30/09/2021 | 11:57:41 Thank you. Dear Deputy Minister, it goes without saying that regional cooperation is a pillar of the European integration process and the Open Balkan Initiative contributes towards the achievement of this goal. And I believe that we could all agree that from Novi Sad, the birthplace of mini Schengen initiative in October 2019, to Skopje in July this year, cradle of the Open Balkan Initiative, with November 2020, when the Sophie action plan for the common regional market was adopted, a new era... 28/09/2021 | 19:50:11 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) I am convinced that we all are against the so-called “honour crimes” and strongly oppose this form of unacceptable behaviour stemming from various traditions, customs or religions perpetrated by family members who do not accept a life choice, a desire for emancipaion etc. of their daughters, sisters, mothers, cousins - their victims. All forms of violence against women (and girls), including those in the name of traditional codes of honour... 28/09/2021 | 19:42:09 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) The right of each and every citizen to be represented in the political decision-making process is one of the basic principles of democracy. An elected body should reflect the political composition of the electorate. As long as women and men do not enjoy the same empowerment, participation, visibility and equal access to resources, we cannot consider human rights to be respected, nor democracy and the rule of law to be achieved. Gender... 28/09/2021 | 16:58:37 Thank you, Minister. Five months after Hungary assumed the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and several thematic conferences organised, could you please summarise your preliminary reflections by analysing best practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives for the further implementation of minority rights? My question is: how to implement the standards enshrined in the Council of Europe documents as an effective remedy to overcome setbacks in the... 23/06/2021 | 16:29:59 Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, At the very beginning, I would like to stress that different electoral systems regulations, should allow for political participation of people belonging to minorities. Thresholds and other measures that could disadvantage minority parties from accessing elected bodies should be changed. The right of each and every citizen to be represented in the political decision-making process is one of the basic principles of democracy. An elected body should... 23/06/2021 | 12:26:15 Thank you, Distinguished Chair, The sad fact is that in every country in the world, women experience sexual, physical and emotional violence. Violence against women is a huge problem, the effects of it are lasting and difficult to overcome. It is a human rights violation which inevitably leads to other violations and therefore makes equal opportunities for women and men impossible to achieve. Domestic violence is a form of gender-based violence, discrimination and denial of equal... 22/06/2021 | 17:00:23 Dear Chair, dear colleagues, First of all, of course I wish to congratulate Mr Andrej HUNKO for this report. It draws attention to the socio-economic dimension of the crisis induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and points out that its effects have been aggravated due to structural weaknesses that already existed within our societies. The Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination welcomes the recognition that inclusive and sustainable development must be at the heart of all recovery efforts... 19/04/2021 | 19:43:03 Thank you, distinguished Chair, dear colleagues. Thank you for this really constructive debate and all of the nice and not so nice words I heard during this debate. First of all, I would like to focus on the fact that about 340 indigenous national minorities live and operate in 47 European countries, which is more than 100 million people. That means that every seventh inhabitants of the continent is a member of a national minority or an ethnic group. This report is about them. I understand... 19/04/2021 | 17:41:59 Distinguished Chair, Dear colleagues, 23 years after the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities entered into force, give us the opportunity to go back to fundamentals: to human dignity, inclusion, respect and recognition of minority rights in a changing environment, and to examine how an understanding of equality and non-discrimination may interact with the overall minority discourse. Minorities enrich the societies of each and every country in the world. By working... 26/06/2019 | 10:25:10 Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, We all know people who are affected by mental health issues. Yet, mental illness is still surrounded by stigma and stereotypes and people with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities are still subjected to treatment and attention without their consent. I would like, first of all, to congratulate Madam Rapporteur for really her excellent work and excellent analysis of this paradigm. She has shown the harmful effects of an approach to...