18/03/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The Council of Europe should strengthen its involvement in Kosovo ,” said Björn von Sydow (Sweden, SOC), rapporteur for PACE's Political Affairs Committee, addressing the committee today in Paris. “Our Organisation should play a pro-active role in offering its expertise in its areas of excellence: democracy, the rule of law and human rights, with absolute priority being given to the rule of law,” he said.
18/03/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“I am for dialogue with all the relevant parties, including with the Belarusian authorities. However, I do not believe that the Assembly should refrain from raising criticism or imposing conditions. A state which genuinely wants to engage with the Council of Europe cannot do so without accepting the rules of the game, and conditionality is one of them”, said Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC) PACE rapporteur on Belarus, speaking today in Paris.
05/03/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE Sub-Committee on the Middle East, under the chairmanship of Lluís Maria de Puig (Spain, SOC), held a two-day meeting (4-5 March) in Izmir (Turkey) at the invitation of the Turkish delegation to PACE. Against the backdrop of PACE Resolution 1700 (2010) on the Situation in the Middle East, the Sub-Committee decided to prepare the second session of the Tripartite Forum, bringing together the PACE, the Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council.
25/02/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“In Kosovo, there are more than 2 million Europeans who need the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights, regardless of the community they belong to,” said Björn von Sydow (Sweden, SOC), rapporteur of PACE Political Affairs Committee, speaking today at the end of a five- day visit to Kosovo. “During my visit, I travelled extensively in Kosovo, meeting ordinary people from all communities. All of them highlighted widespread corruption, lack of a trustworthy judiciary and poor implementation of the law.
19/02/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
In the framework of his forthcoming report on the situation in Kosovo, Björn von Sydow (Sweden, SOC), PACE rapporteur of the Political Affairs Committee, will conduct for the second year, a fact-finding visit to Kosovo from 21 to 25 February. The main purpose of this second visit is to get acquainted with the situation of different communities on the ground, in a number of municipalities.* All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
19/02/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Ahead of the entry into force on August 1 of the Convention on cluster munitions, Johannes Pflug (Germany, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the ban on cluster munitions, today made the following statement: "Following the recent ratification of the Convention by Moldova, this legal instrument can now enter into force. We can all be proud of the successful outcome of this long process led by the international community, including the Assembly, which last May adopted Resolution 1668.
21/01/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE Rapporteur on the Middle East Piero Fassino (Italy, SOC) has called on Israelis and Palestinians to re-start negotiations as soon as possible. Speaking in Jerusalem at the end of a four-day visit to the region, during which he met President Shimon Peres and President Abu Mazen, Mr Fassino said: “We cannot accept an unending conflict in the Middle East. Thanks to President Obama’s initiative, there is a new opportunity for peace. We must not let it go by.” He said that in spite of difficulties, there were signals all agreed on, which showed peace was possible. The Assembly is to debate Mr Fassino’s report in Strasbourg on Tuesday 26 January.
20/01/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Piero Fassino (Italy, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the situation in the Middle East, who today completes a four-day visit to the region, will hold a press conference on Thursday 21 January at 10.30 a.m. at the King David Hotel (Holy Room) in Jerusalem. In Ramallah, on 17-18 January, Mr Fassino met the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, the Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Malki, the Chief Negociator Saeb Erekat, the Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqi', and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
15/01/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Piero Fassino (Italy, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the situation in the Middle East, will visit the Territories under the Palestinian Authority as well as Israel, with a view to the debate on the situation in the Middle East which is foreseen during the next PACE plenary session (25–29 January 2010).
07/01/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The Chair of PACE Political Affairs Committee, Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), has condemned the violent and unjust way in which the Iranian government suppresses the opposition in the country. “The methods used by the authorities resemble the worst practices of totalitarian regimes and cannot be accepted by the international community,” he said. “Political dialogue is the only possible solution for Iran’s problems.”
15/12/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE's Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris on 15 December, said that Council of Europe member states should consider decreasing legal electoral thresholds that are higher than 3 per cent and removing other obstacles, including high financial deposits, which bar minor parties or independent candidates from being represented on elected bodies.
17/11/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“Over the past few years we have been witnessing a strong resurgence of piracy at sea, and European states are comparatively powerless to cope with the scale of this phenomenon,” Birgen Keles (Turkey, SOC) emphasised at a hearing held today in Brussels by the PACE Political Affairs Committee. “Military deterrence has had a definite impact in curbing attacks, but cannot be the sole solution to the problem of piracy,” she added.