25/11/2011 | Standing Committee
PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has welcomed “new ideas” to deal with the backlog of thousands of cases clogging up the European Court of Human Rights. Addressing the Assembly’s Standing Committee in Edinburgh, the President said that reform of the Court, and strengthening of the European Convention on Human Rights – which are priorities of the British chairmanship – were of the “utmost importance”.
25/11/2011 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“We must fight every form of violence against women, even when there is no visible sign” said Mr Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. The International day for the elimination of violence against women is a reminder of how widespread violence against women is worldwide. Psychological violence leaves no visible sign, yet its scars last a long time.
25/11/2011 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
PACE Standing committee, meeting in Edinburgh on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, has adopted a declaration that freedom from violence should be the first human right. “Millions of women and girls in the world have this right violated every day as they are specifically targeted in the context of war and conflicts.
25/11/2011 | Standing Committee
The Parliamentary Assembly is to begin assessing the request for ‘Partner for democracy’ status submitted by the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic. PACE’s Political Affairs Committee will now assess the request – submitted by the Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Ahmatbek Keldibekov.
25/11/2011 | Standing Committee
PACE Standing Committee, meeting in Edinburgh, today suggested a series of measures for curbing shadow economic activities - in particular economic crime - which it considers constitute a threat to democracy, competitiveness and strong economic performance.
24/11/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
It is estimated that over a thousand boat people have perished in the Mediterranean Sea since January 2011 while attempting to reach Europe. Who may be responsible? What could have been done to avoid these tragedies? What lessons can be learned from these events? These questions will be central to a hearing organised on Tuesday 29 November in Paris by PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population in connection with the preparation of a report on the subject by Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC).
24/11/2011 | Bureau
PACE Bureau meeting today in Edinburgh, expressed its consternation at the harsh sentence handed down today on Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialatski by the Pervomaiski District Court of Minsk.
24/11/2011 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“We consider that the trial and detention of Mr Bialiatski, held since 4 August 2011, amounts to judicial harassment of a human rights defender for carrying out legitimate human rights activities, protected under all international human rights instruments” stressed Mr Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP) and Ms Marieluise Beck (Germany, ALDE), PACE rapporteurs on Belarus, reacting to the sentence.
24/11/2011 | Bureau
PACE Bureau, meeting in Edinburgh today, is deeply concerned about and strongly condemns the continuing systematic use of violence by the Syrian authorities against their own people, resulting in thousands of deaths, including children. The Bureau urges the Syrian authorities immediately to stop the bloodshed and put an end to all human rights violations and abuses. The authorities in Damascus must instead create the conditions for the peaceful expression of the democratic aspirations of their people.
24/11/2011 | Bureau
PACE Bureau, meeting in Edinburgh , expressed its deep concern at the recent violent crackdown on the legitimate expression of the democratic aspirations of the Egyptian people by the transitional military authorities.
23/11/2011 | President
During his two-day working visit to the United Kingdom ending today, PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, welcomed the priorities of the UK presidency which hand in hand coincide with the priorities of the Assembly, in particular the emphasis put on the Reform of the Court. He recalled that as stated in PACE Resolution 1726, this process should take into account, the need to strengthen the implementation of Convention rights at the national level;
23/11/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE rapporteur Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) today warmly welcomed Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s decision to stop executions during the rest of his term of office and his intention to advocate a ballot to outlaw the death penalty. “It takes courageous men and women like John Kitzhaber to abolish the death penalty,” Mrs Wohlwend stressed.