7. The Assembly believes that the Council of Europe should develop additional tools to promotedemocratic security, namely a common democratic security policy which would aim at intensifying the effortsof the Council of Europe in protecting and strengthening international security. The policy should ensure acomprehensive use of early warning and confidence-building measures, improve policy making, strengthenaccountability and prevent future conflicts. This policy should be elaborated and implemented within the legaland political mandate of the Council of Europe, in complementarity with the activities of the other internationalorganisations competent in this field.

8. The Assembly strongly advises member States to refrain from initiating official interactions with thegovernments of both the Russian Federation and Belarus, particularly in the realm of diplomatic appointments.

9. The Assembly should fully use its high potential to contribute to the reform of the global securityarchitecture, as its good functioning will have a direct impact on the democratic security of Council of Europemember States. In doing so, the Assembly should promote co-ordination and co-operation between theCouncil of Europe and other international organisations.

10. The Assembly also underscores the importance of the complementary joint procedure, enabling theCouncil of Europe’s statutory organs to take action together in case of a blatant violation by a member Stateof its obligations under the Statute.

11. In addition, the Assembly underlines the role of national parliaments in fulfilling their key function touphold representative democracy in Europe, to reflect and advise on the best ways in which moderndemocracies might advance and democratic security be preserved.

12. In light of these considerations, as regards democratic security and democratic resilience, the Assemblyrecommends that Council of Europe member States:

12.1. ensure adherence to the rule of law and to fundamental rights and freedoms, so as to build trust in public institutions in every member State;

12.2. engage in a dialogue on the state of democracy in Europe, so as to consolidate the Council of Europe’s role as the guardian of democracy throughout greater Europe;

12.3. consider the ways in which public debate can be organised in member States in order to raise awareness about democratic security and to explore ways to strengthen democratic resilience;

12.4. prioritise good neighbourly relations, and commit to resolving disputes and disagreements through dialogue and diplomacy;

12.5. give priority to the use of early warning and confidence-building measures;

12.6. commit to peaceful settlement of disputes by recognising as compulsory the jurisdiction of international tribunals, strengthening their capacities and streamlining their procedures;

12.7. ensure early access of decision makers to international legal expertise to guide national policies;

12.8. intensify co-operation with the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and support its activities;

12.9. support cross-border co-operation and other efforts to defuse tensions and promote understanding at the local level, including with and among civil society;

12.10. promote multilateral dialogue and contribute to the formation of uniform positions of different international organisations which will pave the way to build a strong and unified response to violations of international law;

12.11. start a dialogue on consolidating member States’ positions on reforming crucial security institutions, in particular the United Nations Security Council, and pursue an active and concerted policy to initiate change;

12.12. invest in all aspects of a comprehensive security approach, including deep/soft security, human security, and democratic resilience;

12.13. recognise that the notion of security is closely intertwined with numerous challenges, such as energy dependence and climate change;

12.14. safeguard their societies from attacks on the good functioning of democracy, including disinformation and misinformation, and particularly from internal or external attempts to undermine, or interfere in, electoral processes;

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