24/06/2008 | Session
Addressing the Assembly on 24 June during its debate on the economic situation in east and south-east Europe, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, said that despite world-wide turbulence the situation in the region in terms of growth and outside investment was a healthy one. Jean Lemierre also paid tribute to the Council of Europe's activities in the Balkans.
24/06/2008 | Session
Today the Assembly highlighted the excellent results the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) achieved over the 2007 financial year, despite turbulent world financial markets and the fact that most of its operations take place in countries with higher risk profiles. In a resolution adopted today, it welcomed the EBRD's decision to reinvest a large share of its profits in the neediest countries, giving priority to small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship.
24/06/2008 | Session
José Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD), Rapporteur for PACE Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, said today, with the support of Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis, that it was overwhelmingly important for the Council of Europe to prepare a framework convention covering the severest and most widespread forms of violence against women in Europe.
24/06/2008 | Session
John Greenway (United Kingdom, EDG) and Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC) yesterday opened in Strasbourg the Conference on the Specific challenges facing European democracies – the case of diversity and migration and measures to improve the democratic participation of migrants. The Conference was organised to allow civil society and other actors, including Council of Europe bodies, to have an input into the Parliamentary debate on the same issue taking place on 25 June as part of the State of Democracy in Europe debate. Two reports have been prepared for discussion: the first on the specific challenges facing European democracies – the case of diversity and migration; the second on the measures to improve the democratic participation of migrants.
24/06/2008 | Session
The investigation into the murder of Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze cannot be considered solved until the “instigators and organisers” are held to account in addition to the actual perpetrators of the crime, according to the Legal Affairs Committee of PACE
24/06/2008 | Session
Today the Assembly invited member states to take practical measures to empower women in our modern, multicultural society and to extend their rights, in particular by allowing them to take part fully in public life, politics and economic life through the introduction of positive measures (quotas and other mechanisms). PACE asserts that states must protect women against violations of their rights, including those carried out in the name of religion.
24/06/2008 | Session
PACE today expressed great concern at the “deteriorating” human rights situation in Azerbaijan, undermining any efforts being made by the authorities to meet basic democratic standards in the forthcoming Presidential election. In a resolution approved today, the parliamentarians spelled out a “road-map” of urgent steps to be taken ahead of the 15 October election.
23/06/2008 | Session
"If we cannot safeguard human rights and protect our democratic way of governing , our societies risk sooner or later to sink down into confrontation", said Carl Bildt, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Committee of Ministers, addressing the Parliamentary Assembly on 23 June. "This is what the Council of Europe is all about, no state stands above these standards. While being proud of our achievements, we must recognize that there are significant challenges ahead", he added.
23/06/2008 | Session
The Assembly today unanimously adopted a recommendation encouraging the states bordering the Black Sea - Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine – to take steps to prevent damage to the Black Sea environment and strengthen co-operation at both national and regional levels. According to the Assembly, the Council of Europe, of which all the riparian countries are members, is well placed to facilitate such co-operation.
23/06/2008 | Session
PACE is to prepare a report on the proposed 42-day pre-charge detention in the United Kingdom. At the opening of its summer session this morning in Strasbourg, the Assembly – made up of parliamentarians from the 47 Council of Europe member states – voted against holding an urgent debate on the subject this week, but instead to prepare a full report for possible debate at its next session (29 September-3 October 2008).
23/06/2008 | Session
"It is normal for people in any democracy to have different ideas and views. The main thing is that disputes are settled by democratic means, in compliance with the Council of Europe’s values. I hope that the Turkish institutions will shoulder their responsibilities in this area. But we too have a responsibility, that of providing Turkey with a clear, unequivocal European perspective", PACE President said today at the opening of the Summer Session 2008 in Strasbourg. Adopting its agenda, the PACE decided to hold an urgent debate on recent developments in the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey on Thursday 26 June at 3 p.m. The parliamentarians also decided to hold an urgent debate on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia on Wednesday 25 around 6 p.m.
20/06/2008 | Session
A group of 20 members of PACE have requested the holding of an urgent debate on the proposal for 42-day pre-charge detention in the United Kingdom at the Assembly’s summer plenary session next week in Strasbourg (23-27 June).