22/04/2026 | 18:15:38 Dear colleagues, I thank the rapporteur for this important report. For the Council of Europe, the abolition of the death penalty is non-negotiable. It is central to our defence of life, dignity and justice that must never become irreversible. Israel’s death penalty law must be condemned in the strongest terms. We oppose capital punishment everywhere, but this case is especially grave: it embeds the death penalty in an apartheid legal order, imposed by an occupying power on an occupied people... 21/04/2026 | 20:38:48 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) I thank Mr Francesco VERDUCCI for this timely report. Freedom of religion or belief is fundamental to democracy. It protects the right to believe, to practise freely, to change religion, or to have no religion at all. But this freedom is hollow if people fear entering a place of worship, wearing a religious symbol, or being judged, excluded, or attacked because of their identity. Since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, antisemitism and... 02/10/2025 | 12:46:33 Dear colleagues, Israel shows no restraint in Gaza: indiscriminate bombings, obstruction of aid, killing of journalists, UN staff, and human rights defenders, alongside relentless expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. This is also a war on truth. International journalists are banned, forcing Palestinian reporters, starving, displaced, grieving, to document their own destruction. Israel killed 246 journalists, often in their homes with their families, deliberately silenced before... 30/09/2025 | 11:52:01 Dear President, Dear colleagues, As a founding member of the Council of Europe, Türkiye remains firmly committed to our shared values: democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, principles enshrined in our constitution and upheld by the judiciary. We welcome constructive criticism as it strengthens democratic institutions. Objective and balanced assessments help reforms; double standards and prejudices, including historic prejudices as we've just heard from several colleagues here today... 30/01/2025 | 17:28:34 Dear Chairwoman, dear colleagues, I have included this recommendation in the resolution in order to support women who undertake childcare, elderly care, disability care, in the absence of enough sufficient, let's say employment opportunities or sufficient childcare infrastructure. So this concerns more the disadvantaged communities, disadvantaged families and supporting them. However, I do also see the point that my colleague Ms Petra BAYR is making, which is relevant in countries which are... 30/01/2025 | 17:19:04 I would like to thank all my colleagues for their constructive and insightful contributions, which demonstrate our shared commitment to gender equality. The discussion has highlighted progress in some areas while reaffirming how much work remains to be done. It has also confirmed the importance of implementing the recommendations in the resolution. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Secretariat, in particular Ms Penelope DENU, for their invaluable support in preparing this... 30/01/2025 | 16:03:59 Dear President, Dear colleagues, According to the World Bank, 2.4 billion women today do not have the same economic rights as men, and “geopolitical tensions and the fragmentation of world trade threaten to roll back decades of advances in women’s economic empowerment”. The OECD reports that 58% of women in OECD member states are employed compared to 73% of men, and only one-third of managerial posts are held by women. Women in full-time work earn 12% less than men, compared to 19% in 1995... 28/01/2025 | 20:01:31 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Dear colleagues, The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is unprecedented, with fastest acceleration into famine, complete destruction of civilian infrastructure, and displacement of 2 million people. A study published in The Lancet estimated that the death toll in Gaza could exceed 186,000, factoring in indirect causes like starvation and lack of healthcare. Mothers in Gaza have buried over 17,000 children, and Gaza now holds the grim record... 01/10/2024 | 20:37:35 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Since we last convened, the situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly due to Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and obstruction of humanitarian aid. The Israeli government has shown no restraint in blatantly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. A study published in The Lancet estimated that the death toll in Gaza could exceed 186,000, factoring in indirect causes like starvation and lack of healthcare. Mothers in Gaza... 27/06/2024 | 20:39:51 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Dear President, Dear Colleagues, Regretfully, the report falls short of keeping an accurate track of historic facts and concentrates mainly on the events of 1974, while omitting to elaborate on the ethnic cleansing campaign perpetrated by the Greek side against the Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974. The events of the 1960s were not just merely “inter-communal clashes or conflicts” as stated in the report. Nearly 30.000 Turkish Cypriots...