12.15. promote the role of civil society, finding ways of involving citizens in decision-making processes and safeguarding freedom of association;

12.16. ensure that the ability to access and impart information is protected, including by guaranteeing an independent and pluralistic media environment;

12.17. tackle socio-economic inequalities, which threaten the democratic stability of our countries and dent citizens’ trust in politics;

12.18. consider, for instance in the framework of the World Forum for Democracy to be held in Strasbourg in November 2023, the ways in which democracy can be strengthened by giving it a firmer foothold at all levels of the State and also by reinforcing it at the transnational level.

13. As regards the role of the Council of Europe, the Assembly recommends that its member States:

13.1. fully subscribe to rules-based multilateralism while striving to further strengthen it, in particular byensuring full compliance with international law and the honouring of the obligations stemming from theconventions to which they are parties;

13.2. ensure that the European multilateral architecture is more responsive and effective in tacklingthe present challenges;

13.3. give fresh impetus and political support to the central role of the Council of Europe as theguardian of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe and as a platform for politicaldialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism;

13.4. support the further development of Council of Europe work in the area of democratic securityand democratic resilience;

13.5. promote all efforts aimed at ensuring accountability for violations of international law byrecognising the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, lifting all jurisdictional limits for theprosecution of the crime of aggression and, when necessary, to ensure full accountability, establishingad hoc tribunals with a narrowly defined jurisdiction, such as a special tribunal for the crime ofaggression against Ukraine;

13.6. encourage the participation of the Council of Europe, as appropriate, in relevant consultationsand negotiations and the provision of concrete expert and technical support for the process of creatingthe special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine;

13.7. enforce the duty to provide compensation to the victim of aggression, including by lawfulconfiscation of State-owned and private-owned assets;

13.8. support the establishment of a comprehensive compensation mechanism as provided by theRiga Declaration of 11 September 2023, including the development of the already-created Register ofDamage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and an internationalcommission for the examination of claims for the damages;

13.9. support the active role of the Council of Europe in promoting reforms of other internationalorganisations to ensure their effective functioning;

13.10. allocate the necessary financial resources to ensure the financial sustainability of the Council ofEurope;

13.11. ensure effective follow up to the Reykjavik Summit of Heads of State and Government of theCouncil of Europe;

13.12. allocate the necessary resources to ensure that the Council of Europe can expand its work onconfidence-building measures to help lay the foundations for long-lasting peace.

14. As regards its own activities, the Assembly should:

14.1. increase its focus on parliamentary diplomacy as a tool to defuse tensions, promote dialogue,reinforce mutual understanding and enhance confidence building and conflict prevention;

14.2. contribute to the Council of Europe’s efforts on early warning in order to address situationswhich risk posing a threat to the rule of law, democratic security and good neighbourly relations;

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