24/04/2012 | President
Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), today expressed his deep concern at the decline in Yulia Tymoshenko’s health and her decision to carry out a hunger strike in response to the violence and abuse she says she is suffering.
24/04/2012 | Session
“We must all encourage women to continue and increase their participation in democratic movements : there can be no democracy without respect for women’s rights,” said the PACE President, speaking today at the opening of a hearing on women’s contribution to the Arab Spring and the outlook for the status of women.
24/04/2012 | Session
PACE today elected Paul Lemmens as judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Belgium. Mr Lemmens, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge of the European Court of Human Rights for a term of office of 9 years starting on 12 September 2012.
24/04/2012 | Session
PACE parliamentarians today set out a series of ideas for increasing the involvement of citizens in decisions which affect them, especially at local level. Adopting a report by the Earl of Dundee (United Kingdom, EDG), the Assembly called on cities and governments to share ideas about “practical ways to enhance participation, citizenship and good governance at local levels”.
23/04/2012 | Political Affairs and Democracy
"The Parliament of Morocco was the first to seek and to be granted Partner for Democracy status. It therefore played a pioneering role in this field and paved the way for others. The Parliament must continue to assume this difficult but honourable role, ensuring that the political commitments and the reforms covered by Resolution 1818 (2011) are implemented in an exemplary way", Luca Volontè said at the end of his visit.
23/04/2012 | Session
When adopting the agenda of its plenary Spring Session (23-27 April), the Assembly decided to hold an urgent debate on the situation in Syria as well as a current affairs debate on the the future of the European Court of Human Rights and the Brighton Declaration.
23/04/2012 | Session
At the opening of its Spring plenary Session (23-27 April 2012), the Assembly today elected its Vice-Presidents with respect to Luxembourg (Fernand Boden) and Spain (José Maria Beneyto Pérez).
23/04/2012 | Session
In his opening address PACE President, Jean-Claude Mignon, welcomed in particular the decision to hold an urgent debate on Syria on Thursday morning. "Our aim, as ever, is to ensure that the democratic changes in the southern Mediterranean go off as peacefully as possible, with full respect for fundamental human rights. This has not always been the case in Syria, where there have been over ten thousand deaths and thousands of refugees – a genuine humanitarian disaster. We cannot remain silent in the face of such atrocities!" he said.
23/04/2012 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
It is “difficult to imagine” that FIFA’s leadership would not have known of significant sums paid to certain FIFA officials in the context of contracts with collapsed Swiss sports promoter ISMM/ISL for World Cup television rights, according to the author of a PACE report due to be debated on Wednesday this week.
23/04/2012 | Session
Governments must work together in a spirit of cooperation to ensure that the package agreed at the Brighton Conference for reform of the Court of Human Rights is brought into the European Convention of Human Rights by 2013, UK Europe Minister David Lidington told the Assembly today.
23/04/2012 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“Fighting discrimination against LGBT people is at the heart of the Council of Europe’s mission”, Håkon Haugli (Norway, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBTs said when presenting the priorities of his mandate. “LGBTs should enjoy all human rights, and not different or lesser rights as other people..."
19/04/2012 | Election observation
A PACE pre-electoral delegation visited Belgrade to assess the preparation of the elections and the election campaign on the eve of the parliamentary and early presidential elections of 6 May 2012. The delegation welcomed the smooth preparation of the elections, which will mark an important moment for the country, as it will elect at the same time its representatives at presidential, parliamentary, provincial and local level.