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Abolition of death penalty in Belarus, Supreme Court misses opportunity to quash death sentences

21/12/2017 | Political Affairs and Democracy

Yves Cruchten, General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, and Andrea Rigoni, rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, have denounced the upholding of two death sentences by the Supreme Court of Belarus.

An Ad hoc Committee on the role and mission of the Assembly

20/12/2017 | Bureau

At its last meeting, the Bureau decided to set up an ad hoc Committee on ‘The role and mission of the Parliamentary Assembly’. Its purpose is to make proposals to the Bureau on the implementation of the Resolution 2186.

Petra de Sutter on International Migration Day: “a crying shame for Europe”

18/12/2017 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation

“This year, International Migration Day is probably the most inglorious day for Europe”, today said Petra De Sutter (Belgium, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur on conditions of reception of refugees and migrants.

Coming election of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

18/12/2017 | Bureau

The Bureau took note of and declassified the report drawn up by the Sub-Committee on Human Rights on the hearing of the candidates to the post of Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights.

Request for urgent debate on Israeli-Palestinian peace process: the role of the Council of Europe

18/12/2017 | Political Affairs and Democracy

The proposal by Titus Corlatean to define the role that Europe could play in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was largely echoed by the Political Affairs Committee, which requested to hold an urgent debate.

Make the humanitarian situation of migrants a priority

15/12/2017 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation

On International Migrants’ Day (18 December), the committee calls on Council of Europe member States to put the humanitarian situation of migrants, refugees and IDPs back at the top of their agendas.

‘Open and honest dialogue with Russian parliamentarians,’ PACE President reports

15/12/2017 | President

Following a meeting of the Presidential Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly with members of the Russian Parliament in Paris on 14 December 2017, Stella Kyriakides reported that discussions had been 'open and honest'.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Constitution and Election Law must be amended without delay

15/12/2017 | Monitoring

While welcoming the progress made in a number of areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the committee remains concerned about the lack of progress in the field of constitutional reform and reform of the election law.

"Stifling LGBTI organisations’ free expression is harmful and a breach of fundamental rights"

14/12/2017 | Equality and Non-Discrimination

“The decision of the Ankara Governor’s Office to ban all events organised by LGBTI organisations within the province is stifling all forms of expression of LGBTI people”, said Piet De Bruyn, rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI people.

Libya: migration is a product of the instability in the country

14/12/2017 | Political Affairs and Democracy

In a discussion about the possible role of the Council of Europe in rebuilding of a “State” in Libya, the committee, along with experts, agreed that the priority is to put in place a minimal unified State.

Progress of the monitoring procedure (January – December 2017) and periodic review of four member States

13/12/2017 | Monitoring

The committee has adopted its annual report. It assesses the progress made by the ten countries under a monitoring procedure sensu stricto, as well as the three countries engaged in a post-monitoring dialogue.

Ending the trade in instruments of torture

12/12/2017 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

“A frightening arsenal of instruments of torture are still being manufactured, sold and marketed in a number of Council of Europe member States,” Vusal Huseynov told the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights today in Paris.