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Simon Moutquin (Belgium, SOC), visit to Türkiye

PACE rapporteur urges European leaders to increase solidarity with earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria

11/04/2023 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

Ending a three-day visit to Türkiye, Simon Moutquin (Belgium, SOC), PACE’s rapporteur on political strategies to prevent, prepare for, and face the consequences of natural disasters, has urged European political leaders to intensify solidarity with the victims: “We must stand by the people of...

Trade agreements should also be used to protect the environment and human rights, says PACE committee

17/03/2023 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

New trade and investment agreements should contain comprehensive provisions on sustainable development and the protection of fundamental rights, with strong enforcement which is commensurate with protecting investors, PACE’s Social Affairs Committee has said. Approving a report by Geraint Davies...

Climate change crisis global warming environment wind hurricane tornado tropical storm weather

Preventing, anticipating and dealing with natural disasters

17/03/2023 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

At a time when major hazards are becoming more numerous and more violent because of the Anthropocene, the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development called on States to be aware of the need to prevent, anticipate, take into account and monitor natural disasters, and to...

Health / AI
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Combating the commodification of and trafficking in tissues of human origin

26/01/2023 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

In a declaration unanimously adopted today, the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development expressed its concern about the potential commodification of substances of human origin in the context of the development and production of new therapeutic options, and their...

John Howell (United Kingdom, EC/DA)

The Council of Europe should pave the way towards international recognition of the crime of ecocide

02/12/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

The severe destruction or deterioration of nature “that could be qualified as ecocide” may occur in times of peace or war. It is therefore “necessary to codify this notion in both national legislations, as appropriate, and international law” the PACE Committee on Social Affairs said today, while...

Launch of "The Stadium", a film by Roland Edzard to raise awareness of sexual violence against children in sport

"The Stadium" – a new short film from PACE to raise awareness of the sexual abuse ​of children​ in sport

17/11/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

The Stadium, a powerful new short film which aims to raise awareness of sexual violence against children in sport, has been launched by PACE to coincide with the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Launched on the eve of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation...

Lord Foulkes moderating a public hearing on workers' rights in Qatar, on the eve of the 2022 World Cup, 13.10.22

PACE hearing on workers’ rights in Qatar on the eve of the World Cup: positive change but work still to do

13/10/2022 | Culture, Science, Education and Media

Participants at a PACE public hearing on workers’ rights in Qatar, held just a month before the 2022 World Cup kicks off, have agreed that reforms introduced as a result of the tournament have resulted in significant improvements for workers in the country – but that much more needs to be done...

Official award ceremony of the 2022 Europe Prize to the city of Izmir

Official award ceremony of the 2022 Europe Prize to the city of Izmir

24/09/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

On 24 September, the city of İzmir (Türkiye) held a ceremony to celebrate the official award of the Europe Prize 2022, in the agora of the ancient city of Smyrna and in the presence of a large public and local, regional and national representatives. On this occasion, Selin Sayek Böke, Chairperson...

Meeting of the PACE Committee on Social Affairs, İzmir (Türkiye)

Revisiting labour rights in the face of wide-ranging transformations in the world of work

22/09/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

Insofar as new technologies and the Covid-19 pandemic have radically transformed the world of work, the Social Affairs Committee considers it essential to increase flexibility in the organisation of work, in order to serve the new needs of workers, employers and the labour markets. The committee...

Drugs medicine

Securing safe medical supply chains

21/06/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development has expressed concern about the shortages of medical supplies that increased dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic, due to stockpiling, restrictions on exports, closed borders, and lockdowns. This phenomenon has tended to...

COVID-19
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Vaccination: prioritizing quality services and demystifying misconceptions

18/05/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

Addressing suboptimal vaccination coverage is a matter of human rights protection and should be a priority for Council of Europe member States, the PACE Social Affairs Committee has stressed. However, it noted “with alarm that the European Region has a higher-than-average percentage of negative...

Deinstitutionalisation of people with disabilities

It is time to stop putting persons with disabilities into institutions

17/03/2022 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

It is time to stop putting persons with disabilities into institutions, but rather to help them transition to supported independent living, says PACE’s Social Affairs Committee. Unanimously adopting a draft resolution, as well as a draft recommendation to governments, based on a report by Reina...