10/09/2013 President
Strasbourg, 10.09.2013 - On the occasion of his visit to the Geneva-based international organisations, Jean-Claude Mignon, President of PACE, urged all member States of the Council of Europe to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected by all sides in the Syrian conflict. He considered the possibility of placing Syria's chemical weapons under international control to be an encouraging step, but that it must be based on a resolution by the United Nations Security Council. The Parliamentary Assembly itself would be holding a debate on the situation in Syria under urgent procedure at its forthcoming session in Strasbourg (30 September-5 October), which in his view should also address the specific concerns raised by the ICRC.
"My discussion partners here in Geneva have unanimously recognised that the Parliamentary Assembly constitutes an important ally in promoting our common values. Reinforced co-operation in matters of joint interest, such as the search for a solution to the conflicts in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, would send a strong signal regarding convergence between the United Nations and the Council of Europe" President Mignon underlined.
He also welcomed the determination shown by all his contacts to enhance synergies so as to reinforce the impact on the ground. In particular, he hailed the procedure for the universal periodic review of human rights compliance by all United Nations member States, while drawing attention to the need for greater complementarity between the various monitoring processes implemented at the Council of Europe and the United Nations. He also said he was in favour of the proposal by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up a data base making it possible to "pool" human rights case-law. Lastly, he voiced his support for the organisation of a joint event with the High Commissioner for Refugees to mark the 60th anniversary of the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons.