Council of Europe: Italy takes over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers

On the 17th of November 2021, during a meeting of the representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe (CoE), Italy took over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers from Hungary. The Chairmanship passed from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Luigi Di Maio.

The Italian Presidency will last 6 months. During the meeting, Di Maio presented the Italian priorities which will focus on three main areas: recommitting to shared principles and values of the member states; enhancing women’s empowerment and the rights of children and adolescents; building a people-centred future.

At the meeting, the Committee of Ministers also adopted a Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (“Budapest Convention”) to enhance cooperation and to prompt the disclosure of electronic evidence.