25/06/2025 | Session
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) this evening, Wednesday 25 June 2025, at around 20h40 CEST (to be confirmed), as the highlight of its summer plenary session in Strasbourg. He will also take questions from members...
25/06/2025 | Session
The dignity, rights and well-being of athletes must be placed “at the core” of global sports governance, PACE said, calling for a “paradigm shift” that aligns sport with democratic values, transparency and the public interest. “Only a co-ordinated, inclusive and multistakeholder approach can...
25/06/2025 | Session
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly, the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela marked Malta’s 60th anniversary as a member state, describing the Council of Europe as a “guiding compass” in navigating today’s global challenges. The Prime Minister reflected on Malta’s long-standing relationship...
25/06/2025 | Session
Welcoming the draft protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, the Assembly said it introduces “a welcome and desirable step” by defining “terrorist offence” in legally binding terms, while stressing the need for safeguards to prevent misuse. “The legal...
24/06/2025 | Session
During a lively Q & A session with parliamentarians, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset underlined the organisation’s unique role in holding Russia to account, through the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The Secretary General said that once the...
24/06/2025 | Session
“If state parties consider that the European Convention on Human Rights and its protocols no longer reflect their requirements for the proper protection of human rights, then the mechanisms for changing it are available – and they don’t include an attack on the Court,” said Lord Keen (United...
24/06/2025 | Session
Addressing the PACE session today, Maltese Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg recalled the recent achievements of the Committee of Ministers, as well as the priorities of the Maltese Presidency – with Ukraine at the forefront. In his address he referred to the decision to establish a Special Tribunal...
24/06/2025 | Women@PACE
During the 2025 Summer Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Women@PACE group met in Strasbourg to address the increasing pushback on women’s rights across Europe and beyond. The special guest was Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary...
24/06/2025 | Election of Judges
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today elected Hugh Mercer as judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the United Kingdom. Mr Mercer, having obtained a majority of votes cast, is elected judge of the European Court of Human Rights for a term of office of...
24/06/2025 | Session
PACE today expressed concern about the dire situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war, “subjected to summary executions, widespread and systematic torture, and inhuman and degrading treatment, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity”. Unanimously adopting a resolution based on the...
24/06/2025 | Session
“Certain fundamental principles of international law must not and cannot be set aside or undermined in any ongoing or future negotiations,” said PACE today. The Assembly condemned the “illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine” and warned...
23/06/2025 | Monitoring
Following a fact-finding visit to Ankara and Istanbul on 10-13 June 2025, the PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Türkiye, Lord David Blencathra (United Kingdom, ECPA) and Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC), have made the following statement: “We are very grateful to the Turkish authorities...