21/03/2007 | Session
A special, all-day debate on the state of human rights and democracy in Europe – with contributions from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the heads of the main Council of Europe human rights monitoring mechanisms, as well as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch – will be the main highlight of the Assembly’s spring plenary session (16-20 April 2007). Also on the draft Order of Business, made public today, are Montenegro’s accession to the Council of Europe, a monitoring report on Azerbaijan, and fair trial issues in criminal cases concerning espionage or divulging state secrets.
26/01/2007 | Session
Responding to European citizens wish to reduce industrial and technological risks to the minimum, PACE called for an agreement that would minimize risks without unduly restricting research and innovation. The parliamentarians asked the public authorities to respect freedom of research allowing responsible risk-taking yet encouraging a culture of precaution. To that end, the Assembly addressed a list of recommendations to member States governments, the academic world, research institutions and industry.
16/01/2007 | Session
A debate on the current situation in Kosovo on Wednesday 24 January, with the participation of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on the future status process for Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, is one of the highlights of the PACE Winter Session (Strasbourg, 22-26 January 2007). His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is due to address the Assembly on Monday 22 January, as a contribution to intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, one of the priorities of PACE President René van der Linden. Also invited to address the Assembly are the Prime Ministers of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, and Greece, Kostas Karamanlis.
19/12/2006 | Session
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Princess Caroline of Hanover, as well as the Prime Ministers of Belgium and Greece will address PACE’s winter session in Strasbourg (22-26 January 2007). Princess Caroline of Hanover, President of the World Association of Children's Friends will speak at a debate on child victims: violence, exploitation and abuse. A debate is also scheduled on the current situation in Kosovo, with the participation of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. Urgent debates have been requested on threats to the lives and freedom of expression of journalists, and on current tensions between Russia and Georgia. Other topics for discussion include fair trial issues in criminal cases concerning espionage or divulging state secrets, the peril of using energy supply as an instrument of political pressure, HIV/AIDS in Europe as well as the honouring of obligations and commitments by Albania and Armenia.
06/10/2006 | Session
PACE today debated the economic development of Russia, pointing out that the country had come a "long, difficult way" in its efforts to stabilise its economy, succeeding in the last seven years where many thought it would not. However, significant income disparities, wide gaps in regional development and a continuing lack of diversification still represented "serious obstacles" to lasting economic growth, the parliamentarians said in a resolution. Referring to energy supply to Europe, they also said the "rules should not be changed during the game" and that energy should be guaranteed on purely commercial terms.
12/09/2006 | Session
A debate on the situation in the Balkans – with the participation of Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Serbian President Boris Tadic – will be a highlight of PACE’s Autumn Session (2-6 October 2006). Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány will also address the Assembly. Topics due to be debated include implementation of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, the cultural situation of the Kurds, the establishment of a European remembrance centre for the victims of ethnic cleansing, and the need to reconcile work and family life.
26/06/2006 | Session
At a press conference today in Strasbourg, PACE President René van der Linden expressed shock and sadness at reports of the brutal killing of four Russian diplomats previously kidnapped in Iraq. If true, he said, this revealed "the bloody logic of Terror" and he condemned this act on behalf of the Assembly. It was a top priority for the democratic world to fight terror by all lawful means and he urged member states to sign and ratify the Convention against terrorism. He also called for the state of human rights in Europe to be a matter for significant debate in the Assembly each year. To this end he referred to a major new initiative whereby the Council would develop a system for reporting annually on the level of respect for human rights amongst all member states and any important relevant political issues could be highlighted. He hoped this would catalyse debate in national parliaments.
16/06/2006 | Session
With effect of 3 June 2006, the Republic of Serbia is continuing the membership of Serbia and Montenegro in the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mateo Sorinas, has sent a letter to the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament inviting him to appoint a delegation, which will be composed of seven representatives and seven substitutes. The request for membership of the Republic of Montenegro in the Council of Europe has been formally transmitted by the organisations’ Committee of Ministers to the Assembly for opinion.
13/04/2006 | Session
Any agreement with the EU should acknowledge the Council of Europe as "the benchmark for human rights in Europe", PACE said today. Proposing ideas for inclusion in the coming memorandum of understanding between the two organisations, the parliamentarians said the EU should accede to the European Convention on Human Rights, avoid duplication by taking account of Council of Europe work – notably in its Neighbourhood Policy – and consider drafting standards together. It should also “take full account” of the personal report presented by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday.
04/04/2006 | Session
Relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union will be a major theme of PACE's Spring session, which takes place in Strasbourg from 10 to 13 April 2006. The Assembly will be addressed on Tuesday by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who will present his report on this subject, Romanian Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, representing the chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, the Federal Chancellor of Austria Wolfgang Schüssel, President of the Council of the European Union, and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
22/03/2006 | Session
A call to stop trafficking in women before the World Cup as well as debates on the human rights of members of the armed forces, on combating the resurrection of nazi ideology and on the situation in the Middle East are among the highlights of PACE's Spring Session (Strasbourg, 10-13 April 2006). Also on the draft order of business – adopted by the Assembly's Bureau this week – is a debate on relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union, and addresses by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker. The Assembly will decide its final agenda only at the opening of the session.
25/01/2006 | Session
PACE today strongly condemned the massive human rights violations committed by totalitarian communist regimes and expressed sympathy, understanding and recognition for the victims of these crimes. The Assembly said these violations included individual and collective assassinations and executions, death in concentration camps, starvation, deportations, torture, slave labour and other forms of mass physical terror.