A reform of the human rights convention is not on Malta's agenda for its term in the presidency of the Council of Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg indicated on Tuesday.

This goes contrary to what the Prime Minister, Robert Abela, had said a few weeks ago when he spoke of an "outdated" convention which needed to be reformed.

Abela was quoted in a Department of Information press release as having told European leaders that Malta will use its presidency of the Council of Europe to put a reform of human rights on the agenda. He repeated the same argument in Parliament a few days later. His comments have been sharply criticised and described as an assault on the European Convention on Human Rights, which this year will celebrate its 75th anniversary.

But this reform was not on the list that Malta presented in February and was neither on the list presented today by Foreign Minister Ian Borg.

The agenda does not directly make mention of human rights reform. It was not on the agenda when it was first unveiled in February, and remained unmentioned as Borg spoke on Tuesday as he discussed Malta's upcoming term. Malta's presidency of the Council of Europe is set to begin on 14 May.

Malta will be pursuing the agenda presented by Borg, which includes fighting against violence and discrimination, combatting human trafficking, combatting hate speech, protecting children, and promoting LGBTIQ+ inclusion. The convention's reform does not form part of the official list presented Tuesday.

When asked if the government has abandoned the idea of a human rights convention reform, Borg replied that when it comes to the European Human Rights Convention, "I spoke of how we look forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary in November". He added that the discussion cannot be had in a vacuum, and that he sees nothing wrong with Prime Ministers and leaders discussing ongoing matters and decisions regarding the challenges of today, such as that of irregular migration.

Visibly uncomfortable as he tried to avoid being in conflict with the PM, and never giving a "yes" or "no" answer, Borg said that he understands that political discussions about the convention will likely continue among the countries within the EU forum, but that the technical people leading committees and conferences will be focused on the priorities mentioned within the agenda.