José Pedro Aguiar-Branco spoke in the Senate Hall of the Assembly of the Republic, at the award ceremony of the Council of Europe's 2023 North-South Prize to Moroccan human rights activist Amina Bouayach and to the Global Campus of Human Rights university network - a session chaired by the Head of State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

In his brief speech, the President of the Assembly of the Republic advocated that democracy and human rights "are values that matter both in the North and in the South" of the world.

"Moreover, they are values that unite the North and the South. The North-South Prize awarded today, in the form of a sphere and not two half spheres, symbolises this union around these values. A union that becomes even more important when we are experiencing a time of new and great global challenges, for which it is important to find answers", he pointed out.

The President of the Assembly of the Republic then alluded to theses according to which we are moving towards "a new world order, that is, a time when the world is undergoing significant change".

In this context, he quoted part of a sonnet by Camões: "Times change, wills change; being changes, trust changes; the whole world is made up of change, always taking on new qualities".

Then, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco left the following message: "Let us know, without losing the achievements of democracy and human rights, how to navigate the waters of change with confidence".

The Council of Europe's North-South Prize annually distinguishes two personalities or organisations for their commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, seeking to contribute to North-South dialogue, foster solidarity, independence and partnerships.

The Council of Europe is an international organisation for the promotion of human rights, founded on 5 May 1949, with 47 member states, including all countries of the European Union.

The Council of Europe's 2023 North-South Prize is awarded to Amina Bouayach for her commitment to promoting human rights, gender equality and the prevention of torture at regional and continental level. The prize also aims to recognise Amina Bouayach's involvement in the political advocacy for the abolition of the death penalty, as well as her work to strengthen civil society structures in the Mediterranean region and North-South cooperation based on common democratic values.

The Prize is also awarded to the Global Campus of Human Rights, in recognition of the work developed to ensure accessible and quality education in human rights and foster North-South dialogue within a community of academics, students, lawyers and experts, supporting universal Human Rights and democratic values.

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