22/05/2008 | President
Co-operation with civil society has become a “keystone” of European politics, something considered a utopia sixty years ago, according to the Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Dr Katalin Szili, giving one of the keynote speeches at the opening of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in Strasbourg. Drawing on a 32-country survey, Dr Szili said dialogue with NGOs was becoming more formalised, but often involved better-resourced national umbrella organisations rather than grass-roots associations.
22/05/2008 | President
At the opening of the 19th European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, the host, PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig warmly welcomed the extremely successful co-operation which has developed in recent years between PACE and national parliaments as regards national-level investigation of suspected violations of human rights in member states' territories. He also recalled the key role of parliaments to ensure ratification and implementation of Council of Europe conventions and in giving full effect to European Court of Human Rights judgments in member countries' legal systems. On 22 and 23 May, the parliamentary summit will bring together some 250 participants, including 40 Speakers and 21 Deputy Speakers.
13/05/2008 | President
PACE President, Lluís Maria de Puig, made the following statement today: “I would like to express my dismay at yesterday’s announcement of a recent date for the execution of José Ernesto Medellin, the Mexican on death row in Texas. Mr Medellin says that he was never given prompt access to consular officials, as required by international law.
07/05/2008 | President
States ready to boost the finances of the Council of Europe should work together within the Committee of Ministers in order to help it escape the current “zero growth” budgetary impasse, according to PACE President. In an address to more than 30 foreign affairs and Europe ministers in Strasbourg today, Lluís Maria de Puig said states had reaffirmed their commitment to the Council and its values at the Warsaw Summit, but that this should be reflected in its budget.
14/04/2008 | President
“If we attempt to review the major events in Europe since our January part-session, we will see that European unity has been sorely tested. I am thinking in particular of the declaration of independence by the Assembly of Kosovo and the differences that emerged between Council of Europe members at the NATO summit in Bucharest,” PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig said in his opening speech of the Assembly’s spring session. “It is no doubt impossible at this stage to give complete answers to the many questions that have arisen in connection with these two events, and especially the question of whether we are not in fact in the process of creating new divisions in Europe.
10/04/2008 | President
“I deplore the decision of the Japanese authorities to carry out the four executions that have taken place today, in secret, and without prior warning,” said PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig. “The death penalty is not a civilised act of justice, but the way it is carried out in Japan is particularly chilling,” the President said, pointing out that condemned persons had no prior warning, and that the executions were only announced after they had taken place.
04/04/2008 | President
PACE President, Lluís Maria de Puig, today welcomed the reopening, after some teething problems, of the Ledra Street crossing as highly symbolic. “I can only repeat that I am deeply convinced that this step will play an important role in promoting dialogue and reconciliation. The Parliamentary Assembly will support all efforts aimed at turning the Buffer Zone in Cyprus from a symbol of division into a symbol of co-operation,” the President stressed.
04/04/2008 | President
PACE President Lluis Maria de Puig today invited the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS) to take part in the launch of a “European Day of Integration and Intercultural Tolerance”. “This is a clear and visible sign of our shared commitment to making this goal a top political priority for Europe”, explained the President. He added that “if the IPA CIS joined this PACE/European Parliament initiative, it would become a symbol of the whole Eurasian continent”, providing an “excellent contribution to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008”.
03/04/2008 | President
Speaking at the 30th Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS, PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig stressed that relations with neighbouring countries of the Council of Europe are one of his priorities. “I am persuaded that the European democratic model based on our organisation’s fundamental values continues to exercise its power of attraction well beyond Europe. We must work closely with our neighbours including those in Central Asia and think about pragmatic methods enabling us to develop an institutional dialogue in specific fields of co-operation,” he said.
01/04/2008 | President
PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig paid homage in Lisbon to the two winners of the North-South Prize 2008, Simone Veil and Kofi Annan, whose "exceptional qualities and universal standing have helped overcome the greatest cleavages and promote the most difficult causes, thanks to their profound and unfailing attachment to human rights and the dignity of all".
01/04/2008 | President
“It is not true that security is more important than freedom,” said PACE President Lluis Maria de Puig, concluding a conference on anti-terrorist measures and human rights in Athens on Friday. “As soon as you restrict freedom, this itself becomes an element of insecurity.” Fighting terrorism with illegal and inhuman actions only leads to barbarism, he pointed out, criticising the complicity of European governments in abuses discussed at the conference, such as secret detention, illegal renditions and unfair terrorist blacklisting procedures.
31/03/2008 | President
The need for more focused Council of Europe action to integrate migrants was among subjects discussed by PACE President Lluis Maria de Puig and Greek President Karolos Papoulias during a meeting in Athens this week on the fringe of a meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.