30/01/2025 | 10:36:57 Thank you, dear Chair. Firstly, I would like to thank the rapporteur for this important opinion. This draft convention is very well needed, taking into account the increasing attacks targeting lawyers. Dear colleagues, Let me focus on an important point: this convention contains no specific provisions on the use of secret surveillance, including spyware such as Pegasus, against lawyers. And the contradiction between Article 6.3 (b), which obliges confidential communications with the clients... 27/01/2025 | 16:09:13 Thank you, Chair. Dear Minister, this year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the European Convention of Human Rights. And two years ago, our member states committed to the Reykjavík Declaration, the Reykjavík Principles. But we are facing dark times littered by arrogance, oppression, cynicism instead of diplomacy, tolerance, dialogue, respect for rule of law and human rights. We, the Council of Europe, are witnessing how apparent democracies, such as Trump's administration, are threatening... 03/10/2024 | 17:24:49 I would like to thank the rapporteur, he's not here, but anyway, for such an important report. While supporting its proposals, I would like to highlight some challenges. Addressing hunger and malnutrition requires a strategy that focuses on human rights and government accountability. We agree with the rapporteur that anchoring the right to nutritious food and access to drinking water in our national constitution is a logical goal to pursue. However, this report leaves out the elephant in the... 03/10/2024 | 16:21:45 Thank you, Chair, and thank you, dear rapporteur, because their report underscores the vulnerability of LBQ women to anti-gender movements and the need for inclusive policies and legal protections. Rightly so, due to alarming trends worldwide. Furthermore, the varying societal attitudes towards gender identity and sexual orientation in different countries are also a cause of concern. While some regions have made significant progress in recognising gender identity, others remain highly... 02/10/2024 | 12:23:53 Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Last year, the Ministry of Interior of Lithuania designated thousands of Belarusian and Russian citizens as a threat to national security based on their views on the Russian aggression. As a result, many of them were refused asylum, visas, or residence permits and live in precarious situations facing violence, no access to work or health care and risk of being pushed back. And this includes people from opposition and activists. And this is my point. I would like... 02/10/2024 | 10:51:27 Thank you, Chair, colleagues, Every day we make choices that set the course of the daily lives and human rights of millions of citizens. Since I am here, I seek to do this duty with diligence and in good conscience, because, after all, if we, as the guardians of the European Convention, do not choose to secure human rights, who else will? There are a number of important areas covered in this excellent report, including transnational repression, extraterritorial application of US laws... 27/06/2024 | 19:55:07 Thank you, Chair. Are constitutional courts censoring parliamentarians' debate is a threat to freedom of expression. Do you think that parliamentary debates like the one we are having here can be prohibited by the courts? No, they shouldn't. And they should not because the limitations of debates in the parliament affect freedom of expression and parliamentary immunity. They affect Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights, because actions with political content, legislative... 27/06/2024 | 11:35:05 Thank you. Thank you, Chair. First, let me, on behalf of our group, convey our gratitude to the rapporteur for this resolution. We strongly support what the report emphasises. That is to say, the necessity for reinforced international solidarity and increased support for refugees and the internally displaced persons within Ukraine. This aggression, this war, has reinforced inequalities and suffering among the vulnerable Ukrainian population. This is why European countries and other... 18/04/2024 | 19:17:16 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, Staying silent in the face of a genocide is equivalent to backing the perpetrators. That is why I really think this current affairs debate is so needed. We are a human rights organisation, and Israel and Palestine are both linked. We, as the Council of Europe can and must play a more active role in the protection of the human rights in Gaza and in Palestine. Dear colleagues, it is in hard times when it is more necessary to contribute through the aspirations... 16/04/2024 | 20:08:49 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Thank you chair, First, let me congratulate the different rapporteurs for this report. We, the Republican Left of Catalonia, defend the recognition of the independence of Kosovo, and urge its recognition both by the Spanish State but also by all other members that have not yet done so. Further, we support the integration of all Balkan States into the European Union. We think that the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a...