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Call for extension of the ONE in FIVE Campaign

10/04/2014 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

In unanimously adopting the report by Valeriu Ghiletchi, the committee calls on the Committee of Ministers to extend the ONE in FIVE Campaign for a further year, until November 2015, in order to reap the maximum benefits.

Protecting minors against the excesses of sects

10/04/2014 | Session

PACE said that it was “particularly concerned about the protection of minors, in particular minors who belong to religious minorities, including sects”, while being committed to a policy of respect for freedom of religion.

Europeans should have ‘a right to internet access’

09/04/2014 | Session

The Parliamentary Assembly has called on European governments to guarantee an individual “right to internet access”, in both law and practice, and to lay down basic standards of service.

Developing a comprehensive framework for measuring well-being

09/04/2014 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

Measures of income and wealth alone, such as GDP, are far from giving an accurate picture of individual and collective well-being. Additional indicators are necessary to better assess and foster the well-being of citizens, said the committee.

Heinz Fischer urges caution on vote over Russian delegation powers

09/04/2014 | Session

Just one day before PACE is to consider a report on the powers of its Russian delegation, Austrian President Heinz Fischer told assembled members that “dialogue is the only way” to deal with the conflict.

The illegal annexation of Crimea has no legal effect and is not recognised by the Council of Europe

09/04/2014 | Session

“The so-called referendum” in Crimea was unconstitutional. Its outcome and “the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation therefore have no legal effect and are not recognised by the Council of Europe”, the PACE said.

Facilitating access to nationality

09/04/2014 | Session

PACE has expressed its concern at the high number of stateless persons in a number of countries, and asked member states to sign and apply the European Convention on Nationality and UN conventions against statelessness.

Presidential election in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”

08/04/2014 | Election observation

A 13-member PACE delegation, led by Stefan Schennach, will travel to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” to observe the conduct of the presidential election, alongside observers from the OSCE’s ODIHR.

Laws and policies on prostitution are indispensable anti-trafficking tools

08/04/2014 | Session

With 84% of trafficking victims in Europe, PACE has pinpointed legislation and policies on prostitution as indispensable anti-trafficking tools, given the obvious close link between trafficking in human beings and prostitution.

PACE anti-corruption platform: “Let us be intolerant for once”

08/04/2014 | Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs

“For once, we should be intolerant: intolerant of any attempt at corruption, intolerant of any form of wrongdoing” said the President of the PACE at the launching of the new PACE anti-corruption platform.

Anne Brasseur: breaking the vicious circle affecting many Roma

08/04/2014 | Session

On opening the PACE session, Anne Brasseur marked International Roma Day by calling on the member states to take practical measures to break the vicious circle of discrimination affecting many Roma.

Edward Snowden: ‘Mass surveillance is ineffective at preventing terrorism’

08/04/2014 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

US whistleblower Edward Snowden, testifying by video-link to a PACE hearing on “mass surveillance”, has told parliamentarians: “Dragnet mass surveillance is ineffective at preventing terrorism”.