01/10/2026 | 11:32:26 Mr President, Climate change is a human rights issue which also leads to rising healthcare costs. We must prepare for climate change across all sectors. Europe is ablaze. Fires are spreading through parched forests. Agriculture has suffered severely. The water level of the Danube has fallen so low that mammoth bones have been discovered in its riverbed. Record-breaking heatwaves in Europe, combined with the El Niño phenomenon, offer a foretaste of the reality that awaits us within a decade... 30/09/2026 | 19:28:24 Madam President of Finland, ladies and gentlemen, Rigged elections for a rigged parliament. The conclusion is clear: the so-called ‘elections’ to the State Duma did not meet international democratic standards, and their results cannot be regarded as a genuine expression of the will of the Russian people. These are rigged elections that will give rise to a rigged parliament. Any vote held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine constitutes a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s... 24/06/2026 | 11:41:41 Thank you, Madam Chair. And above all, thank you, Minister, for your excellent speech. Estonia is a model country when it comes to the development of e-services in public administration. Artificial intelligence is transforming the world at breakneck speed, both in our daily lives and in warfare. The development of AI systems requires particular attention to respect for human dignity, transparency and accountability. It is essential to conduct a comprehensive review of the need to regulate the... 23/04/2026 | 10:52:39 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Dear colleagues, Today, we are addressing a very important issue. Right from the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, this Assembly demanded that a Special Tribunal be set up to ensure the responsibility of the aggressor. I am proud that this Organisation acted with conviction when other organisations could not. In just a few years, the Council of Europe has created an accountability mechanism based on our values and our fight against impunity. Our... 21/04/2026 | 10:28:00 Thank you, Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, Democracy is being undermined in Europe in an unprecedented way. Politicians at all levels of government and from all political backgrounds can be victims of violence: candidates, party members, elected representatives and political decision-makers holding institutional office. As we have already heard today, their relatives and associates are also often affected. Politicians who are victims of violence may feel compelled to modify their behaviour... 29/01/2025 | 17:45:51 Mister Chairman, Dear colleagues, I come from Finland, and for us, as for almost everyone else in Europe, free and democratic elections are the basis of all social activity, like most of Europe. Finland was the first country in Europe to grant universal and equal voting rights to women, and the first country in the world to allow women to stand for election. This had already happened in 1906. Now I'm concerned about the state of democracy in many parts of Europe. The parliamentary elections... 28/01/2025 | 19:51:23 Madam President, congratulations. Dear colleagues, It seems clear that the private military and security companies (PMSC) sector is marked by a significant regulatory vacuum. Despite their capacity to seriously undermine human rights and democracy and erode the rule of law PMSCs are only subject to soft law or voluntary self-regulation. However, it should be stressed that PMSCs can also pursue important objectives. They provide much-needed expertise and resources to humanitarian and... 03/10/2024 | 10:37:10 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Dear colleagues, Several countries and the European Parliament have already recognised the Holodomor as genocide in Ukraine and as part of the Soviet Union's efforts to crush Ukraine as a cultural and ethnic entity in 1932 and 1933. Recognition of the Holodomor, a man-made famine, as genocide was widely raised in discussions on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, in the midst of the war, following Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The UN... 02/10/2024 | 10:29:47 Madam Chairman, Dear colleagues, First of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Ms Thórhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR, for her commendable work. In an age of fake news and alternative realities, the ability to read and assess sources critically is vital. In Europe and around the world, the importance of press freedom and freedom of expression is emphasised because of the threats it faces. The media and journalists have their share of responsibility in combating the spread of propaganda. For... 28/06/2024 | 10:49:14 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Dear colleagues, Today's political decisions will have a lasting impact on future generations and respect for their human rights. Intergenerational equity must be a guiding principle in all decisions involving children and young people, and the generations who will inherit the planet. We need an integrated approach that takes account of environmental concerns as well as economic, social and cultural development. A sustainable world doesn't just mean meeting the...