Session: migration crisis, public health and interests of the pharmaceutical industry, Human Rights Prize

04/09/2015 Session

A joint debate on the humanitarian and political response to the migration and refugee crisis in Europe, the challenges for countries of transit, and the urgent need for a real European asylum system, with the intervention of the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini, will be among highlights of PACE's Autumn Session (Strasbourg, 28 September-2 October 2015).

The Assembly will award the 2015 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

There will also be debates on public health and the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, freedom of religion and living together in a democratic society, the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the participation of its Secretary General Angel Gurría.

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, as well as the Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, and the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić, will address the parliamentarians.

The Assembly will elect its Secretary General for the five years to come.

Igor Crnadak, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will address the parliamentarians in his role as Chair of the Committee of Ministers. Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will answer questions from the parliamentarians.

* * *

The final agenda is decided by the Assembly on the opening day of the session.

Monday 28 September

• Statement by the President
• Request(s) for current affairs debate or debate under urgent procedure:
  • Urgent procedure debate: “Humanitarian and political response to the migration crisis in Europe”
  • Current affairs debate: “A comprehensive humanitarian and political response to the migration and refugee crisis in Europe”
• Communication from the Committee of Ministers presented by Igor Crnadak, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers
• Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize Award Ceremony
• Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee
• Questions to Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Tuesday 29 September

• Election of a Judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the Slovak Republic
• Election of the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
• Public health and the interests of the pharmaceutical industry: how to guarantee the primacy of public health interests?
• Address by his Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
• Current affairs debate
  • A comprehensive humanitarian and political response to the migration and refugee crisis in Europe, and statement by Laura Boldrini, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy
• Joint debate
  • After Dublin: the urgent need for a real European asylum system
  • Countries of transit: meeting new migration and asylum challenges

Wednesday 30 September

• The activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2014-2015 and statement by Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD
• Address by Denis Zvizdić, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and statement by Dean Spielmann, President of the European Court of Human Rights
• Freedom of religion and living together in a democratic society

Thursday 1 October

• Possible debate under urgent procedure or current affairs debate
• Address by Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of Serbia
• Abuse of pretrial detention in States Parties to the European Convention on Human Rights
• Progress of the Assembly's monitoring procedure (October 2014-August 2015) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5)
• Free debate

Friday 2 October

• Equality and shared parental responsibility: the role of fathers
• Rethinking the anti-doping strategy
• Progress report (continued)

Practical information

Live web stream: The session is streamed live on PACE’s website.

Twitter: #PACEautumn2015

YouTube

Press conferences: PACE President Anne Brasseur will give a press conference on Monday 28 September at 10.30 a.m. Other press conferences will be announced on the spot. They are streamed live over the web.

For TV planning units: videos in broadcast quality summing up PACE highlights can be downloaded for free no later than two hours after the event. Further information from the Council of Europe Audiovisual Service, tel. +33 3 88 41 25 64 (prior to the session) or +33 3 88 41 35 00 (during the session).

For accreditation: Directorate of Communication, [email protected].

Further details: see the Assembly's website.

Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93; [email protected]

Links