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Mr Damien COTTIER (Switzerland, ALDE)

Mandates

In the political groups

  • Member: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe since 27/01/2020

In the Assembly

  • since 24/01/2022 Representative - Switzerland
  • from 27/01/2020 to 24/01/2022 Substitute - Switzerland

In the committee(s) and sub-committee(s)

  • Full Member: Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (since 19/06/2023)
  • Chairperson: Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (since 25/01/2022)
  • Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights: Bureau of the Assembly (since 25/01/2022)
  • Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights: Standing Committee (since 25/01/2022)
  • Ex officio (Rule 44.1 of the Rules of Procedure): Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) (since 25/01/2022)
  • Ex officio (Rule 44.1 of the Rules of Procedure): Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (since 25/01/2022)
  • Chairperson of national delegation: Standing Committee (since 24/01/2022)
  • First Vice-Chairperson: Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (from 28/09/2021 to 23/01/2022)
  • Member: Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs (since 25/01/2021)
  • Member: Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) (since 26/06/2020)
  • Full Member: Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons (from 27/01/2020 to 24/04/2022)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on Democracy (since 22/06/2023)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on Refugee and Migrant Children and Young People (from 27/04/2022 to 18/06/2023)
  • Ex officio: Sub-Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights (since 26/01/2022)
  • Ex officio: Sub-Committee on Human Rights (since 24/01/2022)
  • Ex officio: Sub-Committee on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (since 24/01/2022)
  • Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights: Sub-Committee on Conflicts concerning Council of Europe Member States (since 24/01/2022)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights (since 22/03/2021)
  • Vice-Chairperson: Sub-Committee on Refugee and Migrant Children and Young People (from 12/03/2021 to 27/09/2021)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on Refugee and Migrant Children and Young People (from 30/01/2020 to 24/04/2022)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights (from 28/01/2020 to 24/01/2021)
  • Alternate of Mr Hannes GERMANN (Full Member): Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (since 27/01/2020)
  • Alternate of Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ (Full Member): Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons (from 25/04/2022 to 18/06/2023)
  • Alternate of Mr Hannes GERMANN (Full Member): Sub-Committee on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (since 22/03/2021)
  • Alternate of Ms Marianne MARET (Full Member): Sub-Committee on External Relations (since 22/06/2023)
  • Alternate of Mr Hannes GERMANN (Full Member): Sub-Committee on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (from 11/09/2020 to 24/01/2021)
  • Alternate of Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ (Full Member): Sub-Committee on Diasporas and Integration (from 26/01/2021 to 18/06/2023)
  • Alternate of Mr Charles JUILLARD (Full Member): Sub-Committee on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (from 28/01/2020 to 10/09/2020)

Interventions

Last speeches

21/06/2023 | 19:56:26 Yes, that's right, Madam President, thank you. Madam Chair, The Committee has given its unanimous support to the rapporteur's precise and balanced work. As we have seen today, the issues dealt with in this report are the subject of lively discussion in the United Kingdom, which we know to be an ancient, vibrant and exemplary democracy. These discussions relate as much to the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights, which it seems may not be adopted, as to the Illegal Immigration Bill. It is... 19/06/2023 | 15:37:53 Thank you, Mister Chairman. When I arrived at the Council of Europe, people who had been there longer than I had said to me: "Observing elections is one of the best things we do in this institution, one of the most useful things." "One of", I emphasise, of course; there are many others. It was true. The Council of Europe was wondering about the impact of the current crises in our world. On the subject of election observation, and as chairman of the Swiss delegation, I would like to thank the... 25/04/2023 | 18:36:51 The rapporteur said it clearly and subtly in his report: there is no hierarchy between the different texts. It is a Swiss person who is telling you this, one of the few countries in which, in reality, there is a hierarchy, since we place the convention above our own constitution, but this is an exception. There are few of them and, in most countries, there is not a system of hierarchy but rather of co-habitation between the national constitution or the constitutional texts, the convention and... 24/04/2023 | 15:58:03 Thank you, Mister President. You are right, Mister President: this is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, but it is true that it is also special for me, as a representative of Switzerland, to speak here in this house which is the house of the European Parliament. I believe that this shows, finally, that all the countries represented here are fighting for the same values: the values of the rule of law, democracy and human rights which are the foundation of our institution. The... 27/01/2023 | 10:46:39 Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I would like to thank all those from the political groups who support this report and who have made compliments. Mr FRIDEZ, you said "thank you, Damien COTTIER", but you should say "thank you, Fabien GOUTTEFARDE", and you should say "thank you, Günter SCHIRMER" to thank the secretariat support. This is really where the work has been done. I believe that Mr Vladimir VARDANYAN is right when he says that we will not be able to stop this technology and that...

Activities