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.
10/09/2004 | President
In a letter to the Presidents of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Senate, Assembly President Peter Schieder expressed his support for the families of Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, who have been taken hostage in Iraq. "It is with a feeling of outrage that I turn to you to express the Parliamentary Assembly members’ full solidarity with the steps taken by the Italian authorities to secure the release of Simona Pari and Simona Torretta. This cowardly act is particularly horrible in view of the dedication of these two young Italian citizens, whose work and presence alleviated the daily sufferings of the Iraqi people. At this difficult time, please convey to the Pari and Torretta families the Parliamentary Assembly’s support, the solidarity of 800 million European citizens and the unanimous demand of all advocates of freedom for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages."
06/09/2004 | President
Jan Petersen, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, and Terry Davis, Secretary General of the 45-nation Council of Europe, today expressed the "horror felt within the Council of Europe" following the tragedy in Beslan. "This barbaric act – which has shocked us all the more as it targeted what is most precious to us, our children – has ended in a dreadful bloodbath. There are no words strong enough to express our consternation, nor our feelings of friendship and solidarity towards the Russian people, the families of the victims and the country’s authorities," they said.