22/06/2010 | Session
“Improving the protection of witnesses is essential for the success of the work of justice and a key means of achieving reconciliation in the Balkans,” said Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD). In his report adopted yesterday by the PACE’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Mr Gardetto assesses the effectiveness of the protection and support programmes for witnesses to the war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia in proceedings at national level (in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo*) and international level, before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
22/06/2010 | Session
In an opinion adopted yesterday on the basis of the report by Erol Aslan Cebeci (Turkey, EPP/CD), the Assembly signified its support for “the process launched to revitalise the Council of Europe”, in order to give the Organisation greater political effectiveness and influence in Europe. However, the parliamentarians consider that the success of the reforms proposed by the Secretary General must be based on “true, substantial and permanent dialogue, not only between the two statutory organs but also with other entities of the Organisation.”
21/06/2010 | Session
The Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Antonio Miloshoski, has described his country's priorities over the coming months: supporting the Interlaken process to ensure the long term effectiveness of the European Court of Human Rights, protecting national minorities and marginalised groups such as Roma and encouraging intercultural dialogue and the participation of young people in public affairs. He told his audience that he was looking for an open, informal and constructive dialogue with the Assembly and that he knew he could count on their support in securing his chairmanship's objectives.
21/06/2010 | Session
In his first address ever before the Parliamentary Assembly as Croatian President, Ivo Josipovic called the role of the Council of Europe "indispensable" for promoting human rights and described in detail the condition of democracy, human rights and freedoms in his country. He outlined progress made and challenges still to be faced with regard to minority rights, refugees and displaced persons, fighting corruption, reforming the judiciary, cooperating with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and working with neighbours in the Balkans to improve regional stability.
21/06/2010 | Session
This session will be marked by the venue of three Heads of State and Government from the Western Balkans, a communication by the Macedonian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and a debate on the situation in Kosovo, the PACE President said in his opening speech of the PACE June session today. He stressed that together with his official visits to the region and PACE’s previous discussions on Albania as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, the priority given to the issues at stake there were a clear illustration of the Balkan dimension of the Council of Europe and of his presidency in particular.
21/06/2010 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today elected Márton Braun (Hungary, EPP/CD) Vice-President of the Assembly with respect to Hungary.
21/06/2010 | Session
Adopting the final agenda of its Summer 2010 plenary session (21-25 June), the Assembly decided to hold an urgent debate on the flare-up of tension in the Middle East (Thursday morning) and a current affairs debate on the situation in Kyrgyzstan (Thursday afternoon), followed by the debate on the handling of the H1N1 pandemic. The debate on prohibiting the marketing and use of the “Mosquito” youth dispersal device has been removed from the agenda. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, President of the Republic of Ingushetia (Russian Federation) will address the Assembly in the framework of the debate on legal remedies for human rights violations in the North Caucasus Region.
14/06/2010 | Session
PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu has been named as “Politician of the Year” by Turkey’s Association of European Journalists. Mr Çavusoglu, a founding member of the AK Party and Member of Parliament for Antalya since 2002, was elected President of PACE in January. He received the award from the Chairman of the Association Adnan Fisenk at a ceremony at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul on Saturday 12th June.
09/06/2010 | Session
A possible urgent debate on the flare-up of tension in the Middle East, as well as reports on the handling of the H1N1 pandemic, on Islamophobia and on legal remedies for human rights violations in the North Caucasus are among highlights of the summer session of the PACE in Strasbourg (21-25 June 2010). There will be addresses by the President of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Gjorgje Ivanov, the President of Croatia Ivo Josipovic, and the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Ðukanovic.
04/06/2010 | Session
A possible urgent debate on the flare-up of tension in the Middle East, as well as reports on the handling of the H1N1 pandemic, the situation in Kosovo, Islamism and Islamophobia, and legal remedies for human rights violations in the North Caucasus are among highlights of PACE’s summer session (21-25 June 2010). There will be addresses by the President of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Gjorgje Ivanov, the President of Croatia Ivo Josipovic, the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Ðukanovic and the head of the UN’s Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio. French actress Fanny Ardant will also take part in a debate on the situation of Roma in Europe.
30/04/2010 | Session
On the basis of a report by Denis Badré (France, ALDE), which takes stock of existing Euro-Mediterranean relations at both European Union and Council of Europe level, the Assembly takes the view that the Council should strengthen its contribution to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership process. It is not for the Organisation to compete with the actions of the Union for the Mediterranean by setting up parallel structures, but to complement it by adding the dimension relating to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and the transversal issue of gender equality.
30/04/2010 | Session
The Assembly today called on Council of Europe governments to make the most of the many opportunities offered by the International Year of Biodiversity taking place this year. These require that policy-makers work towards promoting the conservation of biological diversity and reducing the impact of climate change upon it. Following proposals by the rapporteur, Francine John-Calame (Switzerland, SOC), the parliamentarians also called for the need to “step up the fight against illegal trading in fauna and flora”.