28/01/2024 Session
Debates on recent developments in the Middle East: Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel and Israel’s response, and on allegations of systemic torture in places of detention in Europe, were among highlights of the 2024 Winter Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), held from 22 to 26 January in Strasbourg. The parliamentarians also held a debate under urgent procedure on the situation of the children of Ukraine, with the online intervention of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska.
The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, as well as the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Daniel Risch, addressed the parliamentarians. Liechtenstein’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education, and Sport, Dominique Hasler, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, and Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić presented their communications to the Assembly and took questions from members. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of Belarusian democratic opposition, addressed the Assembly during the debate “A democratic future for Belarus”.
At the opening of the session, the Assembly elected its President. During the session parliamentarians also elected the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. Dunja Mijatović, the outgoing Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the Assembly on Monday 22 January.
Also on the agenda was a debate on globalisation in times of crises and war, and the role of the OECD since the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, with the participation of OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.
Other debates included the theme of migration and asylum in the election campaign, countering SLAPPs as an imperative for a democratic society, and the prevention of child abuse in institutions in Europe.
Finally, the Assembly debated the challenge, on substantive grounds, of the still unratified credentials of the parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan.
Note to editors
Due to ongoing renovation work in the debating chamber of the Palais de l'Europe, the plenary sittings were held in the debating chamber of the European Parliament.
All committee activities and meetings, as well as all side events, took place in the Palais de l’Europe premises, as will all media-related activities (press room, interviews, press briefings, MediaBox, etc.)
Practical information
Press accreditation: Please fill in this accreditation form. More details here, or contact the Council of Europe Communications Directorate via [email protected].
Website: The agenda, documents, voting results, speakers lists, video recordings of each sitting (in English and in the original languages), as well as the verbatim record of each sitting (in English, French, German and Italian), are available on the Session’s special page. News items on all debates appear on the Assembly’s home page.
Webcast: The session is webcast live (in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish) on PACE’s website. Each sitting is also streamed live via the Assembly’s YouTube channel in original languages, scrollable in mid-stream, and a recording made available immediately after it ends.
Video clips: An online tool allows video clips from plenary sessions to be swiftly edited and downloaded.
Social media: Follow the Assembly’s official accounts via X (#PACEwinter2024) and Facebook.
Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93; [email protected].