23/01/2013 | Session
The urgent humanitarian needs following the conflict between Georgia and Russia in 2008 have been dealt with, but there are still significant long-term humanitarian challenges which cannot be solved as long as "people's lives are becoming trumped by politics", PACE said today.
23/01/2013 | Session
The Assembly has voted to confirm the nomination of a Hungarian member to two of its committees, following a challenge at the opening of this morning’s sitting. The nomination of Tamás Gaudy Nagi (Hungary, NR) to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, and to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, was challenged by Jean-Claude Frécon (France, SOC) – the second time such a challenge had been made, after a similar challenge to this nomination on Monday.
23/01/2013 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly today encouraged the authorities of Azerbaijan “to step up their efforts to implement the legislation in the areas crucial for the proper functioning of democratic institutions” and, against this background, decided to continue the monitoring of the country’s obligations and commitments.
23/01/2013 | Session
With regard to the drafting of the Council of Europe convention against trafficking in human organs, PACE today recommended that the Committee of Ministers complete the provisions of the draft convention relating to measures for the prevention of organ trafficking, the protection of victims and national and international co-operation against such trafficking.
23/01/2013 | Session
Following a debate, PACE tonight voted to reject a draft resolution on "the follow-up to the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan", presented by Christoph Strässer (Germany, SOC) on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.
23/01/2013 | President
“I would like to welcome today’s liberation in Mexico of the French national Florence Cassez, freed according to a decision of the Mexican Supreme Court,” said PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon. “Ms Cassez, who was sentenced to 60 years in prison for abduction, has always protested her innocence and has already spent seven long years in prison.”
22/01/2013 | President
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, PACE President, Jean-Claude Mignon, has stressed that, today more than ever, Franco-German reconciliation offers a message of encouragement wherever reconciliation still seems premature, a message of perseverance in the task of European integration, but also a message of vigilance in the face of rising Euro-scepticism and populism.
22/01/2013 | Session
PACE has decided to ratify the credentials of Eleni Zaroulia and Tamás Gaudi Nagy, Greek and Hungarian members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) whose credentials were challenged on the opening day of the session.
22/01/2013 | Session
In a resolution adopted today, PACE underlined the need for the Council of Europe to maintain “direct working contacts with the Kosovo authorities, at all levels”, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of Council of Europe co-operation activities which respect status neutrality.
22/01/2013 | Session
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland today issued an impassioned call for Europe to reaffirm its collective and individual commitment to protect human rights, solidarity and democracy, but warned that widespread corruption was undermining citizens’ trust in the rule of law.
22/01/2013 | Session
Reacting to the interruption by the Russian Federation of intercountry adoption procedures involving the United States of America as a ‘receiving country’, Marlene Rupprecht (Germany, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur on Children, said that she was worried about the situation of Russian children who are taken as hostages of transatlantic diplomatic tensions and called on the Russian authorities to revoke the law.
22/01/2013 | Session
While welcoming the extension of the geographic scope of the EBRD’s mandate, in order to support the transition in those countries of the south and east of the Mediterranean which embrace multiparty democracy, pluralism and market economics, PACE today called on the Bank to step up co-ordination with the Assembly and other relevant bodies in order “to develop synergy in the wider European efforts to support the emerging democracies in the Arab world”.