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Bern, opening speech

Conference on ‘elections in times of crisis’ opens in Bern

09/05/2023 | Election observation

A major parliamentary conference on “elections in times of crisis” opened this morning in Bern, Switzerland, focusing on how to make democracies more resilient in the face of pandemics, warfare, terror attacks, natural disasters and new digital technologies. The event, organised by the...

PACE Secretary General meeting with heads of IEOM partner organisations meet in Bern, Switzerland

Election observer partners meet to discuss co-operation

08/05/2023 | Election observation

Representatives of institutional partners who work together in the framework of International Election Observation Missions (IEOM) met in Bern, Switzerland, today to renew links and discuss reinforcing co-operation. Taking part in the meeting - hosted by PACE Secretary General Despina...

Freedom of the press is at risk
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‘Europe is unfortunately not a safe haven for media freedom’ says PACE General Rapporteur

03/05/2023 | Culture, Science, Education and Media

“Europe is unfortunately not a safe haven for media freedom, and this needs to change. Council of Europe member States should enforce the standards that they have endorsed and commit themselves more at international level to uphold media freedom; it is time to act!” said Mogens Jensen (Denmark...

Andrej Hunko

San Marino: PACE encourages the authorities to strengthen the effectiveness of direct democracy

28/04/2023 | Session

PACE today lauded San Marino for its “wide and impressive range of institutional consultation mechanisms and instruments of direct democracy” while expressing concern about the numerous reports that indicate that these consultation mechanisms are “not always used as foreseen by law, or that its...

Yevheniia Kravchuk, (Ukraine, ALDE)

PACE emphasizes importance of safe social media use for youth in promoting democratic engagement and...

28/04/2023 | Session

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has emphasised the importance of ensuring safe social media use for young people “to promote youth participation in social, economic and political life via the media”. In a resolution based on the report by Fiona O’Loughlin (Ireland, ALDE...

Václav Havel Human Rights Price
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2023 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize: two extra months to submit nominations

28/04/2023 | Prizes

The deadline for the submission of nominations for the 2023 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize has been extended by two months. The new deadline is 30 June 2023. The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize is awarded annually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in partnership with the...

Constantinos EFSTATHIOU

PACE urges States to fulfill legal obligations by implementing judgments of the Strasbourg Court

27/04/2023 | Session

Adopting a resolution on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, based on a report presented by Constantinos Efstathiou (Cyprus, SOC), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expressed its concern about the delays in implementing the Court's...

Border crossing between Belarus and Lithuania
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Lithuania: rapporteur on pushbacks expresses grave concerns about the legality of amendments to new border...

27/04/2023 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), Rapporteur on Pushbacks on land and sea: illegal measures of migration management, has made the following statement: “On 25 April 2023, the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania approved the amendments to the Law on the State Border and its Protection...

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...

Digital media and newspapers
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Closing the digital divide: PACE committee proposes measures to address inequalities in access to technology

27/04/2023 | Equality and Non-Discrimination

Increasing reliance on digital technologies in all fields of life risks leaving behind people who are unfamiliar with or do not have full access to all the necessary tools, exacerbating existing inequalities in society and creating new ones. Calling on States to take comprehensive measures to...

Ankara, Turkey
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PACE Türkiye monitors react to recent police raids in the country

27/04/2023 | Monitoring

The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Türkiye, John Howell (United Kingdom, EC/DA) and Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC), have reacted to recent police raids in the country targeting politicians, lawyers, journalists and civil society...

Covid-19 - Woman
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Public health emergency: the need for a holistic approach to multilateralism and health care

27/04/2023 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, "new public health emergencies linked to the climate crisis, coupled with dwindling biodiversity, are waiting to unfold, and will likely hit the world unexpectedly", the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable underlined.  Unanimously adopting a draft...