30/05/2006 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The ad hoc sub-committee set up by PACE to organise a Round Table on the political situation in the Chechen Republic holds an exchange of views on Thursday 1st June in Paris with Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, the Chairman of the Council of the Chechen Republic Akhmarkhadzhi Gazikhanov and the Chair of the Chechen People’s Assembly Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov. The sub-committee will decide at the opening of the hearing if it is open the press. Date: Thursday 1st June 2006 from 3 pm. to 6 pm. Place: Council of Europe Office, 55 avenue Kléber, Paris 16ème (Metro: Boissière)
16/03/2006 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE's Sub-Committee on the Middle East has unanimously agreed to invite a delegation of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including a member of Hamas, to its next meeting which will be held during the April part-session (10-13 April 2006). "We cannot ignore the legitimate outcome of the parliamentary elections which took place on 25 January 2006," said the Sub-Committee’s Chairperson Stef Goris (Belgium, ADLE). "We all agree that the elections were fair and free. Therefore, we have to accept the democratically expressed will of the Palestinian people and do our best to involve those who won the elections in the political dialogue which could contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict."
16/02/2006 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs are organising a conference on Belarus in Prague on Thursday 23 February, in the run-up to the presidential election, which will be taking place in that country on 19 March. The conference will be opened by the President of the PACE, René van der Linden, and the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cyril Svoboda, on 23 February at 9am. in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Czernin Palace, Grand Hall, Loretanske namesti 5, Prague). It will be open to the press.
26/01/2006 | Political Affairs and Democracy
In the run-up to the presidential election in Belarus on March 2006, the PACE today called on the Lukashenko regime to refrain from “obstructing the free and fair running of the electoral campaign”, and take “positive action to ensure that pluralist information can be provided”. At the end of an urgent debate, the Assembly deplored that freedom of expression is blatantly flouted, and noted that in the last two years “the situation has not improved but worsened”. It called on member states to give “immediate financial and if necessary logistical support to independent broadcasting to Belarus from abroad”.
16/01/2006 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Mikhail Margelov (Russian Federation, EDG), Rapporteur on the Middle East of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee, has welcomed the recent Israeli decision to allow 200 000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary elections due to take place on 25 January 2006.
21/12/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Desecration of cemeteries and memorials, the use of nazi symbols and growing support for xenophobic parties are signs that public opinion now seems more receptive to racist, xenophobic and extremist ideas, according to a draft resolution on “Combating the resurrection of nazi ideology” approved yesterday by PACE’s Political Affairs Committee. The Council of Europe should play the leading role in action to resist the resurrection of nazi ideology, according to the draft resolution, including by organising an international conference on the phenomenon. The report is due for debate during the Assembly’s winter session (23-27 January 2006).
14/12/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE's Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris today, adopted a draft resolution and a draft recommendation on the "Need for international condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes". The text, prepared par Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), strongly condemns the massive human rights violations committed by these regimes and expresses "sympathy, understanding and recognition to the victims of crimes". According to the committee, "this clear position of the international community will pave the way to further reconciliation".
20/10/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The concept of preventive war, transatlantic relations and UN reform are among topics to be discussed during a series of meetings between the Parliamentary Assembly's Political Affairs Committee and Canadian parliamentarians and foreign policy experts in Ottawa on 24 and 25 October 2005. The parliamentarians will meet Canadian former Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, and Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations Paul Heinbecker. They will also hold an exchange of views with Canadian Minister for International Co-operation Aileen Carroll on promoting democracy and good governance.
13/09/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
After a discussion of the draft report on "The need for international condemnation of the crimes of communism" (Göran Lindblad, Sweden, EPP/CD) in Paris today, the Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) decided to postpone the adoption of the draft recommendation and resolution to a future meeting. The President of the Committee will therefore ask the PACE Bureau to withdraw this item from the draft order of business for the October session (Strasbourg, 3-7 October). Considering that the report on "The condemnation of the admiration and justification of nazism" (Mikhail Margelov, Russia, EDG) should be debated at the same time as the report presented by Mr Lindblad, the Political Affairs Committee decided to postpone the adoption of the draft resolution of Mr Margelov's report.
21/04/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Mikhail Margelov (Russia, EDG), PACE rapporteur on the situation in the Middle East, is visiting Amman, Ramallah, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv from 17 to 22 April, where he is due to meet the King of Jordan and members of the Jordanian parliament, Palestinian ministers and Israeli government officials.
15/03/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
A Round Table on the political situation in the Chechen Republic ended yesterday with a decision to hold similar meetings with the aim of “broadening the basis for the dialogue” needed to achieve a political solution. Around sixty people – including Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, representatives of Russian human rights NGOs and parliamentarians – took part in the day-long Round Table, but in line with the so-called “Strasbourg criteria” those who refuse to recognise the territorial integrity of Russia and declared terrorists were excluded. The Chair and Co-Chair of the organising sub-committee Andreas Gross and Konstantin Kosachev regretted that some invitees had decided not to come at the last moment, but said the talks marked “a first step”.
23/02/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Following consultations, a Round Table for the organisation of an exchange of views involving political parties and local politicians from the Chechen Republic and the Russian federal authorities is to take place in Strasbourg on Monday 21 March 2005, organised by PACE's Political Affairs Committee. A spectrum of around 50 invitees will include, among others, Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin and President Putin’s Representative in the Southern Federal District Dmitry Kozak.