28/04/2010 | Session
Both a representative of the opposition and a representative of the Belarusian authorities will take part in the urgent debate on the recent developments in Belarus that the Assembly is to hold tomorrow morning. Alexander Yushkevich, Chairman of the Standing Committee on human rights, national relations and mass-media of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, and Anatoly Lebedko, Co-Chairman of the National Committee of the United Democratic Forces (UDF) and Chairman of the United Civic Party, will be invited to take the floor in the context of the debate.
28/04/2010 | Session
At the end of a joint debate on sea piracy encompassing both political and legal aspects of the subject, PACE called on member states to "modernise and develop a common domestic legal framework in order to criminalise the act of piracy wherever it takes place, […] or introduce appropriate legislation where it does not exist". The Assembly asks member states to ensure that suspected pirates are treated in a way which complies fully with the European Convention on Human Rights during or after their transfer to a third country.
28/04/2010 | Session
As a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity, the Presidents of PACE, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Council of Europe’s Conference of INGOs today signed a declaration on “working together for biodiversity, the protection of natural areas and the fight against climate change.” PACE President Mevlüt Cavusoglu expressed hope that this day would “represent a milestone in our efforts to presever biodiversity in Europe”.
28/04/2010 | Session
Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg raised the spectre of the economic crisis and a resulting rise of extremism from his annual report in a speech to the Parliamentary Assembly on 28 April. Of his published conclusions in 2009, he said: "Some of these are of course controversial and may sometimes irritate some of the readers – and that is as it must be. Truth telling is an integral part of honest human rights work."
28/04/2010 | Session
“There are no winners and losers in this conflict: everyone has lost,” said Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, summarising her fact-finding report on the 2008 conflict in Georgia during a current affairs debate. “All parties to the conflict failed, there were terrible violations of humanitarian and human rights law, and both the threat and use of force have returned to European politics.” Dialogue at all levels was the only way forward, she said.
27/04/2010 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting this week in plenary session in Strasbourg, today elected Ganna Yudkivska as judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Ukraine. Mrs Yudkivska, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge of the European Court of Human Rights.
27/04/2010 | Session
Broader indicators of well-being need to be developed which take into account income and employment levels, the state of the environment, health and education, and the degree of development of democratic values, as well as purely economic benchmarks such as Gross Domestic Product, PACE said today. Debating a report by Konstantinos Vrettos (Greece, SOC), the Assembly said GDP – as a purely accounting tool – was inadequate as a measure of well-being and that it was high time economic growth, social harmony and protection of the environment were rebalanced to put quality of life first.
27/04/2010 | Session
In the first of four debates about the consequences of the economic crisis PACE called for action to put the Council of Europe`s values into practice in terms of recommending many new economic and social policies to its member states. In the adopted resolution, based on the proposals by the rapporteur Maria de Belem Roseira (Portugal, SOC), it notes how those with the strongest social and health protection systems are much better prepared, also economically, to face the challenges of the current crisis.
27/04/2010 | Session
Migrants are among the hardest hit by the crisis both in terms of job loss and in terms of how well they are accepted and integrated into society at a time of growing xenophobia. Their protection is paramount and the Assembly today recommended that European governments fully implement relevant Council of Europe conventions, improve measures to promote their human rights and to raise awareness about their positive contribution to society.
27/04/2010 | Session
The Parliament of Morocco is the first one to apply officially for the status of "partner for democracy". This status, recently established by the PACE, allows parliamentary delegations from the countries of the Mediterranean’s southern shore, the Middle East and central Asia to take part in the Assembly's activities. In return, parliaments seeking "partner for democracy" status must declare their commitment to the Council of Europe's values, undertake to hold free and fair elections, work towards abolishing the death penalty and encourage balanced participation of women and men in political life.
27/04/2010 | Session
The Assembly today elected Ganna Yudkivska as judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Ukraine. Mrs Yudkivska, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge of the European Court of Human Rights for a term of office of six years starting as of the date of taking up office and in any event not later than three months as from 27 April 2010.
27/04/2010 | Session
The current economic crisis has undoubtedly created a generally unfavourable social environment for most families all over Europe, according to the Assembly. Following the proposals by the rapporteur, Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD), the parliamentarians said that a comprehensive family policy should be a core priority for each Council of Europe member state.