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Current affairs debate on “The future of the Council of Europe”

Adopting its final agenda this morning, the Assembly decided to hold a current affairs debate on “The future of the Council of Europe”. At its autumn session in Strasbourg (8-12 October 2018), the Assembly is also due to discuss the strengthening of its decision-making process concerning credentials and voting.

The winner of the 2018 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize will be announced on Monday 8 October, from a shortlist of three nominees, and the prize awarded in a special ceremony in the plenary.

PACE will hold a joint debate on the foreign funding of Islam in Europe and the radicalisation of migrants and diaspora communities. It will discuss the access to member States by Council of Europe and United Nations human rights monitoring bodies as well as deal-making in criminal procedures.

Other items on the agenda include the treatment of Palestinian minors in the Israeli justice system, migration from a gender perspective, family reunification in member states and equality in private life regardless of sexual orientation.

Nuclear safety and security in Europe as well as the crash of Polish Air Force Tu-154M transporting the Polish State delegation are also due for debate.

Finally, there will be a discussion on the role of national parliaments in successful decentralisation processes, with a statement by the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tunisia will address the Assembly and answer questions, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, who chairs the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, will present the communication on its recent activities. The Organisation’s Secretary General will answer questions from Assembly members.