02/05/2008 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC), Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) rapporteur on media freedom, reminded European governments and parliaments on the eve of Press Freedom Day to do more for the respect of freedom of expression and information in the media. “The expression of critical opinions is an essential condition of democracy. We therefore need more lively political debates in the media. Media legislation must respect this democratic freedom”, he said.
29/04/2008 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
PACE rapporteur on media freedom, Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC), today expressed concern at a legislative initiative adopted last Friday by the Russian State Duma. “This revision of the Russian media law will allow courts to impose more severe criminal sanctions against media which report negatively on high state officials. Media outlets could even be closed. The current media law in Russia is already very severe in penalising defamation of the President, Prime Minister and other senior state officials. An increase in penalties would risk violating the requirement of proportionality under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights," he said.
17/04/2008 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
PACE's Rapporteur on the media Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC) today called on the Belarus authorities to investigate police brutality against journalists reporting on a peaceful demonstration in Minsk on 25 March. In a statement Lord McIntosh - who also chairs PACE's Sub-committee on the Media - gave his support to the “constructive criticism” of a new draft law on information currently being discussed in the Belarus Parliament, submitted by the Belarusian Association of Journalists. A representative of the association briefed the sub-committee on the media situation in the country at a public hearing yesterday.
20/12/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Viewing the 1,000-square-metre 19th century “Bergisel Panorama” in the rotunda built for it in central Innsbruck is an important part of the experience, according to PACE's general rapporteur on cultural heritage. Eddie O’Hara (United Kingdom, SOC) was invited to look into the question following concerns expressed over the possible relocation of the panorama, which commemorates the third battle in 1809 between Tyrolean and united Napoleonic forces.
11/12/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
“Political leaders are responsible for ensuring that culture is handed down to future generations at school. It is therefore essential to promote the teaching of major examples of European literature in senior secondary schools and all study courses” said Jacques Legendre (France, EPP/CD), Chair of the PACE Committee on Culture, Science and Education, at the opening of a colloquy on the teaching of European literature being held by the Committee at the French Senate.
10/12/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Is there such a thing as a “European” literature which can be taught to students? How is this affected by the politics of translation and distribution? Could there be a “common textbook” for young Europeans on their shared literary heritage?
01/10/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
What is the added value of e-learning? How are the citizens of the Council of Europe member states to be guaranteed access to it? These questions will be central to the first electronic conference which PACE Committee on Culture, Science and Education is to organise on 1 October in Strasbourg .
04/07/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
“It is with great relief that we have learned of the release of the BBC journalist Alan Johnston”, said Robert Walter, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on the Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today. “Alan Johnston has been held hostage in Gaza since 12 March by a terrorist group which claimed religious legitimacy. As the Sub-Committee on the Media stated last week, holding an innocent person hostage for alleged political reasons is a grave violation of universal human values.
29/06/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
PACE’s Sub-committee on the Media has again called on the kidnappers of BBC journalist Alan Johnston to immediately release him. Meeting on the fringes of the Assembly’s plenary, the sub-committee asked all Palestinian authorities to do their utmost to ensure his safe release. “Holding an innocent person hostage for alleged political reasons is a grave violation of universal human values,” the parliamentarians said.
04/05/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Speaking at the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education in Istanbul on 4 May, Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg, ALDE) recalled on behalf of PACE that ignorance – both of human rights and of cultural diversity – was at the root of most negative attitudes towards different persons and cultures. “The full implementation of existing human rights in everyday life is an unfinished task. Human rights can most effectively be maintained when they are embedded in the culture of all citizens, which requires adequate cultural and education policies by all member states and the Council of Europe, including teacher training, professional training for journalists, training for civil servants in contact with the public as well as continuing training for politicians,” she stressed. She finally called for education to become a major leverage tool in the European process and said that education for Europe should be one of the main aims of European co-operation.
16/04/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
In a statement adopted today, PACE’s Sub-Committee on the Media said it was “deeply concerned” for the safety of the BBC reporter Alan Johnston, kidnapped a month ago in Gaza. Meeting on the fringe of the Assembly’s plenary session in Strasbourg, the sub-committee called on the kidnappers to release him immediately. This was echoed by the Chair of PACE's Culture Committee, Jacques Legendre, who added that "enough was enough" and that there could be no democracy without freedom of expression.
21/03/2007 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Eddie O’Hara (United Kingdom, SOC), rapporteur on the cultural heritage in the South Caucasus for PACE, has welcomed the announcement of the opening on 29 March of the Armenian Akhtamar Church on Lake Van in Turkey, following extensive restoration funded by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. “The involvement of the Turkish Government, the Armenian Church authorities, experts from Turkish and international universities and local contractors is an outstanding example of how co-operation can help save the rich cultural heritage of this region,” said Mr O’Hara. “It now remains to work on access to the site, on its landscape surroundings and on the uses to which the restored site as a whole can be put.” He said he hoped the Armenian authorities will be able to participate in the opening.