26/01/2011 | Session
Organised crime is perverting democracy, and European countries must act together to stamp it out, Serbian President Boris Tadic warned parliamentarians on 26 January in Strasbourg. Tadic called for a "strategic alliance", with governments of the Western Balkans prioritising their work to beat the criminals. Turning to alleged crimes of organ trafficking revealed by the Assembly report on Tuesday, Tadic called for an immediate, full and independent criminal investigation of the charges.
26/01/2011 | Session
“Impunity must be fought resolutely [and] co-operation between all states is essential”, the Assembly today declared in adopting a resolution on the obligation of member states of the Council of Europe to co-operate in the prosecution of war crimes. On the basis that justice and accountability for war crimes are essential to regional reconciliation, the text urges all member and observer states to take all necessary measures to combat impunity for war crimes, in accordance with the initiatives of the Assembly and the United Nations.
26/01/2011 | Session
Fifteen years after the conflicts that ravaged the territory of the former Yugoslavia, the countries of the region must redouble their efforts to achieve "full reconciliation and Euro-Atlantic integration". In a resolution adopted unanimously today, and in line with the conclusions of the rapporteur, Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC), the PACE invites the countries concerned to treat the issue of displaced persons as a priority.
26/01/2011 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
A network of PACE parliamentarians held its first meeting today in Strasbourg to launch the parliamentary dimension of the Council of Europe’s “One in five” campaign to combat sexual violence against children. The group – which will eventually bring together “contact parliamentarians” from each of the Council of Europe’s 47 parliaments – will be pressing for better laws to protect children, spread good practice and organise awareness-raising events across the continent.
26/01/2011 | Session
In a resolution adopted unanimously today, PACE has called on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo* to improve the protection of witnesses in war crimes cases tried in national courts. As the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will soon expire, most of these cases are now tried in the national courts.
26/01/2011 | Session
PACE has named nine states with “major systemic deficiencies” which are causing repeated violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. In a resolution adopted today, based on a report by Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), the Assembly said structural problems in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine were causing “extremely worrying delays” in implementing judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
26/01/2011 | Session
At the opening of a current affairs debate on the functioning of democracy in Hungary, Bjorn Von Sydow (Sweden, SOC) expressed serious concern with respect to the developments related to the rule of law, human rights and the functioning of democratic institutions in that country. He requested that a monitoring procedure be initiated…
26/01/2011 | Session
PACE today decided to give three delegations – those of Montenegro, San Marino and Serbia – until the opening of the April session (11-15 April 2011) to appoint at least one woman Representative or their voting rights will be suspended. Any ban would stay in place until a female Representative is appointed.
25/01/2011 | Session
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly, Turkish President Abdullah Gül said that while trying to come out of a severe economic crisis which causes a mood of deep pessimism, Europe should not forget that it is also a cradle for notions such as democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. "Europe is a way of life based on shared common values and standards with universal relevance", he said.
25/01/2011 | Session
PACE has called for international and Albanian investigations into crimes committed in the aftermath of the conflict in Kosovo, including “numerous indications” that organs were removed from prisoners on Albanian territory to be taken abroad for transplantation. Adopting a resolution based on the report by Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE), the Assembly demanded follow-up investigations into indications of secret detention centres under the control of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and disappearances linked to the Kosovo war, as well as “the collusion so often complained of between organised criminal groups and political circles”.
25/01/2011 | Session
PACE meeting this week in plenary session in Strasbourg, today elected Paulo Sérgio Pinto de Albuquerque as judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Portugal. Mr de Albuquerque, 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 nine years starting after 5 February 2011.
25/01/2011 | Session
Expressing concern at the decline in member states’ commitment to the Council of Europe, PACE has suggested holding a summit “to give the Organisation fresh political impetus, make its member states more responsible towards it and, if need be, redefine its current role”. In a resolution adopted today, based on the report by Jean-Claude Mignon (France, EPP/CD) on follow-up to reform of the Council of Europe, members of the Assembly reiterated their support for the first wave of measures introduced by the Secretary General.