19/05/2006 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden today welcomed the Russian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe as a unique opportunity for Europe to build up a sustainable partnership based on mutual respect and trust. He said that this partnership would be at the heart of discussions at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on 29 May, organised on the occasion of a PACE Standing Committee meeting in Moscow.
18/05/2006 | News
"In a democracy can we restrict freedom of expression in deference to religious beliefs?” asked the Chair of the PACE Committee on Culture, Jacques Legendre, when he opened this morning’s hearing in Paris on freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs.
17/05/2006 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Her Majesty Queen Silvia took part in an exchange of views on childrens’ rights in Sweden being organised by the Social Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) in Stockholm on 18 May 2006. The meeting formed part of PACE’s contribution to the Council of Europe programme “Building a Europe for and with children”.
17/05/2006 | Election observation
A 15-member delegation from PACE is to observe the conduct of the referendum on state status of the Republic of Montenegro (Serbia and Montenegro) on 21 May 2006. The delegation, led by Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD), will arrive in Podgorica on 19 May 2006. It will meet representatives of the independence bloc, the pro-Union bloc, the government and the media as well as officials in charge of organising the referendum. On the day of the referendum the parliamentarians will be deployed in the capital and other towns in Montenegro. They will be working alongside observers for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament.
17/05/2006 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Student disaffection for scientific studies is very worrying, according to PACE's Culture committte. Referring to the reasons for such decline, parliamentarians said the education pupils receive is too abstract, the image of scientists is not very appealing to young people and the social status of researchers and engineers has declined in many European countries. "If a substantial effort is not made in the coming years to counter this situation in which students are opting for other disciplines, there will be legitimate cause for concern about the future of European nations", the adopted text warns.
17/05/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today condemned the shooting incident that took place in Turkey's Council of State. "By ensuring respect for the rule of law, the judges of the Council of State have played a central role in protecting democratic freedom in modern Turkey," said Mr van der Linden. "This appalling crime, apparently committed in the name of a cruel and barbaric religious extremism, is an open attack on one of the most important symbols of democracy.” He added: “I extend my sincere condolences to the family of the murdered judge, as well as my deepest sympathy to the injured and their families, at this tragic time."
16/05/2006 | News
In a letter sent today to football administrators, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC) launched a new appeal against forced prostitution during the World Cup in Germany.
16/05/2006 | News
“For some years now we have been witnessing a return to the most distorted stereotypes in advertising, showing women as housewives in thrall to men, whereas major advances have now been made in the legislation in this area” said Marie-José Laloy (Belgium, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the image of women in advertising, speaking at the opening of a hearing on the subject held in Paris today. “Pictures inciting people to violence against women or to discrimination on grounds of sex are violations of human dignity”, she went on to say.
16/05/2006 | News
At the end of a hearing on the image of women in advertising PACE rapporteur Marie-José Laloy (Belgium, SOC) said that in view of the urgent social need to prevent violence and combat discrimination, she would like an in-depth study on the subject to be conducted, involving advertising professionals, representatives of the community and regulatory bodies. On this basis a ‘code of conduct’ could be framed, taking the form of guidelines to help advertising creatives project positive images of men and women and eliminate all forms of discrimination based on sex. Advertising must remain within an ethical framework, showing due regard for equality between women and men and respect for human dignity, she said. “However, our aim should not be simply to add to the range of possible punishments, but to try to find better ways of reconciling freedom of expression and creation with respect for human dignity”, explained Ms Laloy.
16/05/2006 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
PACE's Culture Committee is organising a parliamentary hearing on freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs, to take place in Paris on 18 May. The hearing aims to bring together philosophers, historians, theologians, journalists, artists and writers, as well as a panel of personalities from different religions and individuals involved in recent blasphemy cases. Participants at this hearing, which is open to the press, include Caroline Fourest, sociologist and essayist, Ronald Koven, World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC), Ibrahim Nawar, Arab Press Freedom Watch (APFW), David Messas, Grand Rabbi of Paris, and Tareq Oubrou, Rector of the Bordeaux Mosque.
16/05/2006 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Members of the Assembly’s Sub-committee on Refugees will take part in this seminar, in Lisbon on 18-19 May, on the theme “Co-development and democracy: the socio-political role of migrants”, which looks at co-development policies in relation to democracy, human rights, diasporas and refugees. It is organised by PACE's Migration Committee and other Council bodies in partnership with the Portuguese Parliament and the Gulbenkian Foundation, and will be opened by the Speaker of the Portuguese Parliament Jaime José Matos da Gama.
15/05/2006 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
The Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, meeting in Paris today, adopted a report on domestic violence against women which suggests that at midday on 24 November 2006 parliaments should all unite symbolically to denounce domestic violence as a serious violation of human rights. "This is an ideal opportunity for MPs from across the European continent to signify their determination to combat this problem, which is once more on the rise in Council of Europe member states," the committee said. The report is due to be discussed during the Assembly's summer session in Strasbourg (26-30 June).