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COVID-19: monitors welcome EU Council decision to open membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia

26/03/2020 | Monitoring

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Albania, Joe O’Reilly and Petter Eide, and the co-rapporteur for post-monitoring dialogue with North Macedonia, Lise Christoffersen, welcome the decision by the Council of the EU to open membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

COVID-19: Rapporteurs insist on free movement for OSCE monitors in the Donbass

26/03/2020 | Monitoring

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Ukraine, Dzhema Grozdanova and Alfred Heer, have expressed their serious concern at restrictions on the freedom of movement of OSCE monitors by illegally-armed formations in the Donbass region.

COVID-19: ‘Member States must provide humanitarian aid to refugees in camps', says Migration Committee head

25/03/2020 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation

"In the current extreme health situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, member States cannot neglect the terrible plight of refugees in camps and must provide humanitarian assistance to refugees in great need," said Pierre-Alain Fridez.

COVID-19: In times of crisis, parliamentary democracy cannot be put 'on hold'

25/03/2020 | Political Affairs and Democracy

“Democracy and parliamentary scrutiny of governments, even if exercised through new means, must be protected during the COVID-19 pandemic,” warns Dame Cheryl Gillan, Chairperson of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy.

COVID-19: Rapporteurs outraged by the Azerbaijani government’s reliance on the pandemic to justify...

25/03/2020 | Monitoring

Sunna Ævarsdottir, Sir Roger Gale and Stefan Schennach responded to reports that President Ilham Aliyev, in his speech to mark the Nowruz holiday, had proposed the “isolation” of the country’s political opposition as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19: President urges states to abide by the ECHR when responding to the crisis

24/03/2020 | President

Rik Daems, the President of the PACE, has urged European governments to abide strictly by the European Convention on Human Rights when adopting emergency measures to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

General Rapporteur welcomes Colorado’s decision to abolish the death penalty

24/03/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Titus Corlăţean, General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, has welcomed the decision of the State of Colorado to abolish the death penalty and to commute the sentences of persons on death row to life sentences.

COVID-19: ‘Put safety of women at the heart of all measures to tackle coronavirus’ says Rapporteur

23/03/2020 | Equality and Non-Discrimination

Countering violence against women must remain a priority for policy-makers and legislators during the COVID-19 crisis, according to Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, the General Rapporteur on Violence against Women.

COVID-19: PACE Spring session is cancelled due to the Coronavirus

20/03/2020 | Session

The Spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly, which had been scheduled for 20-24 April 2020, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak.

Anti-racism day: Afrophobia is still rife in Europe and beyond, warns general rapporteur

20/03/2020 | Equality and Non-Discrimination

On 21 March 1960, 69 people were killed by police forces in Sharpeville, South Africa, while peacefully protesting against apartheid laws. Sixty years later, Afrophobia, or racism against people of African descent, is still rife in Europe and beyond,” said Momodou Malcolm Jallow.

COVID-19: Spring session cancelled; Standing Committee meeting postponed

20/03/2020 | Session

The Spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly, which had been scheduled for 20-24 April 2020, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak.

Rapporteur welcomes Azerbaijan's release of Afgan Mukhtarli, calls for immediate action on all cases of...

18/03/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Sunna Ævarsdottir, rapporteur for follow-up to PACE Resolution 2322 (2020) on “reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan”, has welcomed yesterday's release by the Azerbaijani authorities of Afgan Mukhtarli,