05/10/2005 | News
Thomas Hammarberg, currently Secretary General of the Olof Palme International Centre in Sweden and a former Secretary General of Amnesty International, was today elected as Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights by the Organisation’s Parliamentary Assembly. Mr Hammarberg received 104 of the votes cast in the second round of the election, which took place during the Parliamentary Assembly’s Autumn plenary session in Strasbourg. Marek Antoni Nowicki (Poland) received 93 votes and Marc Verwilghen (Belgium) received 33 votes.
05/10/2005 | News
PACE today welcomed the “positive evolution” in Ukraine under President Yushchenko and the first achievements of the new authorities, but recognised that they have encountered numerous difficulties in the first nine post-revolution months, originating from the years of rule of the previous regime as well as internal conflicts within the new administration. The Assembly urged the Ukrainian authorities to carry on with the reform process and not to let political competition jeopardise the country’s development.
05/10/2005 | News
In an enlarged debate on the activities of the OECD this afternoon, PACE welcomed overall solid growth in the world economy and noted well-contained inflation in the OECD area, but worried about the huge and steadily rising US deficit as well as timid growth in the eurozone. High and volatile oil prices pose a further risk, said the parliamentarians, calling on OECD countries to do more to increase energy efficiency and diversify sources. PACE also welcomed extensive ongoing co-operation with Russia, and growing links with China.
05/10/2005 | News
All Council of Europe member states should fix at eighteen years the minimum statutory marriage age and make it easier to prevent, detect and annul forced marriages – those where at least one person has not given their full and free consent – PACE said today. "It is an outrage that, under the cloak of respect for the culture and traditions of certain communities, there are authorities which tolerate forced marriages and child marriages even though they violate the fundamental rights of each victim," the parliamentarians said in a resolution.
04/10/2005 | News
“Ten years have passed since Moldova became a fully-fledged European democracy as a member of the Council of Europe, but much still remains to be done,” declared Marian Lupu, Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, addressing the PACE. In the short time that it has been in existence, the new Moldovan Parliament has passed a raft of laws of vital importance for democracy, but the process of legislative reform is not over yet, he said. Welcoming Mr Lupu, President van der Linden recalled the achievements of the Moldovan economy during Mr Lupu’s stint as Minister for Economic Affairs and said that the Council of Europe expected the Parliament to be equally successful when it came to adopting European standards.
04/10/2005 | President
"This statue is also emblematic of the idea of team-spirit that characterises our work and the differing political and cultural identities that make up the Council of Europe. The same spirit is present in the team that has led to the presentation of the statue to the Council of Europe today. I thank the Government of Spain for presenting the gift, the Region of Murcia for its generosity and the artist Gonzalez Beltran for the imagination and skill that has gone into its creation" said René van der Linden on the occasion of the inauguration of the Spanish "Monument to Human Rights" at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg today.
04/10/2005 | News
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting in plenary in Strasbourg, today unanimously elected Mateo Sorinas Balfegó as Secretary General of the Assembly for a five-year term, beginning on 1 February 2006. Mr Sorinas was born in Tarragona (Spain) on 13 March 1946. After obtaining a master’s degree in physical sciences from Complutense University, Madrid in 1968, he worked as a teacher in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, where he was a member of the executive committee of the Teachers’ Union.
04/10/2005 | Elections
In the first round of the election for Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, held this morning, Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden) received 78 votes, Marek Antoni Nowicki (Poland) received 89 votes and Marc Verwilghen (Belgium) received 65 votes. No candidate having obtained an absolute majority of the votes cast, a second round ballot will be held tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
04/10/2005 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden today discussed possible fields of co-operation with UEFA officials, including ethics, good governance, the fights against racism and doping in sport. They also held an exchange of views on difficulties encountered by UEFA in promoting their activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina – the organisation of football structures, security in and around football arenas and visas for incoming football teams. UEFA’s main concern is the lack of co-operation and co-ordination between government authorities and football associations at both Entity and State level. The President will address a letter to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina urging them to co-operate better, to overcome ethnic divisions in sport and to speed up the adoption of a law on sport at state level.
04/10/2005 | Session
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly today, Spanish foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos put forward proposals for an alliance of civilisations, supported by the Spanish government and the United Nations. The aim is to fight terrorism by emphasizing the importance of dialogue and co-operation between different cultures, in the cause of peace and global security, he said. Mr Moratinos invited the Council of Europe to play a major role in promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
04/10/2005 | Session
Moldova has advanced significantly on the path of democratic reform during its ten-year membership of the Council of Europe, but a number of important commitments have not yet been met in a satisfactory manner, according to PACE. In a resolution adopted following a plenary debate in Strasbourg today, the parliamentarians said the pace of reform has been slowed because, in parallel with working on its democratic institutions, Moldova has had to build its national identity and deal with a separatist regime and foreign troops on the Transnistrian part of its territory.
04/10/2005 | Session
The history of the main religions, and the option of having none, should be taught with "complete impartiality" to European schoolchildren, according to PACE. Debating a report on education and religion, the Assembly said pupils should have the opportunity to learn about different religions in school – since a good general knowledge of religions can lead to a sense of tolerance – but should be taught that everyone has the same right to believe their religion is 'the true faith'.