17/11/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“Over the last two months, the process of negotiation in the Middle East has weakened despite the Obama administration’s recent efforts to draw the Israeli and Palestinian sides together,” Piero Fassino (Italy, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the situation in the Middle East, stressed today in Brussels at a meeting of the Sub-Committee on the Middle East.
22/10/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Changing the electoral system to one more favourable to women’s representation in politics, including by introducing gender quotas, can lead to more gender-balanced, and thus more legitimate, political and public decision-making, said Lydie Err (Luxembourg, SOC) today in Kyiv on the occasion of the Forum for the Future of Democracy. Coinciding with this year's theme "Electoral systems: strengthening democracy in the 21st century", Mrs Err presented a memorandum on the "Impact of electoral systems on women’s representation in politics".
20/10/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Several members of PACE will attend the Forum for the Future of Democracy in Kyiv, which starts tomorrow and continues until 23 October. This year's theme is "Electoral systems: strengthening democracy in the 21st century". During the Forum, the President of the PACE will hold meetings in Kyiv on 22 October with the President of Ukraine, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, and representatives of the various political parties represented in parliament.
08/10/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), Chair of the PACE Political Affairs Committee, today expressed his regret over the recent decision by President Obama to delay his meeting with the Dalai Lama, who is currently in the United States, until after his visit to China in November.
01/10/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The Political Affairs Committee has expressed great sorrow about the developments in Iran after the last elections. In a declaration adopted today, the committee said the violent reactions of the Iranian authorities to peaceful protests were a very serious breach of the human rights of Iranian citizens. It also said it was “greatly saddened” by the irresponsible continuation of the Iranian nuclear programme, a clear breach of international law.
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.”