On 24 June, the President of the ECHR, Mattias Guyomar, addressed the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). His speech focused on the three priorities of his three-year mandate: efficiency, visibility, and responsibility—all framed under the principle of shared responsibility, with the Court working with national authorities and the courts of the 46 Council of Europe member States.

Recognising today’s global context and the challenges facing the Council of Europe and the Convention system, President Guyomar stressed that the Court’s role embodies the principle of separation of powers—grounded in balance and complementarity among the three branches of power. He also highlighted the fundamental role judges play in supporting and protecting democracy, describing them as bulwarks against arbitrariness, guarantors of pluralism, and guardians of human rights for all.

• Speech by President Mattias Guyomar (in French only)