N° 24 | 23 Nov 06
    
Themes
Political
Human rights
Economic
Migration
Culture
Social
Environment
Equal opportunities
Rules of procedure
Monitoring


Archives
Recent
By theme
By date

 

 

  

Domestic violence is not geographically circumscribed, nor linked to ethnic origin
Ahead of Council of Europe campaign, parliaments urged to use ‘all means’ to combat domestic violence

Ahead of a major Council of Europe campaign to combat domestic violence against women, to be launched in Madrid on 27 November, the Standing Committee of the PACE, meeting in San Marino, called upon the member states to assume fully their responsibilities and to take all necessary measures to end this violence.

The parliamentarians reiterated their appeal to national parliaments to implement the project entitled “Parliaments united in combating domestic violence against women”, and to make the fight against domestic violence a priority theme of their work and thereby to contribute to the Council of Europe Campaign, by all parliamentary means at their disposal.  (More)

 Campaign to Combat Violence against Women, including Domestic Violence
 What PACE and parliaments are doing within the Council of Europe Campaign
 Parliaments join ‘white ribbon’ campaign to combat violence against women
 Statement by Parliamentary Assembly President on the Campaign (video)


More flexible naturalisation procedures should be considered
PACE Standing Committee calls for better treatment
of non-citizens in Latvia

PACE Standing Committee called for non-citizens in Latvia to be granted at least the same rights as other EU nationals living in the country. In a resolution, the parliamentarians called for automatic naturalisation of non-citizens who are elderly or born in the country, as well as those who have made “a worthwhile contribution to the establishment of the newly independent Latvian state”.  (More)

The Organisation needs “financial and political support”
Budget negotiations: PACE President criticises ‘narrow, penny-pinching’ attitude of some member states

René van der Linden urged Council of Europe member states to provide the Organisation with “the financial and political support it needs” to fulfil its potential. “I strongly urge the San Marinese chairmanship to foster a constructive atmosphere for budgetary negotiations, especially amongst those member states whose narrow, penny-pinching attitude is frankly embarrassing.”, the President said. (Picture: René van der Linden -left- and Fiorenzo Stolfi)  (More)

 

The President praised the work of Anna Politkovskaya
Democracy needs freedom, says PACE President in Moscow

“Journalistic freedom being one of the pillars of democracy, state authorities are responsible not only for the legal framework for journalism, but also for the general climate in which journalists  work. They must create conditions for journalists to work freely and independently,” said René van der Linden, at the opening of the Forum for the Future of Democracy in Moscow, which examined the role of political parties in democracy-building.  (More)

 Speech
 Council of Europe and its Assembly discuss role of political parties in democracy-building
 Towards a code of good conduct for political parties


A peaceful and orderly conduct of the vote
Serbia: constitutional referendum conducted with due respect for commitments

The Constitutional Referendum held in the Republic of Serbia on 28 and 29 October 2006 was, in general, conducted with due respect for Serbia’s democratic commitments to the Council of Europe, concluded a delegation of observers from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.  (More)


Call for respect of difference and diversity
PACE President, in Bratislava, calls for zero tolerance of intolerance and xenophobia

René van der Linden called on Slovak parliamentarians to show no tolerance for any manifestations of intolerance and xenophobia. 'Respect for difference and diversity lies at the heart of the values defended by the Council of Europe; ensuring such respect in practice is an unconditional duty for all member states', he said. (More)
IN BRIEF
PACE President welcomes ‘Football against racism in Europe’ action week

'French draft law on Armenian genocide ‘does not reflect principle of freedom of speech', says PACE President

Towards a recommendation on a ban on seal products

Protecting and supporting Human Rights Defenders

PACE President reacts to verdict in trial of Saddam Hussein

 

CALENDAR

27-29 November – Lisbon (Portugal) 
Executive Board of Nord-South Centre and Lisbon forum

Peter Schieder (Austria, SOC) and Kimmo Sasi (Finland, EPP/CD) will represent PACE at the Executive Board of the Lisbon North-South Centre on 27 November. On 28 and 29 November Peter Schieder will be chairing the Lisbon forum on constitutionalism as the key to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

 

28 November - Madrid  (Spain) 
Meeting of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men

Spanish parliamentarians, PACE regional parliamentary co-ordinators and NGO representatives will be having an exchange of views with committee members on progress of the parliamentary dimension of the campaign on violence towards women, including domestic violence. The spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls in Europe is also on the agenda. Draft  agenda

 

28 November - Brussels (Belgium)
Meeting of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development

Discussion items include the Council of Europe budgets for 2007, the activities and focus of the Development Bank and the need for a Council of Europe convention on counterfeiting and counterfeit goods. Draft agenda

 

28 November - Brussels (Belgium)
Joint meeting of the PACE Committee on Economic Affairs and the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)

Parliamentarians of both institutions will be meeting at the European Parliament, Brussels, on the afternoon of 28 November to discuss increased energy security in Greater Europe. Draft programme

 

28-30 November – Moscow (Russia)

Fact-finding visit to Russia

On behalf of the Monitoring Committee two rapporteurs, Luc Van den Brande (Co-Rapporteur on Russia, Belgium, EPP/CD) and Mátyás Eörsi (Co-Rapporteur on Georgia, Hungary, ALDE) are to make a fact-finding visit to Moscow after recent tensions between Russia and Georgia. Meetings are scheduled with representatives of the government, parliament and civil society. The rapporteurs were in Georgia on 21 and 22 November.

 

29-30 November – Baku (Azerbaijan)

Meeting of PACE Culture Committee’s media sub-committee

In the framework of a joint programme Council of Europe-European Union, the sub-committee is holding a seminar at the Languages University, Baku, on media freedom and ethics: European dimension in the professional education and training of journalists. The event will be attended by media organisations and journalists. Programme

 

29-30 November – Podgorica (Montenegro)

Fact-finding visit to Montenegro

Erik Jurgens (Netherlands, SOC), rapporteur for a Legal Affairs Committee opinion on Montenegro accession to the Council of Europe, and Seriy Holovaty (Ukraine, ADLE), rapporteur for a Monitoring Committee opinion, are making a fact-finding visit to Montenegro.

 

29-30 November – Berlin (Germany)

Official visit by PACE President

René van der Linden will be meeting the President of the Bundestag, Robert Lammert, and members of the human rights and European affairs parliamentary committees.
PACE News is the electronic newsletter of the Parliamentary Assembly. It is published monthly and sent by e-mail. Click here to subscribe or to unsubscribe. It is also available on the PACE website (http://assembly.coe.int/Newsletter/). PACE is not responsible for the content of external websites.

PACE – Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex – http://assembly.coe.int
pace.com@coe.int - +33 3 88 41 3193 - +33 3 88 41 2776