25/01/2005 | News
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe today, Viktor Yushchenko said that, as President, he would do everything within his power to ensure that the democratic changes in his country were irreversible. Emphasising that the holding of above-board elections had opened the way for a new Ukrainian society - one which was open, democratic and European - the new President thanked the Parliamentary Assembly for helping streamline the process of amending Ukraine's Constitution and hailed the work of its monitoring co-rapporteurs. Ukraine would honour its commitments to the Council of Europe, he said.
25/01/2005 | News
PACE today called on UNMIK and KFOR/NATO to commence work, in co-operation with the Council of Europe, towards establishing a Human Rights Court for Kosovo, as part of a series of essential reforms to the human rights protection system. PACE believes that this court should follow the procedures and case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). It should have power to annul decisions and acts of UNMIK and KFOR, and award appropriate redress or compensation. Following the proposals contained in the text on the "Protection of Human Rights in Kosovo" prepared by Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom, SOC), the parliamentarians underlined that the Court’s judges should be appointed by the President of the ECHR. Acoording to the parliamentarians, Kosovo is part of Europe, and the fact that it is currently under interim administration should not deprive its inhabitants from the effective protection of European human rights standards.
25/01/2005 | News
The prosecutions of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and two other former Yukos executives went beyond the mere pursuit of justice to include such elements as “to weaken an outspoken political opponent, intimidate other wealthy individuals and regain control of strategic economic assets”, PACE said in a resolution adopted today. It called on Russia, with the help of the Council of Europe, to continue preparing and implementing reforms of its legal and judicial system, and law enforcement agencies, so as to strengthen the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
24/01/2005 | News
Adopting its order of business on the first day of the session, the Assembly decided to hold an urgent debate on “Europe and the Tsunami disaster” at 3pm on Thursday 27th, with the participation of Yvette Stevens from the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. A second urgent debate on “Prospects for peace in the Middle East” was also agreed, to take place at 10am on Wednesday 28th, with the participation of representatives of the Palestinian Legislative Council and Israeli Knesset. The debate on Georgia’s honouring of its obligations and commitments will now take place on Monday afternoon, and the debate on the draft Council of Europe Convention against trafficking in human beings on Wednesday afternoon. Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis will make his address on “the state of the Council of Europe” on Thursday at noon.
24/01/2005 | News
René van der Linden (Netherlands, EPP/CD) was today unanimously elected PACE President for a mandate of one year, twice renewable. He succeeds Peter Schieder (Austria, SOC) as the 23rd President of the Assembly since its creation in 1949. He is the second Dutchman to fill this post. In his inaugural speech, Mr van der Linden said his priorities as PACE President would be increased co-operation with other international organisations, particularly the EU, UN and OSCE, making the Assembly’s work even more relevant to Europe’s citizens, and achieving a successful Third Summit of Heads of State and Government (Warsaw, Poland, 16-17 May).
24/01/2005 | News
The Parliamentary Assembly today elected its Vice-Presidents: Fátima Aburto Balsega (Spain), Giorgi Arveladzé (Georgia), Claudio Azzolini (Italy), Miroslav Benes (Czech Republic), Rudolf Bindig (Germany), Mikko Elo (Finland), Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco), Marcel Glesener (Luxembourg), Tadeusz Iwinski (Poland), Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom), Tito Masi (San Marino), Frano Matusic (Croatia), Mikhail Margelov (Russia), Murat Mercan (Turkey), Elsa Papadimitriou (Greece), Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando (Malta), Bernard Schreiner (France), Hanne Severinsen (Denmark), Zoltán Szabo (Hungary), Vacant seat (Moldova).
24/01/2005 | News
Addressing the Assembly this afternoon, Claude Frey, Chairman of the Executive Council of the North-South Centre, gave a reminder of the Centre's objectives, and particularly welcomed the signature just six days before of a co-operation agreement between the Assembly and the North-South Centre. He said that it was now time to take the next step forward, so that all the Council of Europe member states which had not yet joined the North-South Centre could do so. In this context, he foresaw a bright future thanks to the new agreement, which would increase the synergy between the Parliamentary Assembly and the Centre.
24/01/2005 | News
A year on from the “Rose Revolution”, it is time to normalise the situation in Georgia and bring the political process firmly back to the country’s institutions, the Assembly said today at the end of a debate on Georgia’s honouring of its obligations and commitments. “The post-revolutionary situation should not become an alibi for hasty decisions and neglect of democratic and human rights standards,” the parliamentarians warned. But as a sign of understanding to the new authorities, they agreed to revise deadlines for some of Georgia's Council of Europe commitments. They also encouraged President Saakashvili’s initiative to propose a peace plan for South Ossetia – which he is due to present to the Assembly on Wednesday.
19/01/2005 | News
Addresses by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili are among highlights of the winter session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg from 24 to 28 January 2005. Mr Yushchenko will speak provisionally on Tuesday afternoon, and Mr Saakashvili on Wednesday morning. Another highlight is a debate during which the Assembly will put forward its proposals for the coming Third Summit of the Council of Europe.
14/01/2005 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Parliamentary Assembly member Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC), who is responsible for presenting an opinion on the Council of Europe’s draft Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, and Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the 46-member Organisation, on 14 January made an pressing appeal for better protection of victims. “The draft convention is unsatisfactory; it gives the impression that states refuse to distinguish between illegal migration and trafficking in human beings”, said Mrs Vermot-Mangold at a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men in Paris.
12/01/2005 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
"The disaster in South Asia has made thousands of children and young women an easy target for traffickers of human beings. After drugs and arms, trafficking in human beings is the third biggest form of trafficking worldwide and a scourge undermining human rights that must be stamped out," said Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC), who has the task of presenting an opinion on the draft Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human beings. The draft Convention is to be presented to the press on Friday 14 January at midday in the Paris Office by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and Mrs Vermot-Mangold, Assembly rapporteur.
12/01/2005 | President
"Beyond the strong historical and cultural ties between Mexico and Europe, the Council of Europe can build today on the strong commitment of its Latin American partner who shares its common fundamental values and its raison d’être, to defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, President Peter Schieder said today, speaking at the plenary session of the Standing Committee of the Mexican Union Congress as part of his official visit to Mexico from 12 to 14 January. He stressed that Europe should be more present on the international scene, right there where issues of global concern are decided. "In my view, Mexico is a privileged partner in this endeavour - for Europe in general and for the Council of Europe in particular," he concluded.