18/03/2004 | Election observation
The 28 March Parliamentary election in Georgia demonstrated commendable progress in relation to previous elections. However, the continued intimidation and physical abuse against opposition supporters and journalists in Adjara, casts a shadow over the overall progress in the election process, concludes the International Election Observation Mission. Matyas Eörsi, Head of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Delegation added that the Georgian paradox revealed promising elections with disconcerting effects. “This poll was better organized and more democratic than previous ones. Yet it almost resulted in a one-party parliament, which does reflect the will of the people, but cannot reflect the wide diversity of views indispensable for meaningful debates on Georgia’s future."
18/03/2004 | President
Assembly President made the following statement today: “The outbreak of violence in Kosovo, and its heavy human toll, has already been unanimously condemned by the international community. KFOR is sending additional troops to the province to prevent any further clashes and bloodshed. Meanwhile, in Belgrade, Nis and other cities across Serbia, protests provoked by the outbreak of violence, in some cases degenerated into a disgraceful display of ethnic hatred and vandalism. Two mosques have been burned, and a number of policemen and journalists have been brutally assaulted. While concern for the security of the Serbian population in Kosovo is justified, and shared by the international community as a whole, the events of last night have only aggravated the situation of the victims of ethnic violence in Kosovo. Again, I call on Serbian and Kosovo Albanian leaders to unconditionally condemn and do all in their power to stop all acts of violence, including those committed by members of their own ethnic group.”
17/03/2004 | News
Assembly President Peter Schieder today expressed his shock and consternation over the loss of human lives during the outbreak of violence in Kosovo. He also extended his condolences to the families of the victims. He expressed his concern over the current situation and called upon Kosovo Serbian and Albanian leaders to exercise restraint and use all their influence to stop the violence immediately. "I hope the escalation of tension in Kosovo will not be allowed to continue”, Peter Schieder said. “We have to ensure that the process of stabilisation and consolidation of the rule of law in Kosovo goes on in order to guarantee the security and human rights of all Kosovo citizens", he stressed, calling for dialogue aimed at resolving the situation in a non-violent way. He also called on UNMIK to fully investigate all the circumstances of the outbreak of violence.
16/03/2004 | President
“The UN Commission on Human Rights, meeting in Geneva from 15 March to 23 April, is due to consider a resolution put forward by Brazil on sexual orientation and human rights. The resolution is of great importance as it would be the first general statement opposing discrimination based on sexual orientation at the global level,” Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder stressed in an open letter published today.
15/03/2004 | Election observation
The Russian Presidential Election on 14 March was generally well administered and reflected the consistently high public approval rating of the incumbent president but lacked elements of a genuine democratic contest. In addition to a dearth of meaningful debate and genuine pluralism, the election process failed to meet an important commitment concerning treatment by the state-controlled media, in particular television on a non-discriminatory basis. Those are the conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission.
12/03/2004 | President
In a letter sent to the Speakers of the two chambers of the Spanish Parliament, Luisa Fernanda Rudi and Juan José Lucas, Assembly President Peter Schieder firmly condemned the bomb attacks in Madrid: "We democrats all feel horror and anger at such a display of inhumanity and hatred. Nothing can ever justify those who defend terrorism," he said.
12/03/2004 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
A its meeting in Paris on 10 March, the Migration Committee approved a report on “a European migration observatory/agency” – due for debate in the Assembly’s April session – and one on “the situation of refugees and displaced persons in the Russian Federation and other selected CIS countries”, both by Tadeusz Iwiński (Poland, SOC). The committee also approved a report on “human mobility and the right to family reunion” by Rosmarie Zapfl-Helbling (Switzerland, EPP/CD).
12/03/2004 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Assembly Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights held a hearing on the human rights situation in Kosovo in Paris on 16 March. The discussion focused on three themes: political authority and current institutional structures, human rights protection mechanisms and implementation of Council of Europe standards. The hearing will contribute to a report by Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom, SOC), who should propose ways of making application of the European Convention on Human Rights more effective in Kosovo.
12/03/2004 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
The Sub-Committee on Science and Ethics (of the Committee on Culture, Science and Education) will hold an exchange of views in Paris on 17 March on “Parliaments and the knowledge society” with the participation of Claude Birraux, Chairman of the French Parliamentary Office for Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options (OPECST) and Antonios Trakatellis (*), Chairman of the European Parliament Scientific and Technological Options Assessment (STOA). (*) to be confirmed
12/03/2004 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
The agenda of the meeting of the Committee on Culture, Science and Education on 18 March includes approval of an opinion prepared by Majlene Westerlund Panke, (Sweden, SOC) on the Draft Additional protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, on Biomedical Research, and of an information report on Kosovo’s cultural heritage. Members will discuss diaspora cultures (Eleonora Petrova-Mitevska, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", SOC), education for Europe (Ghiorghi Prisacaru, Romania, SOC) and religions and intercultural dialogue (André Schneider, France, EPP/CD). They will also hold an exchange of views with Gottfried Wagner, Director of the European Cultural Foundation. The next day, the committee members will visit the French city of Lille, European capital of culture 2004.
12/03/2004 | News
Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder will address participants of the conference organised on 18 March in Strasbourg to mark the 10th anniversary of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).
10/03/2004 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights is to hold a hearing on the human rights situation in Kosovo in Paris (Council of Europe Office, 55 avenue Kléber) on Tuesday 16 March 2004. The hearing will be opened at 9am by the first Vice-Chairperson of the committee, Dick Marty (Switzerland, LDR). Participants will include Bajram Rexhepi, Prime Minister of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) of Kosovo; Marek Antoni Nowicki, Ombudsperson; Petr Ivantsov, Political Director of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK); Carsten Weber, Director of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the OSCE Mission (OMIK), and Alvaro Gil-Robles, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights.