03/12/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 03.12.2010 - The accession by the European Union to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings would ensure that “the Convention’s high standards and human rights approach are uniformly applied throughout Europe”, today said the participants in the...
03/12/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
"Each of us has an individual political responsibility: let us not tolerate slavery. Let us not be powerless witnesses but fight against it", today said Jose Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD) at the opening of the Interparliamentary Conference 'Parliaments united against trafficking in human beings', organised in Paris by PACE's Committee on Equal Opportunities. "Trafficking in human beings affects us all as members of parliament. Victims of trafficking are powerless. We have the power to change their situation. We have the power to give them a voice", he added.
25/11/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Björn von Sydow (Sweden, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the situation in Kosovo, and Chair of the PACE Political Affairs Committee, will conduct a fact-finding visit to Kosovo from 28 to 30 November 2010. The main purpose of this visit is to assess the political situation on the ground and the position of the various communities, prior to the early elections to be held on 12 December 2010.
19/11/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Presenting his memorandum on reconciliation and political dialogue between the countries of the former Yugoslavia,* made public during a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee meeting in Paris yesterday, PACE rapporteur Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC) pointed out that – since the committee had embarked on this report in January 2009 – the governments concerned had made many positive steps, indicating a greater willingness to overcome the legacy of the past.
19/11/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
During an exchange of views with representatives from Belarus, organised by the Political Affairs Committee in Paris on 18 November, parliamentarians called for visible progress in the conduct of the forthcoming Presidential elections on 19 December 2010, and in particular with regard to the freedom of the media. They took note with interest of information according to which positive developments with regard to the abolition of the death penalty might be expected in the near future.
18/11/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Co-operation between PACE and the European Parliament should focus on how to create a common European space in terms of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, avoiding the creation of new borders within Europe, participants concluded at a hearing on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on PACE and the European Parliament, organised by the PACE Political Affairs Committee in Paris today.
20/10/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
New forms of democracy – in which citizens can participate directly in decisions, for example – are needed to supplement traditional representative democracy if the current crisis in democracy is to be overcome, Lord Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) has told the Forum for the Future of Democracy in Yerevan. Delivering a speech on behalf of PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu, Mr Prescott said there was a need for “sustained forms of interaction between people and the authorities”.
15/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Citizens must be able to trust those they have elected to office, PACE Bureau has said in a declaration to mark the third UN International Day of Democracy, celebrated each year on 15 September.
07/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
There have been many advances in reconciliation between the countries of the former Yugoslavia over the past few years, but bilateral relations are still fragile, with unresolved issues including territorial disputes and strong nationalistic rhetoric, according to PACE rapporteur on the topic, Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC).
07/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Concerned by recent developments in several Council of Europe member states, the Political Affairs Committee of the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly, meeting in Belgrade today, has proposed an urgent debate at the Assembly’s forthcoming autumn session (4-8 October 2010) on: “Recent rise of national security discourse in Europe: the case of the Roma”.
07/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC), rapporteur on Belarus for PACE, has expressed her concern at the death of Oleg Bebenin, a co-founder of the Charter 97 website in Belarus, on Friday. “Questions have been raised about the circumstances of his death, and I expect the authorities to conduct a full, transparent and exhaustive investigation into this tragic event,” said Mrs Hurskainen, who met opposition representatives in Minsk less than two weeks ago.
02/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
A hearing on “Peace-building in the countries of the former Yugoslavia” will be the highlight of a two-day meeting of PACE's Political Affairs Committee in Belgrade on 6-7 September 2010. Topics at the hearing, on Monday afternoon, include the possibility of a trans-national truth commission, justice for war crimes, and EU integration as a catalyst for dialogue. Earlier on Monday, the committee will hold an exchange of views with the Serbian authorities.