Summer Session 2025

PACE summer session: addresses by the President of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Malta, award of the 2025 Vigdís Prize

Addresses by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela, as well as the award of the 2025 Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment to the Women of the Sun organisation were among the highlights of the summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which took place in Strasbourg from 23 to 27 June 2025.

There were also debates on the legal and human rights aspects of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and on political negotiations to enforce exchange and release of prisoners of war. Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman also addressed the Assembly.

Urgent debates were on “Women's rights in Europe – progress and challenges” and on “Global peace under threat: halting the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and addressing the wider conflict in the Middle East”.

There were also current affairs debates – in which no text is adopted by the Assembly – on “A call for the immediate release of persons facing politically motivated persecution in Georgia” and on “The European Court of Human Rights: rising to the challenges of our times”.

Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg, President of the Committee of Ministers, were present the traditional communication from that body and answer questions from members. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, also held a question-and-answer session with the parliamentarians.

Debates took place on social mobilisation, social unrest and police reaction in Council of Europe member states; on inclusive participation in parliamentary life; on protecting human rights in and through sport; and on the Olympic movement and peacekeeping.

Other items on the agenda included saving migrants’ lives at sea and protecting their human rights, the challenges and needs of public and private actors involved in migration management, and the analysis and guidelines for a sustainable and socially fair energy transition.

PACE gave its opinion on a Draft Protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, and will debate the observation of Albania’s parliamentary elections.

Agenda