Council of Europe Hands Presidency to Malta, Announces Special Tribunal for Ukraine

On Wednesday 14 May 2025, the 134th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe took place at the European Convention Centre in Luxembourg-Kirchberg for the official handover of the presidency of the Committee from Luxembourg to Malta.

The annual meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the organisation’s 46 member states saw Malta take over the rotating six-month Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from Luxembourg. The meeting also saw the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Ukraine and the signing of the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law

After the handover of the presidency, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, was joined by Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, for a press conference which detailed the handover of the presidency and the items discussed at the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister Bettel first spoke of the significance of the Special Tribunal for Ukraine. He said: “I think that the creation of a special tribunal for the crimes of aggression against Ukraine and this official request from the Ukrainians that was submitted this morning to the Secretary-General under our Presidency was an important moment.” He talked of the significance of the recent signing of the Convention for the Protection of Lawyers, calling it “a really important success” but noted that “I can already tell you who will sign this convention and which countries will not sign it. It is sad that we have to remind from time to time, even within our own Assembly, the fundamental values that we share”. He then noted the significance of the signing of the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law before he detailed Luxembourg’s achievements during its time as President of the Committee. In closing he stated: “[I] continue my fight at the level of the various institutions, whether they are Luxembourgish, European or international, to remind that what for some is normal has become for some a fight today.”

Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, thanked Deputy Prime Minister Bettel for his “excellent efforts in the past six months in steering forward the Committee of Ministers” and thanked Luxembourg for its “firm commitment to the values of the Council of Europe and also fostering the culture of living together, [leaving] a solid foundation for which my country now looks forward to building on in the next six months”. Deputy Prime Minister Borg then expressed his pride in Malta taking on the presidency of the committee for a fourth time since it joined the council 60 years ago. He said: “Throughout history, this council has proven its agility and also readiness to meet global demands and today, more than ever, it becomes evident that our collective action will define our common future and that of subsequent generations.” 

Deputy Prime Minister Borg then detailed that Malta’s priorities as president would include “the protection of children's rights and promotion of their best interests will be central political priority” and that Malta would “strive to raise awareness and strengthen the fight against violence, against women, hate speech, hate crime [and the] trafficking of human beings”. In closing, he echoed Deputy Prime Minister Bettel’s thoughts on the significance of the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Ukraine. He stated: “With the letter received today from Ukraine, we can now proceed with establishing the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine to ensure accountability for this heinous crime. Achieving a just and lasting peace remains the ultimate goal.”

Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, also noted his support for the Special Tribunal and the signing of the Convention for the Protection of Lawyers and the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law. He said: “We have now taken a very important step here in Luxembourg. Democracy has also protected those who make the rule of law and democracy live. The convention on the protection of lawyers is an extremely important element in this regard.” He then thanked Luxembourg for its efforts over the six months of its presidency before congratulating Malta on its new role as president of the committee.