The course opened by Minister Albares focuses on the 1978 Constitution – the longest-standing constitution in our history – and how it is faring in the face of contemporary challenges to its effective protection.
During the opening ceremony, Mr Albares recalled the importance of the 1978 Constitution at the time of its adoption, during a period when society was demanding structural transformation of the country. The Minister also emphasised the Constitution’s current importance in a complex international context, which poses challenges for human rights and multilateralism. In this regard, Minister Albares emphasised that the values enshrined in the Spanish Constitution are essential and that defending the Constitution involves protecting and promoting those values, expanding rights and improving people’s quality of life.
Furthermore, continuing to defend a rules-based international order and standing up for human rights represents, in the Minister’s words, the cornerstone of Spain’s foreign policy and guides the principles underpinning the day-to-day work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The course will feature a number of presentations and panel discussions over the course of its two days. Speakers will include judges, prosecutors, university lecturers, representatives of NGOs and institutions involved in the defence and promotion of human rights, as well as the Director of the Office of Human Rights. The Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Relations with Parliament, Félix Bolaños, will close the course.
UCM Summer Courses
The Summer Courses at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) were launched in 1988 and are held in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a location chosen for its symbolic significance as a place of encounter and reconciliation during the consolidation of Spanish democracy. The courses have established themselves as an important forum for intellectual and political debate, attracting an ever-growing number of participants and incorporating practical workshops.
They have also become an international benchmark for university students and the general public, promoting the exchange of ideas amongst scientists, politicians, economists, writers, journalists, trade unionists and artists.
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