16/12/2011 | Monitoring
PACE Monitoring Committee has called for charges against former government members in Ukraine, including former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, to be dropped. Former Interior Minister Jurij Lutsenko and former Defence Minister Valeriy Ivashenko should be released at once for humanitarian reasons because of their rapidly deteriorating health, the committee said.
16/12/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
“This visit to Malta was important for my inquiry into who is responsible for lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea, and enabled me to piece together another part of the puzzle in the case of the ‘left-to-die boat’”, said PACE rapporteur Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC), speaking at the end of a two-day visit to Malta.
16/12/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
In a statement to mark International Migrants Day (18 December), the Chair of PACE's Migration Committee has reaffirmed the importance of upholding both the rights of migrants and the rule of law. Christopher Chope (United Kingdom, EDG) said: “Trafficking and irregular migration have given all migrants a bad name, which has meant the weak and innocent lose out. This unfortunately translates into an over-reliance on detention of migrants and asylum seekers.”
15/12/2011 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The authorities in Belarus are “deliberately turning their back on Europe and the values it upholds”, PACE Political Affairs Committee said today, giving its full backing to the EU’s targeted sanctions of the country. Approving a draft resolution and a draft recommendation, based on a report by Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD), the committee expressed its “deep concern” at the deteriorating situation of human rights and civil and political liberties in the country.
15/12/2011 | Monitoring
Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on post-monitoring dialogue with Bulgaria, will make a fact-finding visit to that country on 19-21 December 2011. During his visit, discussions are scheduled with the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and Justice, as well as meetings with the judicial authorities.
15/12/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
“The humanitarian situation in the Gali region has now reached a turning point, but whether the turn is for the better or for the worse depends on all parties involved,” said Tina Acketoft (Sweden, ALDE), rapporteur of PACE Migration Committee, speaking at the end of a four-day visit to Georgia, including Tbilisi, Gali and Sukhumi. The fact-finding visit took place as part of preparation for her report “Follow-up on the humanitarian consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia: the humanitarian situation in the war-affected areas.”
14/12/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC), who is carrying out an inquiry for the PACE into “Lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea: who is responsible?”, in particular for the deaths of ‘boat people’ fleeing Libya, will make a fact-finding visit to Malta from 15 to 16 December 2011. During her visit, the rapporteur will meet refugees who arrived from Libya after January 2011 to gather testimony on their experiences, and will meet officials from the Maltese armed forces who are involved in organising rescues.
14/12/2011 | Political Affairs and Democracy
In a draft Resolution adopted unanimously at a meeting in Paris today, PACE Political Affairs Committee stresses that the Council of Europe standard-setting, advisory and monitoring role should be appropriately reflected in the political documents of the Eastern Partnership of the EU (EaP) and the findings of its monitoring mechanisms fully taken into account.
13/12/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Tina Acketoft (Sweden, ALDE) will carry out a fact-finding visit to Sukhumi and Gali in Georgia from 12 to 15 December 2011 to continue preparation of her report on “Follow-up on the humanitarian consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia: the humanitarian situation in the war-affected areas”.
13/12/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
In a draft resolution adopted today at a meeting in Paris, PACE Legal Affairs Committee condemns any form of enforced population transfer in Europe and elsewhere as a human rights violation and invites all Council of Europe member states to do so, including in their international relations with states outside Europe.
12/12/2011 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Lord Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), former rapporteur on climate change for the PACE and Kyoto Treaty signatory, and Sir Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC), today welcomed the decision taken at the climate change summit in Durban to endorse the policy put forward by the PACE to "Stop the Clock" on the Kyoto Protocol.
09/12/2011 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
While pointing out that the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women is the most comprehensive legally binding instrument in the world and may therefore “save and change the lives of millions of victims”, the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men today asked “the largest possible number of states” to sign and ratify this convention and to implement it effectively.