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Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe Reykjavik (Iceland) 16-17 May 2023

The parliamentary dimension of the Summit: PACE Standing Committee met in the Icelandic capital

15/05/2023 | Standing Committee

The Parliamentary Assembly has put all its political weight in support of the Summit, pushing for it to be held and providing a substantive input to it though a host of texts, including its Recommendation 2245 (2023) on ‘The Reykjavík Summit of the Council of Europe - United around values in the...

PACE Standing Committee in Reykjavik

The parliamentary dimension of the Summit: PACE Standing Committee met in the Icelandic capital

12/05/2023 | Standing Committee

The Parliamentary Assembly has put all its political weight in support of the Summit, pushing for it to be held and providing a substantive input to it though a host of texts, including its Recommendation 2245 (2023) on ‘The Reykjavík Summit of the Council of Europe - United around values in the...

Lesia Vasylenko

PACE committee urges action to safeguard democracy and enhance democratic security and strengthen...

12/05/2023 | Political Affairs and Democracy

PACE’s Political Affairs Committee emphasised the importance of preventing conflicts and promoting democratic security in light of the rising number of armed conflicts globally and in Europe, particularly the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The committee underlined the Council's role as “a...

Damien Cottier

At Bern conference, speakers stress need for core democratic standards even in times of crisis

10/05/2023 | Election observation

Keynote speakers, in a series of addresses to the parliamentary conference on “elections in times of crisis” in Bern, have highlighted the fragility of democratic institutions, and the central importance of maintaining core democratic standards even in unprecedented crisis situations. Introducing...

Rasťo Kužel

A set of ideas for keeping elections fair in times of emergency, crisis or disaster

10/05/2023 | Election observation

In a final declaration approved at the end of the two-day “Elections in times of crisis” conference in Berne, Switzerland, participants have set out a range of ideas and proposals for governments, election organisers and observers on how to make elections more resilient in the face of health...

Guðni Th. JÓHANNESSON, President of Iceland

President of Iceland addresses the Parliamentary Assembly

27/04/2023 | Session

The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, commended the Parliamentary Assembly for its swift response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We must continue to condemn this violation of international law and norms. Therefore, let us all hope that the Reykjavík summit next month will deliver...

Debate under urgent procedure: Deportations and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children and other civilians to Russian Federation or to Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied: create conditions for their safe return, stop these crimes and punish the perpetrators, intervention of : Mrs Olena ZELENSKA, First Lady of Ukraine (online)

The forcible transfer and ‘russification’ of Ukrainian children shows evidence of genocide, says PACE

27/04/2023 | Session

PACE has demanded the safe return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia or territory it temporarily occupies, as well as punishment of those who carried it out at all levels – pointing out that the documented evidence of this practice matches with the international definition of...

Current affairs debate

Russia’s role in escalating tensions in the Republic of Moldova

27/04/2023 | Session

"If there is one lesson to be drawn from the current sanguinary page of European history written by the Russian Federation, it is that appeasement is not an option. The aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is not only a brutal, illegal, unjustified and unjustifiable war of...

Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

Icelandic Foreign Minister: Ukraine, core values high on agenda at Reyjkavik Summit

25/04/2023 | Session

“Support and solidarity with Ukraine is one of the main priorities of our Presidency and we have worked hard to ensure that the outcome of the Reykjavík Summit in May further strengthens our collective resolve,” said Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland...

Ms Síofra O'LEARY President of the European Court of Human Rights

The Reykjavik Summit is the response of the member States to the Russian Federation’s aggression against...

25/04/2023 | Session

"The Russian Federation is writing a bloody page in European history, waging a barbaric war of aggression to achieve its imperialistic objectives. It is exactly because our deepest values are being trampled upon that we must reaffirm our identity. The Reykjavik Summit is the response of the...

Hearing on sport

Strong views at a PACE hearing on whether athletes from Russia and Belarus should be excluded from the...

25/04/2023 | Culture, Science, Education and Media

A PACE parliamentary hearing on excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes from taking part in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics brought together key players from all sides of the debate, and heard a range of strong views on the topic. The event, which took place during the Assembly’s...

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Spring plenary Session: the situation of Ukrainian civilians, including children, forcibly displaced to...

24/04/2023 | Session

An urgent debate on "The situation of Ukrainian civilians, including children, forcibly displaced or transferred to the Russian Federation or Ukrainian territories under the de facto control of the Russian Federation", with the online intervention of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, was one...