20/10/2010 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“In the current process of reform in the Council of Europe, the protection of the environment and territorial planning should be regarded as part of the Council of Europe’s ‘core business’,” today said Valeriy Sudarenkov (Russian Federation, SOC), speaking at the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention today in Florence.
19/10/2010 | President
“I am shocked and angered to learn of this morning’s terrorist attack in Grozny,” said Mevlüt Çavusoglu, the President of PACE. “Those who carried it out must be utterly condemned: no cause justifies this extreme and deadly violence. This was all the more shocking because it targeted a parliament, the symbol of the people. I offer my sincere condolences and solidarity to the families of those who died while carrying out their duty to protect the deputies," he added.
18/10/2010 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
‘On the European Day against Trafficking in Human Beings, I would like to reiterate the firm commitment of the Committee for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men not to spare any effort to fight against this intolerable form of modern-day slavery’, said today José Mendes Bota, Chairperson of the Committee.‘On our continent, the Council of Europe and the European Union should work hand in hand, avoid duplication and apply the highest standards in the prevention of trafficking, the prosecution of offenders and the protection of victims’.
15/10/2010 | Election observation
A five-member PACE delegation led by Paul Wille (Belgium, ALDE) will carry out a pre-electoral mission to Baku from 19 to 21 October 2010, ahead of the parliamentary elections on 7 November 2010, to assess the electoral framework and campaign. The delegation will meet the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of the Interior, and the representatives of the political parties and coalitions standing for election.
14/10/2010 | President
"In times of crisis, many governments are tempted to cut education budgets. However, this is a false saving, one which will be paid for dearly in the future," said PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu, speaking today in Moscow at the opening of an international symposium on Education in Europe – for harmonious development of students. "For this reason, the Assembly has called for education policies to be developed to face these challenges and invited the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to strengthen education in the organisation's work programme," he said.
13/10/2010 | President
In his address at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations today, the PACE President stressed that Russia’s influence in the Council of Europe was substantial and that relations with Russia had a particular importance for the Organisation. "The decision of Russia to join the Council of Europe 14 years ago was, and still is, a clear choice to share our common values," he said.
13/10/2010 | President
“Intensifying inter-religious and intercultural dialogue is one of the best ways of combating xenophobia, racism, anti-semitism and islamophobia, which seem to be on the rise in many European societies,” PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu has said, speaking at the start of a visit to Moscow from 13 to 14 October. He is holding meetings with religious dignitaries: Patriarch Cyril of Moscow and All-Russia, the Grand Mufti of Russia and Chair of Russia’s Council of Muftis Sheik Ravil Gainutdin and the Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar.
12/10/2010 | Bureau
On 8 October, the PACE Bureau approved the composition of an Ad hoc Committee on Assembly reform which it had decided to establish, in line with the recommendation made by the Presidential Committee at its meeting in Rome on 7 September. The Bureau nominated Jean-Claude Mignon (France, EPP/CD) as Chairperson of this ad hoc committee, which will include members of all political groups.
12/10/2010 | Monitoring
The Chair of PACE’s Monitoring Committee Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE) has proposed a full day of high-level hearings to break what he called the “deadlock” on dealing with the consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia. “Confrontation must give way to dialogue,” said Mr Marty in a note made public this week outlining the plan.
12/10/2010 | Monitoring
PACE monitoring co-rapporteurs for Georgia Kastriot Islami (Albania, SOC) and Michael Aastrup Jensen (Denmark, ALDE), have called on the Georgian Parliament not to adopt the amendments to the constitution before the Venice Commission – the Council of Europe’s group of independent experts in constitutional law – has given its opinion on them, and only after its recommendations have been taken into account and addressed.
08/10/2010 | Session
PACE debated today how the eight EU states and Russia that are clustered around the Baltic Sea should review their ongoing strategies in co-operation together to face environmental,educational and economic problems in the shadow of the global economic crisis. Positive contributions would include reducing trade barriers, and improving mobility of labour and goods in the region as well as supporting innovative co-operation projects like the Baltic Sea Action Group designed to save this sea.
08/10/2010 | Session
All asylum application procedures should take account of the particular forms of persecution and human rights abuses that women face in the light of their gender, was the conclusion reached today by the PACE at the close of a parliamentary debate on the issue. In presenting his report to the Assembly, Andrej Zernovski (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, ALDE) said that this gender-related persecution includes sexual exploitation, forced marriage, honour crimes and forced abortion and sterilisation, as well as rape during armed conflict.