PUBLIC HEARING ON THE REYKJAVIK PARAMETERS FOR DEMOCRACY

 FROM DIAGNOSIS TO ACTION: TOWARDS DEMOCRATIC SECURITY

10 JUNE 2026 (14h30-17:30h)

online

Europe’s security cannot rely on defence alone. The Council of Europe’s contribution to “democratic security” comprises a three-part structure: human rights as the foundation, democracy as the structure and the rule of law as the protective roof that always safeguards the continent. Upholding the rule of law and ensuring human rights is the best protection against totalitarianism and threats to international law and multilateralism.

Building on the Reykjavik Declaration and the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy, the Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) of the Council of Europe developed the Parameters for the Application and Implementation of the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy. The Parameters translate the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy into an operational framework, reflecting existing democratic norms and standards.

The Reykjavik Parameters are an integral part of the New Democratic Pact for Europe.

Designed as indicators of well-functioning democracies, the Parameters offer member states – and other interested actors – a structured framework to identify strengths and vulnerabilities within democratic systems.

What is the purpose of the public hearing?

The Council of Europe wishes to present the Parameters to interested actors ranging from scholars and academics, civil servants and policy makers, civil society organisations, think tanks and other international organisations. We are looking for feedback to promote the use of the Parameters at national level and to engage in discussions on how to transform them into evidence for policy and institutional change to promote democratic security in Europe.

What outcomes are expected?

The Council of Europe is currently working with International IDEA in developing a methodological guide to apply the Parameters in member states. The discussions of the public hearing will directly feed into its preparation.

How can you join the public hearing?

You will need to first register online here before the 8 June, then you will be then able to join the public hearing on 10 June (14h30-17:30h). The link will be shared with registered participants closer to the event’s date. There will be interpretation available in English and French.

DRAFT PROGRAMME

Moderator: Kayhan KARACA, Journalist-Writer Senior European Correspondent, NTV Turkey (Türkiye)

14:30 – 14:45	Welcome by Katrin KIVI, Chair of the CDDEM Introductory remarks by Marja RUOTANEN, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Council of Europe. Remarks by George PAPANDREOU, General Rapporteur on Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (tbc) Remarks by Kevin CASAS ZAMORA, Secretary General of International IDEA (recorded)
14:45 – 15:00	Presentation of the Reykjavík Parameters for Democracy by Katrin KIVI, Chair of the CDDEM – their relevance in the current democratic context
15:00 – 16:00	Critical commentary by experts, followed by Q&A and discussion Question 1: Do the Parameters strike the right balance between principles and practical applicability? Commentary by Paul MAASSEN, Deputy CEO of the Open Government Partnership Q&A Question 2: How can the Parameters be used to identify risks for democratic security? Commentary by Richard YOUNGS, European Partnership for Democracy Q&A Question 3: What is the perspective of member states on the use of the Parameters? Commentary by Hanneke PALM, CDDEM Bureau member Q&A Question 4: How can an accompanying methodological framework support the Parameters practical application? Commentary by Vanessa BOESSE-SCHLOSSER, Berlin Social Science Center Q&A
16:00 – 16:20	Future use of the Reykjavík Parameters – towards pilot implementation by member states. Possible approaches to pilot self-assessments Introduction of the self-assessments by Alexander HUDSON, Senior Adviser of Democracy Assessments, International IDEA
16:20– 16:40	Shaping the definition of democratic security today: the contribution of the Reykjavík Parameters to democratic resilience Presentation and exchange with Natalie SABANADZE, Director of Political Affairs and External Relations (tbc) and Tatiana MONNEY, Head of Unit New Democratic Pact for Europe
16:40 – 17:15	Interactive exchange with participants Invitation to participate in pilot self-assessments
17:15 – 17:30	Key takeaways and closing remarks

SPEAKERS

Katrin Kivi is Ambassador at Large for Human Rights and Migration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia. Katrin Kivi has been part of Estonia’s Foreign Service since 1993, serving in several key diplomatic positions in Europe and Asia.  She was Estonia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark (2011-2015), to the Council of Europe (2015-2019), and to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka (2019-2023) and Singapore (2019-2021). In 2023, she was appointed Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights and Migration, co-chaired the Media Freedom Coalition, and led Estonia’s UN Human Rights Council campaign. In 2024, Katrin became a member of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) and a year later, she was elected Chair of the same Committee.

