21/12/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Desecration of cemeteries and memorials, the use of nazi symbols and growing support for xenophobic parties are signs that public opinion now seems more receptive to racist, xenophobic and extremist ideas, according to a draft resolution on “Combating the resurrection of nazi ideology” approved yesterday by PACE’s Political Affairs Committee. The Council of Europe should play the leading role in action to resist the resurrection of nazi ideology, according to the draft resolution, including by organising an international conference on the phenomenon. The report is due for debate during the Assembly’s winter session (23-27 January 2006).
16/12/2005 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
At a meeting in Paris today, the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee decided not to continue its work on the report “For recognition and supervision of surrogacy as an alternative to sterility.” The committee concluded that it was unable for the time being to submit proposals on the matter to the Assembly.
16/12/2005 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today warmly welcomed US President Bush's acceptance of the McCain amendment, which will help prevent the possibility of CIA or military personnel engaging in torture or serious ill-treatment. "The McCain amendment will help ensure that in our joint fight against terrorism, both Europe and the USA respect the same legal standards," he said.
15/12/2005 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE's Committee on Legal Affairs adopted, at its meeting in Paris on 13 December, a draft resolution and a draft recommendation prepared by Rudolf Bindig (Germany, SOC) that expresses deep concern that "a fair number of Governments, Member States, and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe have failed to address the ongoing serious human rights violations in a regular, serious and intensive manner, despite the fact that such violations still occur on a massive scale in the Chechen Republic and in somes cases, neighbouring regions, in a climate of impunity." These draft texts are on the order of business of PACE's next plenary session (23-27 January 2005).
15/12/2005 | President
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, René van der Linden, has strongly condemned the remarks of the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who yesterday described the Holocaust as a myth. “I find this comment profoundly shocking. It is a monstrous untruth, and clearly amounts to hate-speech in my view," he said. "This kind of inflammatory rhetoric is completely unacceptable, and will only jeopardise the prospects for peace in the Middle East at this critical time. Instead, recognition of and respect for both Israel and the Palestinians are essential."
15/12/2005 | Monitoring
Georgia’s progress over the last year can be regarded as “generally encouraging” but this is still only a first step towards fully meeting its Council of Europe obligations and commitments, PACE's Monitoring Committee said in a draft report approved today.
15/12/2005 | Monitoring
In a declaration adopted today, the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has urged the Ukrainian Parliament to carry out its constitutional duty and renew the composition of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine without any further delay.
15/12/2005 | President
PACE President, René van der Linden, has called on the US Congress to ensure that US laws and practice conform to international legal standards. In an open letter to the Congress, sent as the “McCain amendment” to the defence bills is being discussed on Capitol Hill, he wrote: “The US position on this issue is crucial to showing that the same rules apply to all.”
14/12/2005 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE's Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris today, adopted a draft resolution and a draft recommendation on the "Need for international condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes". The text, prepared par Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), strongly condemns the massive human rights violations committed by these regimes and expresses "sympathy, understanding and recognition to the victims of crimes". According to the committee, "this clear position of the international community will pave the way to further reconciliation".
14/12/2005 | News
Debates on “The need for international condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes” and “Combating the resurrection of nazi ideology”, as well as on human rights violations in the Chechen Republic are among highlights of PACE’s winter session (23-27 January). Invited guests include UN General Assembly President Jan Eliasson, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Romanian President Traian Băsescu and Bulgarian Prime Minister Serguei Stanichev. Other subjects to be discussed include the policy of return for failed asylum seekers in the Netherlands and the concept of “nation”. A request will also be made for an urgent debate on allegations of secret detention centres in Council of Europe member states.
13/12/2005 | News
Details of a two-year programme of support for parliamentary institutions in Serbia and Montenegro, conceived jointly by the Assembly and the European Agency for Reconstruction, were presented to PACE’s Bureau at its meeting this week. The EUR 1.58 million programme – aimed at the State Union Assembly and the Parliaments of Serbia and of Montenegro – will involve help for harmonising these bodies’ rules with European norms and seminars for MPs and adminstrators – on the separation of powers, the electoral system, the media and the electorate – as well as study visits and language courses. The overall aim is to promote “European-minded leadership and a constructive political dialogue” as part of helping Serbia and Montenegro to meet its Council of Europe obligations and commitments.
13/12/2005 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Information gathered to date has “reinforced the credibility of allegations concerning the transfer and temporary detention of individuals, without any judicial involvement, in European countries”, according to Dick Marty, the Swiss parliamentarian looking into allegations of secret detention centres. In a statement today to PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee, Mr Marty said legal proceedings in certain countries “seemed to indicate that individuals had been abducted and transferred to other countries without respect for legal standards”, although he said it was too early to assert there had been complicity of member states in illegal actions. He noted that the allegations had never formally been denied by the US.