25/09/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“We cannot take peace for granted, even on our continent,” said PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig, closing a two-day PACE forum on early warning in conflict prevention held in Strasbourg. “The Assembly owes it to itself to put peace, and maintaining peace, at the very heart of its work [...] We have a duty of vigilance.”
22/09/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Peace is the principal precondition for the genuine enjoyment of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The realisation that peace between Council of Europe member states cannot be taken for granted has led PACE Bureau to organise in Strasbourg on 24-25 September 2009 a Forum on early warning in conflict prevention, with the aim of taking stock of existing mechanisms and exploring whether and how they could be further enhanced.
11/09/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
We must resist attempts to exploit problems in fields governed by our fundamental principles and values or to relativise them according to their political expediency, and show political courage in criticising actions that are incompatible with the Council of Europe’s principles and values. This was the conclusion of the Political Affairs Committee in the draft resolution it adopted in Paris on the basis of the report by Jean-Claude Mignon (France, EPPE/CD), which will be debated in plenary on Thursday 1 October.
11/09/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The PACE Political Affairs Committee and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe organise a conference at the French National Assembly in co-operation with academics and representatives of civil society and youth. This event will focus on the major challenges facing the Council of Europe in the defence of human rights and democratic ideals. The conference will be opened by Lluís Maria de Puig, President of PACE, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, acting Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio, former President of Portugal and Jean-Claude Mignon (France, EPP/CD), leader of the French delegation to PACE.
10/09/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
In a draft resolution adopted in Paris today, PACE Political Affairs Committee calls for a transitional reform of the UN Security Council, based on the establishment of a new category of non-permanent seats, as well as the prohibition of the recourse to the veto in the case of actual or threatened serious and widespread human rights violations. They also recommended the introduction of a parliamentary dimension in order to restore the role and authority of the General Assembly. The report, by Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC), is due to be debated by the plenary Assembly on Wednesday 30th September.
10/09/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Approving a resolution by Tadeusz Iwinski (Poland, SOC) on the request by the Parliament of Kazakhstan for observer status with PACE), the Political Affairs Committee said it would be more appropriate if future co-operation would take the form of Partnership for Democracy, a recently created new status, provided there is a specific request by the parliament of Kazakhstan.
07/07/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The use of force against demonstrators by China’s communist regime must be strongly condemned by the international community,” said Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), Chair of the PACE Political Affairs Committee, referring to the unrest in the Chinese province of Xixjiang which over the last two days has resulted in at least 156 deaths and over 800 injuries. “The parliamentarians from the Council of Europe, the pan-European Organisation standing for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, have a special responsibility to react when the communist regime in China represses its own population.”
08/06/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“We hope that this Infopoint will be the first significant sign of a new path in Belarus and a major change in the relations between the country and the Council of Europe,” said Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), PACE rapporteur on Belarus, at the opening ceremony of a new Information Point in Minsk. “Our greatest hope is that it will, ultimately, be able to contribute to the process of democratisation in this country and bring it into our organisation, which is the House of Democracy”.
26/05/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE's Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris this morning, has come out unanimously in favour of restoring the Special Guest status of the Belarusian Parliament, which has been suspended since 1997, with a view to "engaging in political dialogue with the authorities" while supporting "the strengthening of democratic forces and civil society". The Assembly is to take a decision on the matter at its forthcoming summer plenary session (Strasbourg, 22-26 June).
25/05/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
During its meeting in Paris on Tuesday 26 May, PACE's Political Affairs committee is expected to adopt a report by Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE) on the situation in Belarus. The committee will also hold an exchange of views on “threshold levels in parliamentary elections and their impact on representativity of parliaments”, the subject of a report being prepared by Hendrik Daems (Belgium, ALDE). The agenda also includes an item on the committee’s contribution to the draft code of good practice for civil participation in the decision-making process.
14/05/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Speaking at the plenary meeting of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in St Petersburg today, Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC) recalled that whilst the Council of Europe was celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, its work was not finished. "Our values are potent but vulnerable. We keep on building Greater Europe every day. Rooting our values in daily life, protecting human dignity, is an unfinished task and a mission that should guide our efforts," he said.
28/04/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE Political Affairs Committee today held an exchange of views with Shen Ting, Chairperson of the Chinese League of Victims of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo. According to Mrs Ting, in the framework of the development of the World Expo site, there have been many incidents in which residents have been removed from the site against their will. “The actions of the Shanghai authorities over the past few years demonstrate that the government has utterly deviated from the principles of the World Expo and from the commitment it made - no coercive removals - in its bid to host the Expo by violating the basic rights of the original inhabitants of the World Expo site.”