28/09/2021 | 10:56:48 Thank you President, Well, the Assembly was always characterised by having a diversity of questions, of opinions. I think that these are very welcome, whether they're... I think we're here to listen and to discuss. I want to thank you. First of all, the first question on what we can do about the health systems of member states: this is a huge issue. Let me just say two or three points on this. First of all I think the pandemic definitely showed us the limitations of us working in... 28/09/2021 | 10:45:57 Thank you. First of all about, again, the question on sharing vaccines and COVAX. I just wanted to say that what we're seeing now and we have been working from the beginning with COVAX – and we have one of the great funders of COVAX – in order to ensure that vaccines reach every corner of the globe. I have said this from the beginning, that we're going to continue working on this global dimension. We have now reached over 140 countries through COVAX. We can expect a growth in the... 28/09/2021 | 10:33:20 Thank you so much for all the questions. There's a great deal that we need to discuss. First of all, I want to come to the question placed and the comment by my colleague Mr Stefan SCHENNACH. You are absolutely right that we are seeing across the European Union a diversity, I have already said it, of the rates of vaccinations: we have reached over 73% in the adult population in member states but this is not for all the member states. But we need to address this gap. We need to address the... 28/09/2021 | 10:11:08 Dear President, Madam Secretary General of the Assembly, Assembly Members, colleagues, friends, I am truly delighted to be among you, again, today and I would like to sincerely thank President Rik DAEMS for his kind invitation. Not so long ago, I had the honour of serving as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I cannot but recall the excellent co-operation I had from various posts I served in this Assembly, and as head of the Cyprus delegation, with colleagues... 27/06/2019 | 10:52:59 Thank you. Thank you, Mr President, dear colleagues Ending violence against children is a priority in the UN Sustainable Goals and has been a priority in the different bodies of this organisation. The Parliamentary Assembly has organised campaigns, voted numerous resolutions and recommendations which to a greater or lesser degree have changed the lives of children and protected them from different types of violence. This is why these reports are so very important and I would like to... 26/06/2019 | 10:44:38 Thank you. Thank you Madam President. Dear colleagues I would like to start by thanking the rapporteur for an excellent report. A report that touches on a difficult subject and that has been the centre of a long discussion especially concerning the additional protocol to the Convention of Human Rights and Biomedicine, concerning the protection of human rights and the dignity of persons with mental disorder with respect to involuntary treatment and involuntary placement. Dear colleagues... 25/06/2019 | 16:17:39 Thank you Madam President. Dear colleagues, firstly I would like to congratulate both Rapporteurs in the wonderful work they have done in these two reports. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the President of our Assembly, Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, for embracing the campaign Not in my Parliament and for always using her voice to promote, on every occasion, the need to stop violence against women. As a member of this Assembly I must admit I feel proud because of the commitment... 10/04/2019 | 10:26:13 Politicians undeniably have a vital role to play in combating hate speech and intolerance. We also have a moral role, as our status and visibility allow us to reach a wider audience, and we can influence public discourse through our actions and interventions. In recent years, we have witnessed in Europe a rise in hate speech, xenophobia, homophobia, nationalism, and discrimination against minorities, refugees, migrants, and women. Hate speech dehumanises individuals or groups. It sees them... 09/04/2019 | 18:12:39 I congratulate the rapporteur, Ms Thorhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR, on her important report. The European People’s Party must strongly condemn all forms of gender-based violence in all aspects of life, the world of politics being no exception. The report will help to raise awareness of the fact that many incidents of sexism and harassment affect women in politics, and to turn greater awareness into tangible change. If we do not clearly and decisively address this phenomenon, we will keep sweeping... 11/10/2017 | 12:41:18 Thank you, Mr President, for your comprehensive address and for updating us on the advancement of the reforms in Ukraine. We particularly appreciate your country’s efforts to reform the judiciary, to fight corruption and to guarantee the highest ethical standards, as well as to promote decentralisation. Your views on the way forward for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbass are also very important. For there to be peace, stability and respect for human rights, violence and fighting...