30/04/2010 | Session
Migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons are at once a future workforce and a rich source of renewal for European economy, culture and society and, according to the Assembly, the Council of Europe needs to give a much higher priority to migration issues. The parliamentarians called for an integrated medium-term strategy on migration, asylum and displacement, one which focuses on protecting the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and helps them to integrate fully.
30/04/2010 | Session
PACE has welcomed progress made by Bulgaria since 2000 in fulfilling its Council of Europe obligations, but said in a unanimous resolution there were “a number of concerns and worrying trends” concerning the functioning of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, the freedom of the media and the rights of minorities.
29/04/2010 | Session
At the end of a debate on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, PACE today called on European States to guarantee "legal recognition of same-sex partnerships only when national legislation envisages such recognition" and provide for the possibility of "joint parental responsibility" for each partner's children “bearing in mind the interests of children”.
29/04/2010 | Session
In a resolution adopted today, based on the report by Marie-Louise Bemelmans-Videc (Netherlands, EPP/CD), the Assembly in particular stresses the key role parliaments can play in stemming the flood of applications submerging the European Court of Human Rights, for instance by carefully examining whether draft legislation is compatible with the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights and by keeping up the pressure on governments to execute Court judgments.
29/04/2010 | Session
PACE today decided to suspend its activities involving high-level contact with the Belarusian Parliament and/or the governmental authorities, having noted a “lack of progress” towards Council of Europe standards and a “lack of political will” on the part of the authorities to adhere to the Organisation’s values. The adopted text, which is based on a report by Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC), recalls the proposal set out last year by PACE to lift the suspension of the Belarusian Parliament’s special guest status provided that a moratorium is decreed on enforcement of the death penalty.
29/04/2010 | Session
The 2010 Europe Prize has been awarded to the Ukrainian town of Kharkiv. The decision was taken unanimously by PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs meeting today in Strasbourg. Kharkiv, which was already awarded the European Diploma in 2003, Flag of Honour in 2004 and the Plaque of Honour in 2008, is the first Ukrainian town to receive this award.
29/04/2010 | Session
"Equal, indivisible and assured security of all states should turn from a catchy slogan to reality," Sergey Lavrov, told Parliamentary Assembly on 29 April. The Russian Federation’s Foreign Affairs Minister warned against the "recurrence of nationalist attitudes," as he put forward the "principle of indivisible security" and outlined his vision for the common future of the "US-Europe-Russia triangle."
29/04/2010 | Session
Bosnia and Herzegovina must urgently launch an institutionalised process for preparing a comprehensive package of amendments to the Constitution – in particular to end the discrimination in elections to some bodies – PACE said in a resolution unanimously approved today. But the co-rapporteurs Kimmo Sasi (Finland, EPP/CD) and Karin Woldseth (Norway, EDG) spelled out that failure to do so could result in the possible suspension of the country’s parliamentary delegation or of its voting rights.
29/04/2010 | Session
Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), Chair of PACE’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, and John Greenway (United Kingdom, EDG), Chair of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population have expressed their shock and concern at the decision taken by the Slovak authorities to extradite Mustapha Labsi to Algeria on 19 April 2010, ignoring a binding interim measure ordered by the European Court of Human Rights that this applicant should not be extradited to Algeria.
29/04/2010 | Session
PACE has called on Council of Europe member states to introduce laws to protect “whistle-blowers”, people working in governments, organisations or companies who speak up to stop wrongdoing. Debating a report by Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), the Assembly said such laws – covering people in both the private and public sector – should define the kinds of unlawful acts that ought to be exposed, and give “whistle-blowers” protection against unfair dismissal, defamation or prosecution for breaching official secrets.
28/04/2010 | Session
In a resolution adopted today, the PACE strongly condemned “the cruel policies pursued by the Stalinist regime” which triggered the Great Famine in 1929 in the grain-growing areas of the former Soviet Union, culminating in 1932-33. PACE recommends establishing the full, un-biased and un-politicised truth about this human tragedy, and making it public.
28/04/2010 | Session
PACE today called on the Montenegrin authorities to "maintain the current reform dynamic in order to catch up with the deadlines" and complete the implementation of the remaining post-accession commitments. In the meantime it decided that the monitoring procedure with regard to Montenegro be continued. The unanimously adopted text, drawn up by the co-rapporteurs Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD) and Serhiy Holovaty (Ukraine, ALDE), welcomes the country’s substantial progress in implementing its commitments since accession to the Council of Europe in 2007.