15/09/2009 | News
A group of 72 members of PACE has requested the reconsideration of the credentials of the Russian delegation to the Assembly on the substantive grounds that Russia has persistently failed to honour its obligations and commitments.
18/06/2009 | News
The PACE rapporteurs on the consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia, Luc van der Brande (Belgium, EPP/ CD) and Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, ALDE), as well as Corien Jonker (Netherlands, EPP/CD), rapporteur on the humanitarian consequences of this war, today jointly expressed great concern that Russia had vetoed the continuation of the mandate of the UN Observer Mission to Georgia (UNOMIG) and its work in the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
20/05/2009 | News
A group of 20 members of PACE has challenged the credentials of the Ukrainian delegation to the Assembly on the substantial grounds of “a serious violation of the basic principles of the Council of Europe”. In a motion submitted yesterday, the signatories said the Ukrainian government persistently refuses to replace a missing third candidate on the list of candidates for election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights, which “undermines the credibility of the Court”. Under the rules, a report is automatically prepared on a challenge of credentials, which is likely to be debated by the Assembly durings its forthcoming session (22-26 June 2009).
15/05/2009 | News
Supporting a report by Miet Smet (Belgium, EPP/CD) on sexual violence against women in armed conflict, the PACE Committee on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men has approved a series of measures to ensure that justice is done whenever a women is raped during an armed conflict. The committee considers that in order to put a stop to sexual violence against women in armed conflict, it is vital to include this crime against humanity in the future Council of Europe Convention on the severest and most widespread forms of violence against women.
19/03/2009 | News
Following the decision of the Azerbaijani authorities to organise a referendum on the amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) decided to send a delegation to be present during this referendum.
16/03/2009 | News
John D. Priestman, who served as the fifth – and one of the most long-serving – Secretaries General (Clerks) of the Parliamentary Assembly, has died in Strasbourg just short of his 83rd birthday. Bringing a wealth of diplomatic experience from the British Foreign Office, his nearly fifteen years at the head of the Assembly’s secretariat (1972-86) covered many key moments in the life of the Council of Europe. Paying tribute to him, current Secretary General Mateo Sorinas said: “John was a highly-respected Clerk who in many ways defined the role. He was a great defender of the Assembly and its independence, and led an effective team which served the people of Europe well at a time of change.”
12/03/2009 | News
József Berényi (Slovakia, EPP/CD), Chair of PACE Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities, will make a fact-finding visit to the Czech Republic on 17 and 18 March 2009 in connection with the preparation of his report on the situation of Roma in Europe. In Prague, he is due to meet the Minister for Human Rights and National Minorities, Michael Kocáb, the Deputy Minister for Education, Youth and Sport, Klára Laurencíková, and representatives of the Ministries of the Interior, Health and Labour and Social Affairs.
25/11/2008 | News
“Too many women in Europe are battered and killed by their partners or former partners, simply because they are women,” said PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig in a statement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. “No Council of Europe member state is immune. It is time to put a stop to this repeated, widespread violation of human rights. National parliaments must pass the requisite laws. At European level, there is an urgent need to strengthen protection for victims, prosecute those who perpetrate violence and take measures to prevent it,” he added.
29/09/2008 | News
A memorandum by Luc Van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD), the head of a PACE delegation which visited Russia and Georgia last week, was made public this morning by the Assembly’s Bureau. The nine-member, cross-party delegation visited both countries to gather information ahead of a plenary urgent debate on “the consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia”, due to take place on Tuesday and Thursday.
26/09/2008 | News
Both Georgia and Russia could have done more to prevent the war between them, according to the head of a PACE delegation visiting the two countries ahead of an urgent debate on the consequences of the war next week in Strasbourg. Speaking at a press conference in Tbilisi at the end of the second part of the visit (24-25 September), Luc van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD) said that it was important to understand events leading up to the outbreak of war: “This conflict didn’t start on 7 August,” he pointed out.
24/09/2008 | News
A PACE delegation in Moscow has called for an international investigation into the circumstances surrounding the war between Georgia and Russia. “Truth is the precondition for reconciliation,” said Luc Van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD), leading the nine-member, cross-party delegation, which is visiting both countries to gather information ahead of an Assembly urgent debate on the consequences of the war next week in Strasbourg.
22/09/2008 | News
A nine-member, cross-party delegation from the PACE, headed by Luc Van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD), is visiting Russia and Georgia from 22 to 25 September to gather information ahead of an urgent debate on “the consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia” during the Assembly’s plenary session (Strasbourg, 29 September-3 October).