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PACE Standing Committee to meet in Monaco
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PACE Standing Committee met in Monaco

22/05/2026 | Standing Committee

The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which acts in the name of the Assembly between sessions and brings together around 60 parliamentarians from the Council of Europe’s 46 member states, met in Monaco on Friday 22 May 2026. On 15 May, Monaco began...

Georgia: democratic backsliding and crackdown on opposition and civil society continue, says PACE committee

Georgia: democratic backsliding and crackdown on opposition and civil society continue, says PACE committee

21/05/2026 | Monitoring

The Monitoring Committee has expressed “serious concerns about the democratic breakdown and deep political and social crisis” in Georgia, warning that “the democratic backsliding has continued unabated as has the crackdown on civil society, political opposition and dissent”. In a draft resolution...

Lasting peace and stability in Iran cannot be achieved in the absence of respect for human rights, committee says

Lasting peace and stability in Iran cannot be achieved in the absence of respect for human rights...

21/05/2026 | Political Affairs and Democracy

The Committee on Political Affairs, meeting in Paris on 20 May, strongly condemned “the brutal, murderous and systematic repression of the protests” that began in Iran in December 2025 and the intensification of this repression since the beginning of the armed conflict in February 2026 with...

PACE President Petra Bayr

Petra Bayr welcomes UN General Assembly resolution reinforcing states’ climate obligations and the right to...

21/05/2026 | President

The adoption yesterday by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on climate change sends a strong and timely message: climate action and human rights are inseparable. The resolution reaffirms that states have obligations under...

Deborah / Bergamini / Italy

Committee warns of risks but highlights democratic potential of AI

21/05/2026 | Political Affairs and Democracy

PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy has adopted a draft report stressing that artificial intelligence (AI) brings both major opportunities and serious risks for democratic systems, while warning that “efforts to ensure that AI systems are safe and regulated by democratic governance...

Serbia: a committee raises concerns about respect for the principles of democracy, rule of law and public...

21/05/2026 | Monitoring

The Monitoring Committee, meeting in Sarajevo on 19 May, welcomed the progress made by Serbia as regards the reform of the judiciary and prosecution services since its accession to the Council of Europe in 2003, in particular the adoption of amendments to the Constitution in February 2022 and of...

PACE committee calls for a debate on migration in Europe and the follow up to the Chişinău Declaration

PACE committee calls for a debate on migration in Europe and the follow up to the Chişinău Declaration

20/05/2026 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation

Following the adoption of the Chişinău Declaration on migration, PACE’s Migration Committee has requested a current affairs debate on the topic at the Assembly’s forthcoming summer plenary session (22-26 June 2026). The committee’s Chairperson Sandra Zampa (Italy, SOC) echoed Assembly President...

PACE to observe the second round of the presidential election in Poland

Poland: PACE monitors concerned at persisting politicisation of the highest judicial functions

19/05/2026 | Monitoring

Ending a three-day visit to Warsaw, the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Poland, Christophe Brico (Monaco, EPP/CD) and Didier Marie (France, SOC), have reiterated their concern at the level of polarisation within the country. “Key...

In Chișinău, PACE President urges states to do more to promote Convention rights to their citizens

In Chișinău, PACE President urges states to do more to promote Convention rights to their citizens

15/05/2026 | President

PACE President Petra Bayr has welcomed the political declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights which was adopted today by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers – and urged member states to “talk about us” to their citizens so that the Convention’s role in protecting them...

‘The protection of the rights of LGBTI persons is at the heart of democracy’

15/05/2026 | Equality and Non-Discrimination

“The protection of the rights of LGBTI persons lies at the heart of our democratic values” stressed Kate Osborne (United Kingdom, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI persons, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexphobia (17...

Armenia’s elections must not be endangered by foreign interference and a level playing field for all contestants is essential, says PACE pre-electoral delegation in Yerevan

Armenia’s elections must not be endangered by foreign interference and a level playing field for all...

13/05/2026 | Election observation

Following a two-day visit to Yerevan on 11 and 12 May 2026, a pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)* has emphasised the importance of conducting the 7 June 2026 parliamentary elections in an environment free from fear, undue foreign influence and...

Committee calls for migrants and refugees to be guaranteed effective and free access to healthcare

Committee calls for migrants and refugees to be guaranteed effective and free access to healthcare

13/05/2026 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation

The Committee on Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation, meeting today in Paris, called on member states’ health authorities to “ensure that migrants and refugees have free access to healthcare from the moment of first arrival”, including mental healthcare, with psychiatric...