23/06/2022 | 10:56:25 I will pick up where Mr Bernard FOURNIER left off. I would also like to thank everyone here in the room and also everyone who took part in our discussion and who provided their input, helping us to pinpoint all the various issues which are covered in the report - almost all of the issues, in fact. I would like to focus on some of the points made by colleagues. I will not be covering all of the topics, because most of the speakers actually dovetail nicely with what we said in the report at the... 23/06/2022 | 10:14:20 Taking up from where my colleague left off, there is a second important theme in our report, namely the vulnerability of Malta's political and democratic institutions to conflicts of interest and corruption. The independent public inquiry commission that was established on recommendation of the Assembly concluded that in Malta there is a culture of impunity and institutional omertà, which undermines the proper functioning of the democratic and rule-of-law of institutions. Again, while a... 22/06/2022 | 12:52:50 Your Excellency President of the Hellenic Republic, On behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left, I'd like to warmly welcome you, and I'd like to thank you for your presence here today. The question that I would like to submit on the part of my group has already been made by the socialist groups, so I'll focus on something else. Something else upon which you touched upon in your presentation, and that concerns social rights, the protection of the underprivileged, labour rights, social... 20/06/2022 | 16:31:34 Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I would also like to start by thanking and congratulating our rapporteur for this excellent report. Dear colleagues, We fully endorse what the charter for a known racist and inclusive society stipulates amongst others, namely that we remain deeply concerned about the resurgence of rhetoric presenting migrants and refugees as a threat to and embedded to society, which increases negative reactions among the public to immigration and immigrants. This is... 26/04/2022 | 17:53:35 Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Allow me first to start by congratulating and thanking our rapporteur for this well-written report. The report highlights the grave consequences that discrimination based on social origins can have on the fabric of our societies and the quality of our democratic institutions. Most importantly, the report shows how poverty, inequalities, lack of equal opportunities, and social exclusion are directly related to the persistence of such abusive practices, social... 25/01/2022 | 18:56:33 Thank you, Mr Chairman. Dear Colleagues, We are navigating an era where information is readily and easily accessible by almost everyone at all times. Media should play a key role in providing timely, accurate, and reliable information, especially in times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media have become an important tool for public dialogue and discussion on COVID-19 and the governments’ handling of the public health crisis. At the same time, the sanitary crisis has created... 24/01/2022 | 20:03:46 Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2 Dear Colleagues, I should like to express my appreciation to the Rapporteur for delivering such a timely Report that highlights the need to mainstream migration policies with fundamental human rights law and considerations. The New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum should not seek to normalize existing deficiencies and loopholes but on the contrary seek to tackle and rectify them, whilst abiding by the respective international legal framework. We... 24/01/2022 | 17:50:17 Dear colleagues, In Greece, experts have warned about the new “eco-anxiety” among children and teenagers. Images and news about global large scale environmental damage, including wildfires, flash floods, heatwaves and the rise of the average global temperature, are directly impacting young people’s mental health. Their fear of environmental doom is not unfounded. The lives of our children and future generations are at stake, with lifelong impacts on their physical wellbeing and a direct... 29/09/2021 | 11:14:48 Thank you Mr Chairperson. Dear colleagues, Allow me to also thank the rapporteurs for their excellent work on climate change. Today's agenda is of upmost importance: dedicating a whole day of the session to these very important issues demonstrates the resolve of the Assembly to effectively contribute to this debate. Undoubtedly, we are facing a large-scale ecological crisis which threatens our lives and livelihoods, our societies and economies, maritime and terrestrial biodiversity. The... 22/06/2021 | 19:35:06 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Dear Colleagues, I should like to thank the Rapporteur, Mr. Hunko for his excellent and timely Report. As the Report highlights, the pandemic revealed discrepancies among member states, but also among the different segments and societal groups. These inequalities, exacerbated by years of austerity measures, left many of our governments with little room to manoeuvre and recover from the most severe health crisis our modern societies are facing...