17/09/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Reacting to Yuliya Navalnaya‘s announcement today revealing that independent laboratory tests confirm Alexei Navalny was poisoned while detained in a remote Russian penal colony, Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur for political prisoners, issued the following statement: “More...
15/09/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Speakers at a parliamentary conference in Malta have urged changes in law and policy to ensure rainbow families enjoy equal rights across all 46 member states of the Council of Europe – and warned of the need to counter skepticism about their rights.Legal and NGO experts at the conference...
15/09/2025 | Transparency and Integrity
As part of a project, funded by Germany, to strengthen ethical and integrity standards in parliaments across Council of Europe member states, the Committee on Rules, Ethics and Immunities, in co-operation with the OSCE-ODIHR, co-organised a study visit to the Houses of Parliament in London on 9...
15/09/2025 | Rules, Ethics and Immunities
The Committee on Rules, Ethics and Immunities has proposed amending Rule 73 of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure (on the waiver of the immunity of representatives and substitutes) and the Guidelines on the scope of parliamentary immunities enjoyed by Assembly members, to better reflect the...
15/09/2025 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE’s Political Affairs Committee has proposed the creation of a Platform for Dialogue between the Assembly and Russian democratic forces in exile. Participants in the platform – whose composition would be approved each year based on a set of criteria – would be able to hold a two-way exchange...
12/09/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
A parliamentary conference on ensuring equality for rainbow families in Europe is to take place in Malta on Friday 12 September 2025. The conference – held in the context of Malta Pride – aims to build momentum for changes in law and policy so that all families, regardless of their composition...
12/09/2025 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Against a context of democratic backsliding and waning public trust in politics, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy has urged political parties to put themselves at the heart of democratic renewal by widening their engagement with citizens. Adopting a report by Ingjerd Schie Schou...
12/09/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Christophe Lacroix (Belgium, SOC), PACE rapporteur on “Threats to life and safety of journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan”, has issued the following statement: “I am deeply disappointed by the recent judgment of the Baku Court of Appeal upholding the convictions of seven...
12/09/2025 | Monitoring
The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed serious concern at Hungary’s lack of progress on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, pointing to a “worsening situation in certain areas”. Hungary has been under the Assembly’s monitoring...
12/09/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
The Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, meeting in Malta, has proposed a set of measures to prevent and combat gender discrimination and gender-based violence in healthcare, medical research and clinical trials. The committee notes that access to healthcare remains unequal and that...
11/09/2025 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The Assembly remains committed to co-operation with Kazakhstan that is based on shared values and is determined to support the country to continue its democratic reforms,” said the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy. Adopting a draft resolution based on a report by Zsolt Németh...
11/09/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“Sexual violence against men and boys is a hidden phenomenon which should be prevented and combated, giving priority to the needs of all victims/survivors,” said the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination. Adopting the draft resolution, based on the report by Edmunds Cepurītis (Latvia, SOC...