06/10/2010 | Session
OECD Secretary General intervened at PACE on October 6th, emphasizing the relevance of international organizations’ co-ordination to overcome economic crisis. The former Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs quoted four key challenges: sustaining the recovery and restoring public finances, improving jobs perspectives and skills, exploring new sources of growth, rebuilding trust and confidence.
06/10/2010 | Session
PACE has called for national laws to protect individuals from corporate abuses of rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and revised European Social Charter. Presenting a report on human rights and business, Holger Haibach (Germany, EPP/CD) said: "Businesses will only reap profits in the long term if they act ethically and responsibly."
05/10/2010 | Session
In a resolution adopted today, the PACE calls upon EU member states and institutions to take all necessary measures to avoid unnecessary duplication of the work of the Council of Europe by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. The Assembly members believe that such duplication could cause confusion in the interpretation of European human rights standards or even lead to the emergence of double standards.
05/10/2010 | Session
PACE, meeting this week in plenary session in Strasbourg, today elected Julia Laffranque as judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Estonia.
05/10/2010 | Session
PACE, meeting this week in plenary session in Strasbourg, today elected Linos-Alexander Sicilianos as judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Greece. Mr Sicilianos, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge of the European Court of Human Rights.
05/10/2010 | Session
PACE has warmly welcomed the political will displayed by the new authorities in Ukraine to enact ambitious reforms, but warned that they must have wide political consensus and public support to succeed. Debating a monitoring report by Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) and Mailis Reps (Estonia, ALDE), the parliamentarians said the recent Constitutional Court ruling in Ukraine should now prompt the Verkhovna Rada to initiate “a comprehensive constitutional reform process” to bring the country’s constitution fully into line with European standards.
05/10/2010 | Session
At the end of a debate on child abuse in institutions, the Assembly today called for “more far-reaching measures in the future when it comes to according full justice to victims of past offences”. According to the parliamentarians, “more committed action will be required” at national level when it comes to reinforcing legislation on child abuse and applying it to various institutional contexts. No authority or institution “should be exempt from critical review”, as “all institutions without exception” are subject to the same national legislation, in particular in the field of criminal law
05/10/2010 | Session
The Assembly today expressed its concern at the upsurge of certain forms of extremism in Europe, particularly racism and xenophobia, “in the light of the rise of the electoral support of parties” inspired by these ideas. To counter this trend, and in line with the proposals by the rapporteur (Pedro Agramunt, Spain, EPP/CD), parliamentarians called on European governments to devise clear and sustainable immigration policies “accompanied by appropriate integration policies”...
05/10/2010 | Secretary General of the Assembly
PACE, meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, today elected Wojciech Sawicki to the post of Secretary General of the Assembly for a five-year term starting on 1 February 2011.
04/10/2010 | Session
"Our Chairmanship fully supports the Secretary General’s decision to call a high-level meeting to put in place a European strategy that would lead to lasting, tangible measures to ensure the social integration of the Roma", said the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers on 4 October. "For all forces will need to be mobilised if this initiative, which is a challenge for Europe as a whole, and the Council of Europe in particular, is to succeed", he added.
04/10/2010 | Session
In his address before the Parliamentary Assembly on 4 October, Guido Westerwelle, Deputy Federal Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, warned of an increasing nationalism in politics. "It may get you applause back home", he said, but it is "irresponsible".
04/10/2010 | Election observation
Yesterday’s general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina represented further progress and, except for legal restrictions of voting rights, were conducted generally in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement issued today. They stressed that certain key areas require action.