28/01/2014 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly today elected Jon Fridrik Kjølbro as judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Denmark. Mr Kjølbro is elected for a term of office of nine years.
28/01/2014 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Nearly 300 parliamentarians, religious leaders, medical doctors and civil society activists attended a major hearing on the question of circumcision of young boys held today on the margin of PACE’s Winter session in Strasbourg.
28/01/2014 | Session
It is urgent to combat racism and intolerance through a strategic approach that strengthens the legal framework and includes greater efforts to ensure its effective implementation, the Parliamentary Assembly said today.
28/01/2014 | Session
Acknowledging that a problem exists is the first step towards its solution: the Assembly called on European governments to have the "courage" to acknowledge the existence of racism in the police with a view to addressing it.
28/01/2014 | Session
In his speech to the Parliamentary Assembly, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, called on members states to ratify the Council of Europe’s revised Social Charter and step up efforts to reduce social inequalities.
28/01/2014 | Session
A little over two years after Partner for Democracy status was granted by PACE to the Palestinian National Council, the Assembly welcomed, in a first assessment, the efforts of the PNC to try to comply with its political commitments.
27/01/2014 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia last night voted on the text of the new Tunisian Constitution. It still needs to be solemnly proclaimed by the President, however this is an event of extreme importance, Anne Brasseur has declared.
27/01/2014 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
PACE rapporteur Fatiha Saidi has welcomed an amendment to Morocco’s Penal Code which prevents the rapist of a minor from escaping sentence by marrying his victim. "This reform was demanded by Moroccan civil society", she said.
27/01/2014 | Session
After the first round of the election for the President of the Assembly, Anne Brasseur obtained 165 votes and Robert Walter, 125 votes. Ms Brasseur is elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly.
27/01/2014 | Session
At the opening of its Winter plenary session today, the Parliamentary Assembly elected its Vice-Presidents. The seat for the Vice-President in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains vacant.
27/01/2014 | Session
When adopting its final agenda at the opening of the Winter Session 2014, PACE decided to hold an urgent debate on Thursday on ‘The functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine’.
27/01/2014 | Parliamentary support
A second seminar on this issue, aimed at the staff of national parliaments, was held on 16-17 January 2014 in Strasbourg. It was organised in cooperation with the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and financed by the Human Rights Trust Fund. The programme included a presentation of...