Marja Routanen has over 35 years of professional experience in several intergovernmental sectors of the Council of Europe, involving standard-setting, monitoring and cooperation, as well as in the Parliamentary Assembly. She has notably worked in the field of legal cooperation, judicial reform, efficiency of justice, minority rights, gender equality and children’s rights, as well as sport.  During her career she provided political advice to the Council of Europe leadership (Director of SG Private Office), led intergovernmental cooperation, developed and implemented multi-disciplinary and multi-annual strategies, as well constructed thematic cooperation platforms with other international organisations. She is currently Presently Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity.

George A. Papandreou George A. Papandreou served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2009 to 2011, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1999-2004) and Minister of Education (1994-1996). He also served as President of the Socialist International the largest global political family, from 2006 to 2022. Throughout his political career, he has promoted democracy, human rights, citizen participation, and multilateral cooperation. As a member of PACE, he has served as Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Democracy and currently serves as General Rapporteur on Democracy.

Kevin Casas-Zamora is the Secretary General of International IDEA. He is also Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue. Casas-Zamora has over 30 years of experience working on democratic governance issues as a public official, academic and international consultant. Previously, he was Costa Rica’s Second Vice President and Minister of National Planning; Secretary for Political Affairs at the Organization of American States; Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and National Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report. He holds a Law degree from the University of Costa Rica, a Masters in Government from the University of Essex, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oxford.

Paul Maassen is Deputy CEO of the Open Government Partnership, where he leads the organization’s global programmatic work, supports fundraising, and represents OGP externally while deputising for the CEO as needed. He focuses on strengthening the global coalition for open government and building strategic partnerships to advance open government principles. Based in Brussels, Paul brings extensive experience in citizen engagement, governance reform, and international development.

Richard Youngs is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe. He is also a professor at the University of Warwick and the College of Europe. He is co-founder and director of the European Democracy Hub, and has authored seventeen books, the most recent of which is Democratic Crossroads: Transformations in Twenty First-Century Politics (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Hanneke Palm is program manager on resilient democracy and rule of law at the ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands since 2024. She has professional experience in the field of the functioning of democracy and rule of law, and the protection of human rights. She was based in Strasbourg from 2018-2023 as deputy to the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands at the Council of Europe.

Vanessa A. Boese-Schlosser is head of the research group "WAVES of Regime Transformation" at WZB Berlin Social Science Center, and a research associate of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project. Her research focuses on the measurement of political institutions, on democratic resilience, on processes of regime transformation (democratization and autocratization) and on how these processes interact with conflict, or socio-economic outcomes.

Alexander Hudson is a Senior Adviser in the Democracy Assessment Unit of International IDEA’s Global Programmes in Stockholm. As part of the team that produces the Global State of Democracy Indices and Global State of Democracy Report, he contributes to data collection, analysis and visualization work. Prior to joining International IDEA he was a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen, Germany. His scientific research has been published in leading peer-reviewed academic journals, edited collections, and as a monograph with Cambridge University Press.

Natalie Sabanadzejoined the Council of Europe as Director of Political Affairs and External Relations on 1 April 2026. She had served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Europe and Russia Programme of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, and held the position of Cyrus Vance Visiting Professor in International Relations at Mount Holyoke College between 2021-2023. Prior to her academic work, she served as head of the Georgian Mission to the EU and Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg since 2013. Between 2005 and 2013, she worked as a senior official at the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. Nathalie Sabanadze holds a D.Phil in Politics and International Relations from Oxford University and an MSc in International Relations from London School of Economics.

Tatiana Monney is the Head of Unit of the New Democratic Pact in the Council of Europe. Tatiana Monney brings 25 years of democracy support, peacebuilding and electoral assistance in the United Nations, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the European Union (EU). Ms. Monney co-edited several publications on Freedom of expression, artificial intelligence and elections of the United Nations Development Programme, on the facilitation of electoral codes of conduct for political parties with International IIDEA in 2017 as well as a FDFA publication on "Elections to Peace in 2019”. She holds a Certificate of Leadership Excellence in Management, and Division of Continuing Education in Harvard and a M.A in Political Science and International Law (Lausanne-Bern).