25/04/2013 | Session
“The picture of the human rights situation which I have observed during country visits, meetings with authorities and discussions with NGO representatives in 2012 is worrying” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights...
25/04/2013 | Session
Much more needs to be done in the spirit of international co-operation and burden-sharing by the EU and its member States to assist the countries beyond their eastern borders to deal with migratory pressures, according to PACE.
25/04/2013 | Session
Although the EU’s border agency FRONTEX has recently taken steps to deal more effectively with its human rights obligations, concerns remain that these may not be enough, the PACE has said in a resolution on the agency adopted today in Strasbourg.
24/04/2013 | Prizes
The 2013 Europe Prize – awarded each year by the PACE to towns or cities most active in promoting the European ideal – has been awarded jointly to the towns of Altötting in Germany and Tata in Hungary.
24/04/2013 | President
“In the run-up to my forthcoming official visit to Turkey, scheduled for 13-15 May 2013, I welcome the adoption by the Assembly of Resolution 1925 (2013) on Post-Monitoring Dialogue with Turkey, which acknowledges the major progress made by the authorities in honouring their undertakings and obligations to the Council of Europe, while drawing up a list of specific recommendations geared to speeding up this process,”...
24/04/2013 | Session
Concerned about increasing physical and psychological violence against religious communities throughout the world, the Assembly today called on member States to take account of the situation of these communities in their bilateral political dialogue and to promote in their foreign relations “a policy which takes into consideration the question of the full respect for the fundamental rights of religious minorities”.
24/04/2013 | Session
PACE called on national parliaments to deliver policies for culture “which effectively uphold our common core values” – human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These policies should also ensure adequate access to education and support participation in cultural life, creativity and innovation.
24/04/2013 | Session
Speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly today, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta highlighted the climate of cooperation that currently exists between the government and the president of Romania, after the political crisis in 2012.
24/04/2013 | Session
PACE has called for a specific legal instrument encompassing the social, economic and political rights of young people to ensure their full protection. Approving a report by Michael Connarty (United Kingdom, SOC), the Assembly said a framework convention at European level was needed to improve young people’s access to fundamental rights.
24/04/2013 | Session
The Assembly called on member states to adopt a more holistic approach to education and to secure the provision of adequate resources for this sector, at least 6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
23/04/2013 | Session
Strasbourg, 23.04.2013 - I welcome the reaching of a draft agreement on the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights and I applaud the spirit of compromise which enabled it to be concluded, PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon said today, on the occasion of the PACE...
23/04/2013 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The majority of Council of Europe conventions are open to non-member States, but few of them have availed themselves of this opportunity. According to PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee, the Council of Europe should promote accession of relevant conventions by non-member States...