13/11/2006 | News
Topics of the hearing, organised on 14 November in London by PACE’s Migration Committee, include migration and integration challenges in the United Kingdom, promoting citizenship among newcomers and promoting the integration of settled communities. The day before, in Manchester, committee members will have discussed “the lessons of Oldham” (a reference to ethnically-motivated riots in the town in May 2001), the provision of services to migrant communities, the role of community leaders and the experience of a newly-arrived migrant community, the Somalis.
10/11/2006 | News
PACE President René van der Linden today held meetings in the Slovak National Council in Bratislava with the Speaker Pavol Paska, the chair of the parliamentary delegation to PACE Boris Zala and representatives of the political groups and committees. He called on Slovak parliamentarians to show no tolerance for any manifestations of intolerance and xenophobia. "Respect for difference and diversity lies at the heart of the values defended by the Council of Europe; ensuring such respect in practice is an unconditional duty for all member states," he said.
08/11/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today "deeply deplored" the shelling of the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun by the Israeli Army. "Even by the standards of violence in the Middle East, this attack – in which women and children died while they slept – was profoundly shocking. I deeply deplore this act, and call on the Israeli Government to refrain from such inhumane actions in the future." The President also said an investigation was "absolutely necessary" and appealed to Palestinian leaders not to fall into the trap of retaliation.
07/11/2006 | News
PACE President René van der Linden today praised Montenegro for the “political maturity” it has shown during and after the Referendum which led to independence, and called on the authorities to build “constructive, reciprocally beneficial and friendly relations” with all its neighbours, in particular Serbia. Addressing the Montenegrin Parliament – the first foreign guest to do so – the President urged the fifty-five per cent of Montenegrins who had voted for independence to “reach out” to those that voted otherwise to “work together towards consolidating Montenegro as a functional and genuinely democratic state”.
06/11/2006 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
PACE’s Sub-committee on Migration will take part in the Political Platform of the Council’s expert group on migration, the CDMG, which will be discussing how to improve the quality of co-operation between countries of destination and origin, with representatives from member states as well as Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Morocco, the Philippines and Senegal.
06/11/2006 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Organised by PACE’s Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee on 9 November, this hearing will look at how the revised European Social Charter is being implemented, particularly as regards new labour standards and minimum wages. Participants include representatives of the International Labour Organisation and of the European Trade Unions Confederation as well as Council of Europe bodies charged with monitoring commitments on social rights. Meeting the following day, the committee is also due to approve opinions on reports concerning the presence of Turkish migrant workers in Europe and the date-rape drugs.
06/11/2006 | President
René van der Linden is due to meet Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Speaker of the National Council Pavol Paska and Foreign Minister Jan Kubis, as well as representatives of political groups in the parliament. Subjects for discussion include the fight against extremism and intolerance and relations between the Council of Europe and the EU.
05/11/2006 | President
"The crimes committed by Saddam Hussein are appalling, and it is right that he be judged and punished for them," said PACE President Rene van der Linden, reacting to the verdict in his trial. "But today’s sentence of the death penalty sends a dangerous message to the region: that the new Iraq is to be built on vengeance rather than respect for fundamental human values. Iraq today does not need more death. Capital punishment is wrong – even for the worst crimes – and I appeal to the Iraqi authorities not to carry out this sentence."
30/10/2006 | Elections
Belgrade, 30.10.2006 – The Constitutional Referendum held in the Republic of Serbia on 28 and 29 October 2006 was, in general, conducted with due respect for Serbia’s democratic commitments to the Council of Europe, concluded a delegation of observers from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).
27/10/2006 | President
René van der Linden will participate in the quadripartite meeting between the Council of Europe and the European Union, a high-level co-ordination meeting. Items on the agenda include co-operation between the Council of Europe and the EU, follow-up to Mr Juncker's report on co-operation between the two institutions, the roles of the Council and the EU in defending human rights and the development of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.
26/10/2006 | President
The French draft law on Armenian genocide does not reflect the principle of freedom of speech, said PACE President René van der Linden following a meeting today with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül. "This draft law will not help to build a positive climate for relations between Turkey and France or Turkey and the EU," he said, adding that in general he was not in favour of drafting legislation on questions of history or memory. However the President added that Turkish criticism of the lack of freedom of speech shown by the French draft law could also be "self-reflected" as regards the situation in Turkey, a reference to Article 301 of the Turkish penal code.
24/10/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden will make a working visit to Turkey from 25 to 29 October 2006. In Ankara, at meetings with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, he is due to discuss Turkey-Council of Europe relations and raise the issue of Turkey’s EU accession negotiations. The President will also attend a round table discussion with legal and human rights experts at Bilgi University, Istanbul, on Friday 27. The following day he will lay a wreath at the Gallipoli War Memorial and visit the war graves there, as well as meet a delegation from the Çanakkale Provincial Council.