24/04/2026 Session
Addresses by the Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović and France’s Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot were among highlights of the spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which took place in Strasbourg on 20-24 April 2026.
The Assembly adopted an opinion on the draft additional protocol to the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism.
Current affairs debates were be held on "The need for the respect of international law, peace and stability in the broader Middle East" and on "Accountability and justice: a call to step up efforts for the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine".
Other highlights included debates on violence and hate speech against politicians, on protecting freedom of religion and belief in Europe and on the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances, with the participation of Antoinette Chahine, a human rights defender and former death-row prisoner, and Barbara Lochbihler, Commissioner at the International Commission against the Death Penalty.
There was a joint debate on improving the implementation of the Istanbul Convention – the Council of Europe treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women – by building on lessons learnt, and on paving the way for a culture of consent, with the participation of Spain’s Equality Minister Ana Redondo.
There was also be a ceremony to award the 2026 Council of Europe Museum Prize to the Young V&A in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s branch for children, young people and families.
Mihai Popşoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, presented the work of the Committee of Ministers – the Council of Europe’s executive body – to the Assembly and took questions from members.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset held his usual question time, and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty presented his 2025 annual activity report.
Other debates on the agenda included tracking the proceeds of the crime denounced by Sergei Magnitsky, countering social dumping and labour exploitation, and the effective enforcement of copyright.
The Assembly also discussed the procedure for electing judges to the European Court of Human Rights, and debated its observation of the early elections to the Assembly of Kosovo*.
The Assembly also launched its new Instagram account on the eve of the session.
Agenda
Session web page
The powers of the Assembly
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Practical information
PACE website: the agenda, adopted texts, reports to be debated, voting results, speakers lists and the verbatim record of each sitting (in English, French, German and Italian) are available on the special session page. News items on all debates appear on the Assembly’s home page.
Social media: follow the Assembly’s official accounts via Instagram, Bluesky, X, Facebook and LinkedIn (#PACEspring2026).
Video recording: sittings can be downloaded in full from the Multimedia page, while clips can be edited and downloaded via this online tool.
Photos: photos from session week can be downloaded from the Council of Europe media library or via the Assembly’s Flickr account.
Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93, [email protected]
* Throughout this text, all reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.