11/10/2022 | 11:09:43 Thank you. And I start with congratulations to the rapporteur for this important and balanced report. It is important for the International Community to show commitment to the Western Balkans and not forget the region, especially in light of the recent steps towards Ukraine and Moldova. Further, the war in Ukraine has underlined the importance of EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans to prevent instability in the heart of Europe, especially given the ongoing attempts by Russia, but also... 23/06/2022 | 11:40:19 Thank you. I will start with my sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims of the downing. And I would like to thank the rapporteur, not only for his excellent report but also for his sincere attention to and compassion for the next of kin, with whom he spoke, even this morning, I understood. On the role Russia played in the downing of MH17, as well as on its obstruction of the investigations and getting justice, the report is as clear as it can be at this point. More clarity will... 22/06/2022 | 17:29:24 Thank you. First I want to compliment all three rapporteurs for their very relevant report. Combining the reports underlying the urgency of this debate and the coherence between the reports, several topics are more than once mentioned underlining that these are important issues. I will name a few: the protection, care, and support for refugees and displaced persons, and in particular children; the focus on education, and the need for rebuilding society - literally by rebuilding houses... 20/06/2022 | 15:32:04 Thank you, Chair. On behalf of the Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group, I want to thank Mr Momodou Malcolm JALLOW for this most important report, and Sir Tony LLOYD for his comments and additions. As the report rightly states, we are facing increasing racism and intolerance in Europe. Hate speech is targeted at people because of their ethnic origin, cultural background, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other grounds which make them the other. It is good that the scope... 27/04/2022 | 19:56:15 Thank you, President. I would like to congratulate the rapporteur on his work on this crucial topic. Although the cause is tragic, I think it is important that the Black Lives Matter movement sparked renewed attention to the unjustified use of force, as well as its systemic discriminatory causes. In this regard, I would like to draw attention to several developments in my home country, the Netherlands. Research by, among others, Amnesty International showed that police forces in the... 26/04/2022 | 17:12:20 Thank you, Mr President. I would like to congratulate rapporteur Ms Reina de BRUIJN-WEZEMAN with this excellent report, resolution and recommendation. The move towards deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities is both strongly needed and required by states' human rights obligations. Where placement in institutions should be abandoned, it is still being used far too often in all sorts of care, both for people with physical disabilities and people with psychiatric problems. In this... 25/04/2022 | 18:33:55 Thank you, President. In addressing this report, resolution, and recommendation I would like to commend the rapporteur for his comprehensive assessment of this important topic. The technological measures presented in the resolution, such as parental controls, ad-blocking, and age verification tools are relevant and have the potential to address the issue of children’s exposure to pornographic content rather quickly. For a more structural and long-term solution, I would like to stress the... 15/03/2022 | 12:32:24 Today, we have the longest list of speakers ever in this Parliamentary Assembly. It shows that we are united in condemning the aggression of Russia and want to express our solidarity with our colleagues from Ukraine, and with the Ukrainian people, whether they are still in the country or seeking refuge elsewhere. What should I add to all these voices? When I see the images from Ukraine, of bombed apartment buildings and hospitals, of desperate people starving to death and looking for safety... 25/01/2022 | 10:43:25 Thank you. Violence against and discrimination of LGBTI people does not only happen in Russia, Hungary, Poland, and the countries of the Southern Caucasus. It happens in all our countries. Research of the Fundamental Rights Agency shows that in my own country, the Netherlands, one in ten gay, lesbian or trans persons has been physically attacked. While one in five trans persons experienced physical or sexual violence. 36% of the LGBTI elderly experience discrimination by caretakers, and 21... 29/09/2021 | 10:52:19 Thank you, Chair. Humanity stands at a crossroads. Scientific evidence shows that the destruction of ecosystems and current rates will have catastrophic consequences for our environments. This directly impacts human health, dignity and life. The resolutions under discussion today guide the way for future approaches to the climate crisis. In this, they encompass several route towards progress: international legal standards, political action and more grassroots approaches of participatory...