18/12/2015 Session
Europe's migration and refugee crisis and international terrorism will take centre-stage at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 25-29 January 2016).
The migration crisis will be addressed with reports on "The Mediterranean Sea: a front door to irregular migration" and on "Organised crime and migrants".
With regard to international terrorism, reports on "Foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq" and "Combating international terrorism while protecting Council of Europe standards and values" will be the focus of discussions.
The Assembly will also elect its President for a one-year term, renewable once.
Among the other items on the agenda are reports on "Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan" and on "Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water". The situation in Kosovo* and the role of the Council of Europe will be debated as well.
Parliamentarians will also be called upon to decide whether to grant the request for partner for democracy status with the Parliamentary Assembly submitted by the Parliament of Jordan.
Among the prominent figures who will be addressing the Assembly (to be confirmed) are the President of Bulgaria Rossen Plevneliev and the Captains Regent of San Marino Lorella Stefanelli and Nicola Renzi.
Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, will address the Assembly in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland will make his annual statement.
* All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
***
The final agenda is decided by the Assembly on the opening day of the session.