29/10/2004 | President
Foreign Minister of Norway, Jan Petersen, in his capacity as Chairman of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder and Secretary General of the 46-nation Organisation Terry Davis welcomed the signing of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in Rome today as a significant step in the European integration process.
25/10/2004 | President
“May I say how much I personally admire you individually for your outstanding commitment and for the untiring energy that you devote to living and promoting human rights and peace,” PACE President Peter Schieder told the 2004 North-South Prize winners, Mrs Nawal El Saadawi and Ambassador Stéphane Hessel at a ceremony organized in Lisbon today. “Europe’s place and credibility, but also its stability in this world, depends on its capacity to dialogue and to establish or strengthen links with other continents. I believe that Europe has a major role to play in the construction of a solid interdependence and a world in which peace, security and dignity would be a human right for everybody and where the resources of the planet would be managed with intelligence and wisdom,” he said.
22/10/2004 | President
"Tomorrow’s elections are a very important moment for Kosovo,” said PACE President Peter Schieder today. He called on all communities to take part, reiterating that – for Kosovo Serbs in particular - this was their chance to “have a say in their own future”. Reiterating his statement earlier this month, Mr Schieder said: “This is a chance for Kosovo Serbs to protect their legitimate rights and interests and a chance to build a decent life for themselves and their families, together with all other inhabitants in Kosovo.”
20/10/2004 | President
PACE President Peter Schieder has condemned the reported arrests of at least 30 persons, including opposition leaders, at rallies of opponents of President Lukashenko. "These arrests clearly illustrate that the 17 October elections, which fell significantly short of international commitments for democratic elections, and the illegal referendum, have taken Belarus yet further away from European standards," he said.
18/10/2004 | President
During his official visit to Romania (17-19 October) Assembly President Peter Schieder met with the President, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the President of the Senate. He also attended a ceremony at the National School for Political and Administration Studies (NSPAS), during which he was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa. Peter Schieder stressed that it was no exaggeration to say that the enlightened and high level education that NSPAS have dispensed to its future leaders has helped to shape the transition of Romanian society from the darkest days of dictatorial rule to an era of the highest democratic standards, respect for human rights, and the rule of law - the essential values enshrined in the Statute of the Council of Europe.
08/10/2004 | President
“The case for sparing the life of the cold-blooded murderers of Beslan, Moscow, Madrid, and elsewhere is neither easy nor a popular one to make. But the Council of Europe is opposed to the death penalty in all its forms, even for the most appalling criminals of this world. Human rights apply to every one of us, without exception”, was the message of Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder to participants in the 2nd World Congress against the death penalty, which took place in Montreal from 6 to 9 October.
04/10/2004 | President
On 4 October, PACE President Peter Schieder made the following statement: “We express our deep concern at recent news from Belarus about arbitrary arrests of opposition politicians, blatant violations of freedom of expression and the repression of independent media in the run up to the legislative elections to be held on 17 October. We urge the Belarusian authorities to do their utmost to guarantee free and fair elections. It must be ensured that all candidates have the same chances. According to my information, one party was already dissolved; others have received warnings and might be de-registered."
30/09/2004 | President
'Today’s green light by the Russian Government for the Kyoto Protocol is excellent news,' said PACE President Peter Schieder. The Assembly is due to debate global warming during its plenary session next week in Strasbourg. 'Russia – and those other states which have taken this step – are doing the right thing for humanity. I now call on the State Duma to ratify the protocol as soon as possible, paving the way for its entry into force.', he added.
28/09/2004 | President
PACE President Peter Schieder today expressed profound relief at the liberation of Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, two Italian female aid workers held hostage in Iraq for three weeks. At the same time, he repeated his call for the unconditional release of all the other hostages in Iraq.
23/09/2004 | President
"My home country, Austria, has eight million inhabitants. Today, in Africa alone, there are fourteen million children orphaned by AIDS. I am saying these numbers aloud, because they help me to put this tragedy into a proper perspective," PACE President told participants at the African-European parliamentary consultation on children orphaned by AIDS in Africa, organised in Cape Town on 23 September. "For my part, I intend to make an initiative for a report by the Assembly in form of a critical analysis of wider Europe’s contribution, so far, to the efforts to alleviate the humanitarian, social and economic consequences caused by the AIDS epidemic in Africa. I will also call for a set of clear and concrete recommendations on how Europe should proceed in the future, in order to make its help more focused and efficient. Finally, I will personally make sure that the question of help for Africa’s children orphaned by AIDS is put on the agenda of my parliament in Vienna," he concluded.
20/09/2004 | President
PACE President Peter Schieder will take part in an “African-European parliamentary consultation on children orphaned by AIDS in Africa” (22-24 September, Cape Town) alongside South African President Thabo Mbeki, Pan-African Parliament President Gertrude Mongella (who is also due to address the Assembly during its October session in Strasbourg) and former UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson. Mr Schieder will also be representing the Council of Europe’s North-South Centre. The consultation, organised by the North-South Centre, AWEPA “European Parliamentarians for Africa” and the Dutch presidency of the EU, will focus on the reality for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children, practical action and parliamentary monitoring, as well as re-prioritising the international agenda.
14/09/2004 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Peter Schieder today expressed great concern over the Belarusian President’s decision to hold, in parallel with the parliamentary elections on 17 October 2004, a referendum on allowing a president to run without limitations in future presidential elections. “While we cannot deny the right of the Belarusian authorities to hold a referendum in this context, we urge them to ensure that it be held in conformity with Council of Europe standards, as also stressed by the EU Council," he said.