In his report presented to the ministers today, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset stresses that “the strategic importance of social rights, health, education, and institutional trust has for too long been underestimated and dismissed as ‘soft security’. But that distinction, he argues, belongs to the last century. It no longer fits the Europe we live in”. “Real security begins with institutions people can trust and democracies resilient enough to withstand pressure”, he underlines. The report provides a state of play of the New Democratic Pact for Europe, the strategic and political process launched by the Secretary General in 2025 “to identify integrated responses to democratic backsliding and to renew democratic governance across Europe”. During the pact’s first phase, running until December 2026, an extensive consultation process is underway. The Secretary General’s 2026 annual report is structured around six chapters: Countering information manipulation, disinformation, and strengthening resilience; Promoting social rights as a factor of democratic resilience; Defending equal rights and promoting gender equality and inclusion; Safeguarding elections and democratic processes; Inclusive participation, civic space and fundamental freedoms; Positive use of digital technology and artificial intelligence, including countering cyber-enabled threats.