18/11/2013 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 18.11.2013 – President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority has requested the continuation of the Palestinian National Council’s ‘Partner for democracy’ status with PACE, after its forthcoming evaluation in January 2014.
Mr Abbas made the request to PACE rapporteur Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL) who is ending a three-day visit to Palestine (14-16 November), during which the rapporteur also met with the Prime Minister, as well as the Interior, Justice, Prisoners’ Affairs, Womens’ Affairs and Agriculture Ministers, among others.
Mr Kox was told in a meeting with members of the Palestinian National Council that all factions, Hamas included, would pledge for a continuation and an intensification of the partnership, which began in October 2011. Under its terms, a six-member Palestinian delegation is able to take part in the Assembly’s activities but must also commit to working towards Council of Europe values.
President Abbas praised European support for statehood-building in Palestine. He asked Europe to be “not only a major payer but also a major player” in the development of Palestinian institutions and in helping to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mr Kox said the president praised the decision of the European Union – to which 28 of the 47 Council of Europe member states belong – to begin, from 2014, labelling products which come from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. According to the president, this has nothing to do with a boycott of Israeli products but is a measure in line with Europe’s position on the illegality of these settlements.
The PACE rapporteur also met with the Chief Justice, the Palestinian Human Rights Commissioner, the Heads of the Central Election Commission, the Anti-Corruption Organisation and the National Audit Bureau. In Jerusalem he was briefed by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and he also met with representatives of civil society, human rights organisations and the Palestinian media.