Isabelle Berro-Amadeï: “Monaco Has Its Rightful Place” at the Council of Europe

Key Points

• Monaco is holding the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from 15 May to 10 November 2026, its first such presidency since joining the organisation in 2004.
• Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Isabelle Berro-Amadeï is serving as President of the Committee of Ministers during the six-month term.
• Berro-Amadeï said Monaco entered the presidency well prepared because of its long-standing participation in the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly and European Court of Human Rights.
• She said one objective was to demonstrate that Monaco, despite its small territorial size, could contribute to issues affecting all Council of Europe member states.
• PACE President Petra Bayr described Monaco’s work during the presidency as “exemplary” during Berro-Amadeï’s September 2026 address to the Parliamentary Assembly.
• Monaco’s presidency has focused on human rights, children and young people, combating violence against women, sport, organised crime, support for Ukraine and democratic resilience.
• Monaco has also sought to raise domestic awareness of the Council of Europe through events connected with its presidency.
• The Principality hosted representatives of all 46 Council of Europe member states in Monaco in September for a meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies.
• Berro-Amadeï also travelled to Kyiv in September as part of Monaco’s presidency, with discussions including international justice, accountability and support for Ukraine.
• The presidency is due to pass to Montenegro in November 2026.

Monaco Weekly News (MWN) October 2, 2026 – Isabelle Berro-Amadeï has described Monaco’s first presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers as an opportunity to demonstrate the Principality’s role within the wider European institutional system. Speaking about the presidency’s progress, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation said Monaco had entered the six-month mandate well prepared after more than two decades of membership in the organisation. She also highlighted efforts to bring the Council of Europe’s work closer to people in Monaco while using the presidency to contribute to issues affecting all 46 member states.

The Principality assumed the rotating presidency on 15 May 2026, taking over from Moldova and becoming the chair of the Committee of Ministers for the first time since Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004. The mandate is scheduled to continue until 10 November, when Montenegro is due to take over.

The comments from Berro-Amadeï come as Monaco reaches the latter part of its presidency, with the Principality having already hosted Council of Europe diplomatic meetings, participated in discussions concerning Ukraine and presented its priorities across the organisation.

Why did Monaco say it was prepared for the Council of Europe presidency?

Berro-Amadeï said Monaco’s experience inside the Council of Europe meant that the presidency did not represent an entirely unfamiliar institutional environment.

According to the interview material provided for this report, she said Monaco had been a member since 2004 and had consistently participated in the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She also referred to the Principality’s involvement with the European Court of Human Rights.

She credited Monaco’s Permanent Representation in Strasbourg and Ambassador Gabriel Revel with playing an active role in preparations for the presidency.

The minister said the preparation was particularly important because European democracies were facing a range of challenges. She described dialogue between member states and the search for consensus as central to Monaco’s approach.

The Council of Europe’s own records confirm that Gabriel Revel is Monaco’s Permanent Representative to the organisation and that he serves as President of the Ministers’ Deputies during Monaco’s presidency.

The presidency operates through the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, the organisation’s principal decision-making body. The presidency rotates between member states for six months, following the organisation’s established order.

What did Monaco want to demonstrate through the presidency?

A central message from Berro-Amadeï was that Monaco’s size should not determine the scope of its contribution to European discussions.

In the interview supplied for publication, she said Monaco wanted to show that a country with a small territorial footprint had a place in the organisation and could champion issues relevant to contemporary European challenges.

She also said the objective extended beyond Monaco’s own priorities. The Principality wanted to participate in discussions affecting all member states and demonstrate that it could contribute to wider debates within the Council of Europe.

This approach is reflected in the programme established for Monaco’s presidency.

The Council of Europe said the Monegasque programme includes the protection of human rights, particularly the protection of women who are victims of violence, children and young people, sport as a tool for inclusion, and the fight against organised crime. Support for Ukraine and strengthening democratic resilience are also included.

Agence Europe reported in May that Berro-Amadeï had presented priorities including combating violence against women, protecting children and young people, supporting the European Convention on Human Rights system, promoting sport as a means of development and wellbeing, and combating organised crime.

How has the Council of Europe recognised Monaco’s presidency?

The presidency has received public recognition from senior figures within the Parliamentary Assembly.

During the PACE session on 30 September, President Petra Bayr welcomed Berro-Amadeï and said the presidency had reached its midterm. In remarks recorded in the official PACE transcript, Bayr described the presidency as performing in an “exemplary manner”. She also referred to the meeting of Ministers’ Deputies that Monaco had organised in the Principality.

Berro-Amadeï subsequently addressed the Parliamentary Assembly and answered questions from parliamentarians.

The official transcript records that this was her second address to the Assembly in her capacity as Chair of the Committee of Ministers. She noted that when she had previously addressed the Assembly on 23 June, Monaco had held the chair for only around one month.

Her September appearance therefore came at a substantially later stage of the presidency, allowing her to discuss developments during the intervening period.

What issues has Monaco highlighted during the presidency?

The presidency has been conducted against a backdrop of conflicts, pressure on democratic institutions and continuing debates about the protection of human rights.

The Council of Europe has identified human rights, democracy and the rule of law as central pillars of its work. Monaco’s presidency has placed those areas alongside more specific priorities involving children, women, sport and organised crime.

Ukraine has also been an important part of Monaco’s work.

NEWS.MC reported on 16 September that Berro-Amadeï travelled to Kyiv with Gabriel Revel. According to the report, discussions with Ukrainian authorities included international justice, the Council of Europe’s role and support provided during the conflict, as well as social policies concerning women and children illegally deported to Russia.

The official PACE transcript from 30 September also records Berro-Amadeï referring to her 15 September Kyiv visit. She said justice and accountability had been prominent in her discussions with Ukrainian authorities and stated that support for Ukraine and accountability for crimes committed in the context of the war remained priorities of both the Council of Europe and Monaco’s presidency.

The European Union has also publicly addressed Monaco’s presidency. In a statement issued following Berro-Amadeï’s July address to the OSCE Permanent Council, the EU welcomed the priorities of the Monegasque presidency, including its emphasis on human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as its commitment to Ukraine and accountability for violations of international law.

Why did Monaco bring the Council of Europe closer to the Principality?

Another part of Berro-Amadeï’s assessment concerns the domestic dimension of the presidency.

In the interview material provided, she said Monaco wanted to improve understanding within the Principality of what the Council of Europe does and why its work matters.

She said events had been organised in Monaco around themes highlighted during the presidency. The stated objective was to make the organisation’s work more visible to the Monegasque population while simultaneously strengthening Monaco’s profile in Strasbourg.

This effort included bringing senior Council of Europe representatives to Monaco.

On 2 September, the Principality hosted the Permanent Representatives of all 46 Council of Europe member states. The meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies took place at Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum rather than at the organisation’s headquarters in Strasbourg. The Council of Europe said the meeting marked the resumption of the Committee’s work following the summer break.

Berro-Amadeï opened the meeting in her capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers, while Gabriel Revel chaired the proceedings.

The event gave Monaco an opportunity to host representatives from across the organisation while its presidency was under way.

What has Monaco’s presidency meant for its relationship with the European human rights system?

The presidency has also coincided with continued engagement between Monaco and the European Court of Human Rights.

On 25 June, Court President Mattias Guyomar visited Monaco and met Berro-Amadeï and other senior Monegasque officials. The European Court said discussions focused on the priorities of Monaco’s presidency, particularly its commitment to the European human rights protection system.

More recently, on 1 October, Prince Albert II visited the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Court said he was accompanied by Berro-Amadeï and Secretary of State for Justice Samuel Vuelta Simon. During the visit, Prince Albert toured court facilities and met members of the Court’s Bureau.

These engagements illustrate the institutional connections between Monaco, the Committee of Ministers and the European Court during the Principality’s presidency.

How has Monaco’s presidency developed since May?

The presidency began formally in May after the end of Moldova’s term.

NEWS.MC, in a report by Ross Povey published on 21 May, reported that Monaco formally launched its presidency in Strasbourg through ceremonies and meetings involving Berro-Amadeï and Revel. The report described the occasion as the Principality’s first leadership of the Committee of Ministers since joining the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe subsequently described Monaco as taking over the presidency with a programme centred on human rights, children’s rights, gender-based violence, sport and international cooperation.

The presidency has therefore involved both work in Strasbourg and diplomatic activity in Monaco and elsewhere.

The September meeting in Monaco and the Kyiv visit were two examples of activity outside the Council of Europe’s Strasbourg headquarters. The presidency has also involved engagement with the Parliamentary Assembly and other institutional bodies.

What does Berro-Amadeï say the presidency could leave behind in Monaco?

Berro-Amadeï’s comments indicate that the legacy she hopes to see is not limited to the Principality’s diplomatic profile.

She said one of the objectives was to improve public understanding of the Council of Europe in Monaco. Her assessment was that the presidency could leave a better awareness of the organisation’s role and the range of subjects it addresses.

That objective has a domestic and international dimension.

Internationally, the presidency has placed Monaco in the chair of an organisation comprising 46 member states. Domestically, it has provided an opportunity to explain the Council of Europe’s work to people in the Principality.

The Council of Europe has itself presented Monaco’s presidency as an opportunity to highlight issues including ethics in sport, children’s rights, gender-based violence and international cooperation on human rights.

For Monaco, the six-month presidency is therefore being used both as an institutional responsibility and as an opportunity to increase awareness of the Principality’s participation in European multilateral structures.

What is the background to Monaco’s Council of Europe presidency?

Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004. Since then, it has participated in the organisation’s institutions, including the Committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly. The Council of Europe has described its 2026 presidency as the first time Monaco has held the rotating chair of the Committee of Ministers.

The presidency runs from 15 May to 10 November 2026. The sequence follows the Council of Europe’s established rotation, with Montenegro scheduled to take over in November.

The role of the presidency is to guide the work of the Committee of Ministers and facilitate discussions among member states. The Council of Europe states that the president acts neutrally and ensures that its rules and guidelines are respected.

For Monaco, the 2026 mandate consequently represents a temporary institutional responsibility rather than a permanent change in its position within the organisation.

How could Monaco’s Council of Europe presidency affect Monegasque residents and European partners?

The immediate effect for Monaco’s population is likely to be greater exposure to the Council of Europe’s work through the events and institutional meetings held during the presidency. Berro-Amadeï specifically identified public understanding of the organisation as one of the presidency’s objectives.

For European partners, the presidency provides another channel through which Monaco can participate in discussions on human rights, democracy, the rule of law, children’s rights, gender-based violence, sport, organised crime and Ukraine. These are already documented priorities of the Monegasque programme.

The longer-term effect will depend on what initiatives continue after the six-month term ends. The Council of Europe presidency will pass to Montenegro in November, but Monaco’s participation in the organisation will continue.