20/06/2023 | 16:54:02 Thank you, Madam Chairman. Mr Paul GALLES, rapporteur, Ms Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, The question we are addressing today is undoubtedly of the utmost importance: the challenges the Belarusians are facing in exile. It demands our urgent attention and response. This is why I am delighted that it has been placed on the agenda for our discussions, and - I must say - I am also proud that the rapporteur comes from my parliament and my country. We are about to enter the third year since the... 26/01/2023 | 18:43:43 Thank you, Mister President. Dear Colleagues, I have had the opportunity on several occasions to visit the Republic of Moldova and to devote a little bit of my time to its history. We only need to go back a decade to be able to say that the country has gone through a turbulent period, both politically and socially. A scandal involving several banks in 2014 and the instability in which the country has long been immersed led to a distrust of politicians and state institutions. Further crises... 20/06/2022 | 16:06:44 Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, Our daily life is poisoned and suffers from several evils. Racism and xenophobia are the main obstacles to the proper functioning of our society. It is a phenomenon that tends to normalise hatred towards people based on characteristics of skin colour, nationality or ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation or religion. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – my home country – almost 50% of the residents do not have Luxembourgish nationality. Thanks to a... 25/04/2022 | 19:12:49 Thank you, President. Dear colleagues, In the last few decades we have witnessed an enormous spread of digital culture. Digitalisation has now taken over many areas of life, and its progress is unstoppable. And yet, its evolution is a double-edged sword. While digital culture is a source of enormous opportunities, it can also harm the most vulnerable among us: our children and young people. The expression "The world at your fingertips" aptly describes the current context. More than ever, we... 27/01/2022 | 17:01:12 Thank you, Madam President. "Everything that is dead as fact is alive as teaching." This quote from the famous writer Victor Hugo perfectly reflects the importance of history education in creating an enlightened, transparent and open society. The study of history allows us to discover the origin of our norms and values, to learn from the events of the past. It helps us develop critical thinking skills, encourage respect for others and challenge preconceived notions. History is a flexible... 30/09/2021 | 18:11:56 We now come to the progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee. At its meeting today, the Bureau proposed several references to committees for ratification by the Assembly. A document summarising these references has been distributed: Doc. 15375, Addendum 3. These references must be submitted to the Assembly for ratification under Article 26.3 of the rules. Are there any objections? No? There are not. The references are therefore approved. We must now proceed to vote on the other... 29/09/2021 | 18:27:14 Mr President, Dear colleagues, The accumulation of extreme weather events is already impacting the whole world. However, some regions are affected significantly more than others. Although the developed countries of the West are not immune to natural disasters, the consequences for developing countries are far more devastating. It is often the most vulnerable populations, those who are already in a precarious situation, who are hit hardest by crises. We saw this with the Covid-19 pandemic and... 24/06/2021 | 18:05:41 Mister President, Dear colleagues, At the level of a representative democracy, political parties are the basis of state functioning and, in this context, the spokesperson for the popular will expressed by universal suffrage. To this end, it is crucial that the parties are able to organise themselves independently and that they have at their disposal all the means available in order to be able to compete fairly. In an effort to maintain not only transparency about party funding, but also to... 21/04/2021 | 17:19:26 Thank you, Mister President, after these minor technical problems. Ladies and gentlemen, Despite the serious health crisis that the world is currently experiencing, we must not ignore other health-related problems, first and foremost, of course, the phenomenon of chronic and long-term illnesses. These diseases are not the result of a conscious choice, just as a person does not choose a disability. Everyone has the right to a self-determined life, enabling them to participate in society in all... 27/01/2021 | 10:59:01 Thank you, Chair. Dear Colleagues, Since the development of the very first smallpox vaccine in 1796, vaccines have continued to provide a great service to humanity. They protect us against many viruses and have even succeeded in eradicating certain diseases. Since the appearance of the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, we have all had difficult times. Many of our fellow citizens have experienced fear and distress, fatigue, mental pressure and sadness. The impact of the pandemic on the well-being of our...