24/04/2020 | News
Referring to their previous statements, the monitoring co-rapporteurs for Turkey Thomas Hammarberg and John Howell, as well as Boriss Cilevičs, rapporteur on “Should politicians be prosecuted for statements made in the exercise of their mandates?”, have welcomed the adoption on 14 April of the Criminal Enforcement Law, allowing the early or conditional release of 90 000 prisoners to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in overcrowded prisons, but have regretted its discriminatory approach with regard to certain groups of prisoners.
24/04/2020 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC), General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on media freedom and the protection of journalists, and Frank Schwabe (Germany, SOC), rapporteur on “the continuing need to restore human rights and the rule of law in the North...
23/04/2020 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
The new Handbook for parliamentarians on the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) is now available. The handbook aims to strengthen parliamentary knowledge about the convention and to support parliamentarians...
23/04/2020 | President
Rik Daems, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, spells out the red lines no democracy should cross, even in a crisis – and warns that the COVID-19 emergency measures fast-tracked by governments around Europe should not become “the new normal”.
20/04/2020 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“I call on all member States of the Council of Europe and all relevant partners to step up and support the World Health Organization, both morally and financially, in a spirit of global solidarity,” declared Luís Leite Ramos.
17/04/2020 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Stefan Schennach, General Rapporteur on media freedom and the safety of journalists for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, expressed concern about restrictions on press freedom in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
16/04/2020 | President
The Presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) issued the following joint statement:
14/04/2020 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
The special session of the UN Security Council on 9 April rightfully emphasised the severe repercussions of the Covid 19 pandemic on civilian populations in conflict zones.
14/04/2020 | President
The PACE President today launched a new hashtag initiative #PACEvoices to interact with his fellow MPs - as well as a larger public - on social media in times of physical distancing.
09/04/2020 | News
The co-rapporteurs on the monitoring of Azerbaijan, Stefan Schennach and Sir Roger Gale, along with the rapporteur on reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, Sunna Ævarsdottir, have welcomed the Presidential Decree issued by President Aliyev pardoning 176 prisoners aged over 65 in need of special care due to their age and state of health, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
09/04/2020 | President
“Until enough people have been vaccinated against this coronavirus, we must limit its spread. One way is to track-and-trace infected people and those whom they meet. But this has huge privacy implications and will need very careful regulation to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law,” said Rik Daems.
08/04/2020 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“Today, even as we celebrate the resilience, resourcefulness and rich culture of Roma and Traveller communities, political leaders and all members of society must strengthen their commitment to combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination,” said Momodou Malcolm Jallow.