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COVID-19: ‘Let’s help the WHO help all of us’

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.

COVID-19: 'Pandemic should not be an excuse to muzzle the press', rapporteur warns

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.

PACE representatives welcome Ukraine prisoner exchange

17/04/2020 | News

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Ukraine, Dzhema Grozdanova and Alfred Heer, together with Dame Cheryl Gillan, Chairperson of PACE’s Political Affairs Committee, warmly welcomed the prisoner exchange between the Ukrainian authorities and the pro-Russian separatist forces in the self-proclaimed “republics” in Ukraine’s Donbass region taking place ahead of the Orthodox Easter.

COVID-19: Joint statement on the role of parliaments in a time of 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:

COVID-19: Refugees are in a vicious circle that make them particularly vulnerable

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.

COVID-19: Assembly President launches #PACEvoices

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.

COVID-19: rapporteurs welcome prisoner pardon in Azerbaijan, but call for release of all political prisoners

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.

COVID-19: ‘In defeating the evil of coronavirus, we must not open the door to an Orwellian future of...

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.

COVID-19 / International Roma Day – honouring resilience and resourcefulness in the face of anti-Gypsyism...

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.

COVID-19: ‘It is vital we improve the protection of whistle-blowers both during and after the coronavirus...

08/04/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

“It is a fact of society that there will always be whistle-blowers. Times of crisis show that we need them to safeguard our fundamental rights, but we also need them to enable us to prepare for and manage such situations more effectively,” said Sylvain Waserman.

COVID-19: monitors express concern at the possibility of an election for Polish President under full...

08/04/2020 | Monitoring

Pieter Omtzigt and Azadeh Rojhan Gustafsson have expressed their concern at the possibility that the May 2020 Presidential election in Poland will be organised by postal vote during a full lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as proposed in a draft law adopted by the Polish Sejm.

COVID-19 / World Health Day: President calls on member States to better protect those who protect us

07/04/2020 | President

“On this World Health Day, I call on all our countries to do everything in their power to ensure that the protection of the health, safety and psychological well-being of healthcare workers be made a top priority in the current response to COVID-19,” Rik Daems said.