Židan heads the Slovenian delegation at the conference, which also includes Andrej Šircelj of the opposition Democrats (SDS), who heads the National Assembly's permanent delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE.

Židan described the CoE, which unites 47 European countries and celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, as a "pan-European guardian of the rule of law, human rights and democracy".

In a way, CoE membership is a preparation for EU accession, he said, adding the organisation was especially important in the face of growing populism and violations of democratic values.

The speaker is holding several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference. He met the president of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, Liliane Maury Pasquier, which whom he discussed ethical standards in the parliaments of CoE member states.

Židan said he had told Maury Pasquier that Slovenia was introducing the first code of ethics of MPs although some rules were already incorporated in the MPs act and the integrity act.

The pair also greed that Slovenia will set up an exhibition presenting the Slovenian Constitution in comics at the Parliamentary Assembly ahead of its next session scheduled for June.

"We are the only ones to have our constitution presented in comics in a bid to bring it closer to youth and others. The MPs here found this so interesting that we agreed to present it wider," Židan said.

The Constitution in Comic Strip by Zoran Smiljanić was part of a joint project of the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution in 2011.

Židan will address the CoE conference later in the afternoon, stressing the role of the CoE and the Parliamentary Assembly for the protection of the rule of law, human rights and democracy.

"A lot remains to be done before we come closer to the implementation of these values and even then we will realise that it is actually the path that matters and that the goal will never be reached."

He will also make a case for mulitilateralism. "Only together can we tackle the joint, global issues. Only thus can we be efficient," he said.