09/11/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon and the EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle, meeting yesterday in Brussels, have agreed a series of steps to deepen co-operation and enhance co-ordination between PACE and the European Commission. They agreed to meet much more regularly – every two months, beginning in December – to discuss current issues.
07/11/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon this morning congratulated Barack Obama on his re-election as President of the United States of America. “I send my heartfelt congratulations to President Obama on his re-election and wish him every success. Throughout his first term of office, he has placed social justice, equality and solidarity at the very centre of his actions; these are the same values which guide the activities of the Council of Europe. President Obama has given a commitment to continue along this path over the coming four years."
07/11/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon spoke this morning in Brussels in favour of closer co-operation between PACE and the European Parliament, particularly as regards specific issues of respect for fundamental rights in states both within the European Union and beyond. The President also called for the EU’s speedy accession to the European Convention on Human Rights in order to “fill a gap in the European human rights safeguards”.
30/10/2012 | President
At the close of their official visit to Tunisia, Edmond Panariti, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania, and Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly – accompanied by Venice Commission President Gianni Buquicchio – called on Tunisian authorities to push ahead with the on-going constitutional reform “so as firmly to establish the foundations of a democratic and pluralistic society in which the rights and freedoms of all individuals are respected...”
26/10/2012 | President
Edmond Panariti, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania, and PACE President, Jean-Claude Mignon, will make an official visit to Tunisia on 29 and 30 October 2012. Meetings are to be held with the President of the Republic, the President of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), the head of the government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the leaders of the political parties represented in the NCA and representatives of the country’s civil society.
22/10/2012 | President
PACE President, Jean-Claude Mignon, today issued a call for calm and restraint after the outbreak of violence in Beirut following the funeral of General Wissam al Hassan: “I have sent a letter to the Lebanese Ambassador expressing the Assembly’s wholehearted sympathy and unfailing support following last Friday’s cowardly bomb attack in Beirut.
12/10/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon this morning welcomed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union (EU). “I welcome the Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU for its contribution to the promotion of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe..."
10/10/2012 | President
“Our institutional interaction is, in fact, our forte,” said Jean-Claude Mignon, the PACE President, during an exchange of views with the Ministers’ Deputies today in Strasbourg. He advocated increasing the synergy between the Organisation’s two statutory organs in the monitoring field.
09/10/2012 | President
Following his interview with Bernard Cazeneuve, French Minister responsible for European Affairs, which was held during the World Forum for Democracy, the PACE President welcomed the fact that the Minister had voiced a wish to consolidate dialogue between the French delegation to the PACE and the Government within a context devoid of any partisan spirit.
05/10/2012 | President
“As a parliamentarian I set great store by youth participation in politics. It is very important that the younger generation has access to political mandates at the national and European levels in order to tackle the problem of young people’s lack of trust in political leaders. But that it not enough: we must also develop formal and informal participatory democracy mechanisms so that all interested youngsters can participate in the decision-making process”, said Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), at the opening of the PACE Youth Assembly in Strasbourg.
27/09/2012 | President
What challenges are young people facing in a democracy ? How can they contribute to the development of more democratic and more inclusive societies in Europe? These topics will be debated from 5 to 7 October in Strasbourg by PACE members and around 170 young people, on the occasion of the Youth Assembly 2012, organised by PACE in co-operation with the European Youth Foundation and the Youth sector of the Council of Europe.
27/09/2012 | President
"I was disappointed to learn this morning that Mr Naryshkin, the Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, has cancelled his participation in the October part-session to be held in Strasbourg next week,” PACE President, Jean-Claude Mignon, said today. “During this part-session we will be examining a report on the honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation, the first such report in seven years. Our exchange of views with Mr Naryshkin would have allowed us make a political assessment of Russia's participation in the work of the Council of Europe, while together identifying tangible means of further reinforcing our co-operation, including on issues that are still causing debate...