21/03/2018 Session
At its spring session (Strasbourg, 23-27 April), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will look at states of emergency and derogations from the European Convention on Human Rights.
It will also discuss fighting organised crime through the confiscation of illegal assets, the funding of the terrorist group Daesh, as well the legal challenges and human rights obligations of hybrid war. A joint debate will address the issues of protecting editorial integrity and the status of journalists.
The Council of Europe’s role in Libya and a report on the humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons are also on the agenda, as is a report on climate change and implementation of the Paris Agreement.
There have been requests for urgent debates on “Rising anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and xenophobia in Europe: a threat to European values”; "Member States' respect for international rules-based agreements and principles in the context of the interventions by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and most recently in the United Kingdom and of a further recent transgression of international law by the regime in Syria and its sponsors"; and on "Follow-up of the report of the Independent Investigation Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly", and for current affairs debates on "The Copenhagen Declaration, appreciation and follow-up", on “Illegal elections of the President of the Russian Federation on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea: a human rights violation” as well as on "Europe´s Role in Peace Making Initiative in Syria".
The Foreign Minister of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” will address the Assembly and answer questions. PACE members will also hold an exchange of views with the Secretary General of the Organisation and the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers.
The Assembly will decide its final agenda on the opening day of the session.
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On Sunday 22 April, the Independent External Investigation Body looking into allegations of corruption in PACE will present its report to the Bureau of the Assembly (in camera). At the end of the meeting, at 7 p.m. at the latest, this report will be made public on the PACE website.
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Monday 23 April
• Statement by the PACE President, Michele Nicoletti
• Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee
• Free debate
Tuesday 24 April
• Election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Montenegro
• State of emergency: proportionality issues concerning derogations under Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights
• Address by Nikola Dimitrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of “the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia”
• Question time with Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
• Climate change and implementation of the Paris Agreement
• Funding of the terrorist group Daesh: lessons learned
Wednesday 25 April
• [Possible 2nd round] election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Montenegro
• Communication from the Committee of Ministers presented by Anders Samuelsen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers
• Joint debate on
- The protection of editorial integrity
- The status of journalists in Europe
• Humanitarian needs and rights of internally displaced persons in Europe and statement by: Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons
• The situation in Libya: prospects and role of the Council of Europe
Thursday 26 April
• [Possible] Debate under urgent procedure or current affairs debate
• Legal challenges related to hybrid war and human rights obligations
• Fighting organised crime by facilitating the confiscation of illegal assets
Friday 27 April
• Drug-resistant tuberculosis in Europe
• Integration, empowerment and protection of migrant children through compulsory
education
• Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee (continued)
Practical information
Livestreams: plenary session and press conferences
Videos: can be downloaded for free in broadcast quality (or via [email protected])
Social media: PACE YouTube channel; Twitter; Facebook; Flickr
Hashtag: #PACEspring2018
Web: PACE site and session page
Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93; [email protected]