11/06/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“Child labour is not a thing of the past, but a reality for millions of children. Child labour harms children’s health, development, and education. It deprives children of their childhood and of equal opportunities in future life. On the eve of the World Day Against Child Labour (12 June) we call...
20/05/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The Social Affairs Committee, meeting by videoconference, expressed deep shock at the loss of human life and disrespect for humanitarian law in the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, in particular with regard to children. “Children have fallen victim to killings, injuries, destruction...
20/05/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on children has been devastating, according to a PACE committee, and “Generation Covid” – as they are sometimes referred to – will face the consequences for many years to come, unless European governments take adequate measures. Unanimously approving a report today...
20/05/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The Social Affairs Committee today expressed its deep concern about the situation of the vulnerable population that has been harshly affected by the socio-economic crisis sparked by the pandemic. “The recession caused by the Covid-19 has resulted in deep shortfalls in resources for enterprises...
07/05/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
On Thursday 6 May, the Biden Administration expressed its support for the lifting of patents protecting the production of Covid-19 vaccines. “This is an act of true leadership which at last meets the expectations of countries severely affected by the pandemic, humanity’s worst health crisis in a...
15/04/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The 2021 Europe Prize – the highest level of the Prize which is awarded each year by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the town most active in promoting the European ideal – has been awarded to Khmelnytskyi in Ukraine. Khmelnytskyi is a city of 290 000 inhabitants...
16/03/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
More than a year after the adoption of Resolution 2321 (2020) and Recommendation 2169 (2020) on “International obligations concerning the repatriation of children from war and conflict zones”, the Social Affairs Committee is deeply concerned about the plight of children in Syria whose parents...
16/03/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The Council of Europe must help develop “climate resilience” to deal with global warming by promoting the rule of law – meaning the supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, separation of powers, participation in decision making, and transparency, according to the...
16/03/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
High-level officials from the United Nations, European Union, World Health Organisation and Council of Europe came together for a parliamentary hearing on the deinstitutionalisation of people with disabilities, focusing also on the emerging consensus on how to end coercion in mental health, and...
15/03/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
A PACE public hearing on the deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities is to be streamed live at 2 p.m. CET on Tuesday 16 March. Organised by the Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, the hearing will bring together a series of high-level officials...
04/02/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The PACE Sub-Committee on Public Health and Sustainable Development held a public hearing on Tuesday 9 February by videoconference on “Overcoming vaccine hesitancy: strategies for parliaments and parliamentarians”, as part of a report being prepared by Vladimir Kruglyi (Russian Federation, NR...
19/01/2021 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“Elected officials are fully responsible for building climate resilience: we are in the same fight as young people. It is up to us to take the right decisions today,” said Jennifer De Temmerman (France, ALDE), at a round table on “Representative democracy against climate crisis”, organised by...