20/04/2021 | 12:09:40 Thank you Mr President. I want to begin just by condemning the antics of Mr Oleksii GONCHARENKO earlier in this debate. The last thing we need is a return to the politics of the 1930s. I want to offer my full support for this excellent report and congratulate rapporteur Mr Tiny KOX. The resolution sets out key priority issues that are of strategic importance to the Council of Europe and that deserves careful consideration by every delegate attending this Assembly. In the short time available... 28/01/2021 | 12:31:15 Good morning chairperson, good morning colleagues, I want to begin by warmly welcoming this resolution and commending the rapporteur. The creeping menace of racism and xenophobia is already stalking many parts of Europe. Tackling ethnic profiling is one concrete action that every country can and should make to combat prejudice and racial discrimination. Racial or ethnic profiling and policing has been defined as the use by the police with no objective and reasonable justification of grounds... 26/01/2021 | 11:34:24 Thank you chair. On behalf of the United European Left I want to welcome this report. Access to justice before independent and impartial courts is essential to the rule of law in any country and is one of the core values of the Council of Europe. I believe there is a fundamental difference between the two states named in this report: in Moldova there have been efforts to support moves towards a more independent judiciary; this is acknowledged in this report which nevertheless underlines the... 26/01/2021 | 10:01:30 Thank you, chair. I want to begin by commending the rapporteur and offering my full support for this very important report. I want too, like so many colleagues, to also highlight the case of Mr Selahattin Demirtaş and Mr Kavala in Turkey. And I echo the calls of my group leader that if Turkey does not act on these cases that we must take immediate further action. It's entirely unacceptable and an affront to the human rights principles of this organisation. Chair, I also want to speak about my... 04/10/2019 | 12:05:18 Hi there. Thank you, Chairperson. Two years ago this week, on 1 October 2017, against massive provocation of the Spanish State, a referendum was held on Catalan independence. Millions of Catalans came out to vote and to democratically decide their future. It should have been a triumph for democracy, no matter what the result was. Sadly, the world witnessed shocking scenes of Spanish police brutality in various parts of Catalonia that day. Peaceful citizens who were protecting the integrity of... 03/10/2019 | 18:35:04 Thank you very much. I want to welcome this report and offer my support to the draft resolution. I'm very conscious of the fact that before I came into the Chamber I was watching reports of the extra-tropical storm lashing the west coast of my country, Ireland, the second one we've had in the last two years — something that would have been unheard of, frankly, and until this current decade. Climate change is the defining challenge of our generation. The next 11 years will be instrumental in... 01/10/2019 | 10:23:22 On behalf of the United European Left I want to warmly welcome this report and resolution and congratulate the rapporteur. Whistle-blowers play an essential role in any open and transparent democracy. They need to be given recognition and protection in law. This is a matter of fundamental rights. We need responsible citizens to disclose serious failings in the public interest if they come across them within government or the private sector. They need to do this without fear or repercussion... 27/06/2019 | 10:46:56 Thank you Chairperson. On behalf of the United European Left I want to commend the authors of these two excellent reports and fully endorse their recommendations. We are aware of the deep humanitarian crises that war, imperialism, poverty, inequality, persecutions and climate change are causing across the world. Many of the refugees and migrants that have come to Europe in recent times seeking sanctuary and a better life are children. Many of them are unaccompanied. They are at a severe risk... 26/06/2019 | 19:01:10 Thank you. God, I want to begin, first of all, by acknowledging the rapporteur, Mr OMTZIGT. We come from different political traditions. This is an excellent report, and I've been quite taken aback by the attempted defense, a few minutes ago, by my colleague from Malta. And, indeed, the comments from my colleague from Azerbaijan — I know what happens to journalists in Azerbaijan —. Daphne Galizia was Malta's leading investigative journalist. She was fearless in her work, and she uncovered... 25/06/2019 | 16:42:27 Thanks indeed, Madam Chairperson. I want to begin by complimenting both Rapporteurs for their fine reports, and also by disassociating myself entirely with the remarks of the second last speaker. This year's International Women's Day marked Ireland's ratification of the Istanbul Convention. It is thanks to the campaigning efforts of women and girls who have experienced domestic violence, and those who advocate on their behalf, that we have reached this milestone. It's really disappointing...