4. The CoE: PACE + ECHR + CoM + Secret + Conventions + Venice Com S PACE : Parliamentary Assembly, 300 national MP’s out of 47 European States organized in 5 Political Groups meet 4 times year, 10 Committees. ECHR :47 Judges,elected by the PACE, protect the EHRC of every European Citizen ! CoM: The Committee of Ambassadors and Ministers try to find European Consensus Secretariat: More than 1300 civil servants of all Member States realize concrete Programs and prepare new European Conventions Venice Com: 47 Highly qualified constitutional experts serve as advisers in any problem of pubic law making More than 200 Conventions replace thousands of bilateral Treaties and establish a common European Space of Democratic Principles and Human Rights

5. “Peace in Europe - the role of the three institutions”: Democracy and Human Rights as objects of collective societal learning processes EPPACEOSCE-PA Character SupranationalTransnationalInternational Aims European Governance Human Rights, Democracy, Rule of law Conflict- management Geographic Dimension Privileged 500 Troubled East-, SE - Europe + Russia /800 + USA + CAN + Eurasia „Peace- Power“ Hard&Big: Econ&Money Soft power + Soft law Diplomatic, governmental Methods IntegrationSocietal learning Negotiations, consensus

6. “Peace and Stability in Europe - the role of the three institutions”: Democracy and Human Rights as objects of collective societal learning processes EPPACE OScE-PA Strengths Attractive, privileged Universal values Integrated “North” Weaknesses Elite driven - Citizen’s (“integration- fatigue”) Weak govern. Motivation; National Seductions Nat. Govern. Consensus - Building Main Challenge(s) Transnat.Constit utionmaking: Stronger polity Russia Intemporality Totalit-Heritage Imperial Temptations & confrontation Chances Good/ very good openweak

7. “Peace and Stability in Europe - the role of the three institutions”: Democracy and Human Rights as objects of collective societal learning processes EPPACE OSCE-PA Great Mutual Cooperative Potentials Neighbour- hood-Policy has to include PACE Monitoring Know-how to share ODHIR guarantees necessary profess.long term election observing Service to be strengthened in the interest of the others Integration as peace perspective Prevention as biggest poten- zial service for the world community More transparency in international affairs