13/09/2010 | President
"We must ensure that the media perform a role of mediation and help create an environment conducive to better understanding of the various religious beliefs and cultural approaches" today said PACE President in Ohrid at the opening of an encounter on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue organised by the Council of Europe and the Chairmanship of its Committee of Ministers.
10/09/2010 | Monitoring
PACE Monitoring Committee has welcomed the political will being shown by the new government in Ukraine for an “ambitious and far-reaching package of reforms” – but warned that they were being implemented in a hasty manner. In a draft resolution unanimously approved yesterday at a meeting in Paris, the committee said the reforms needed “wide political consensus and public support”, which in turn was only possible if parliamentary procedures and democratic principles were strictly respected.
10/09/2010 | President
In a letter today to Boris Gryzlov, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, and Sergey Mironov, Speaker of the Federation Council, PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu has expressed his great shock at the bombing which took place yesterday in Vladikavkaz: “I was deeply shocked to learn of the bombing which took place yesterday in Vladikavkaz, in which at least 15 people died and many more were injured. As you know, the Parliamentary Assembly has consistently condemned terrorism and all forms of violence..."
09/09/2010 | Election observation
A five-member PACE delegation led by Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL) is carrying out a pre-electoral mission to Sarajevo and Banja Luka from 12 to 15 September 2010, ahead of the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 3 October, to assess the electoral framework and campaign.
08/09/2010 | Bureau
PACE Bureau today called on Council of Europe member states to shoulder their humanitarian responsibilities following the floods in Pakistan: “Over five years ago the Tsunami disaster struck Southeast Asia and the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean. Earlier this year, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake. Both times, the international community, deeply shocked, reacted generously...
08/09/2010 | President
Mevlüt Çavusoglu, PACE President, today addressed a letter to Ali Larijani, President of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, calling on him to do his utmost for the death sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani to be repealed. “Many voices have been raised in defence of the life and dignity of Sakineh Ashtiani...
08/09/2010 | Bureau
"We share much more than we tend to think we do. And only if we focus on what unites us, only then will we be able to achieve, together, the true goals of mankind", today said PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu during an audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, together with the members of PACE Bureau. The PACE President invited His Holiness to come to Strasbourg to address the Assembly.
08/09/2010 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Why are there so few women in economic and social decision-making bodies? This question will be the subject of a hearing held in Paris on Friday 10 September by the PACE Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men as part of the preparation of the report by Gisèle Gautier (France, EPP/CD) on this issue.
07/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
There have been many advances in reconciliation between the countries of the former Yugoslavia over the past few years, but bilateral relations are still fragile, with unresolved issues including territorial disputes and strong nationalistic rhetoric, according to PACE rapporteur on the topic, Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC).
07/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Concerned by recent developments in several Council of Europe member states, the Political Affairs Committee of the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly, meeting in Belgrade today, has proposed an urgent debate at the Assembly’s forthcoming autumn session (4-8 October 2010) on: “Recent rise of national security discourse in Europe: the case of the Roma”.
07/09/2010 | Bureau
The members of PACE Bureau, led by the PACE President, Mevlüt Çavusoglu, will be received today for an audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. “We are deeply grateful to His Holiness for granting this audience”, said President Çavusoglu the day before the audience. He pointed out that the Holy See enjoyed observer status with the Council of Europe, and that it shared the Organisation’s and its Parliamentary Assembly’s faith in the value of the human being.
07/09/2010 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC), rapporteur on Belarus for PACE, has expressed her concern at the death of Oleg Bebenin, a co-founder of the Charter 97 website in Belarus, on Friday. “Questions have been raised about the circumstances of his death, and I expect the authorities to conduct a full, transparent and exhaustive investigation into this tragic event,” said Mrs Hurskainen, who met opposition representatives in Minsk less than two weeks ago.