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.
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 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
A round table on the table on the choice of future energy sources will gather experts and parliamentarians from PACE 47 member states on 27 November in Alfortville. In the present context of an energy turnaround, the experts will present the various foreseeable energy sources and their development prospects: nuclear, solar, thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, marine and biomass energy.
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.
21/11/2011 | President
A 15-member PACE delegation, led by Tomáš Jirsa (Czech Republic, EDG), will visit Morocco from 22 to 26 November 2011 to observe the parliamentary elections on 25 November. The delegation will meet, inter alia, representatives of the parliamentary groups, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior in charge of election administration, the President of the National Human Rights Council and representatives of civil society, the media and political parties not represented in parliament.
21/11/2011 | President
At the end of his working visit to Monaco, in the margins of the Conference on the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2012-2015, PACE President today met with the Minister of State Michel Roger and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Badia. Mr Cavusoglu praised “the commitment of the Monegasque authorities” to the Council of Europe standards and values.
20/11/2011 | President
“The overall goal of the new Child’s rights programme debated today will be to implement international standards on the rights of the child through comprehensive national strategies. I can assure that the Assembly will take an active part in this process and the issue of children’s rights will remain high on our agenda in the years to come..."