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The Assembly is due to elect a new President
“Wisdom resides in the people – this is a truth lying at the heart of the democratic culture which has kept Europe secure for the last sixty years. But democracy can be practised in many ways. National referenda have a valuable role to play, yet we have seen how they can also be misused for political ends. I believe there are fundamental values that should never be put to a popular vote,” pointed out Lluís Maria de Puig, on the occasion the Human Rights Day. (More) A realistic timetable for the adoption of the legal reforms Legal reforms should be adopted without further delay, says PACE co-rapporteur for Ukraine Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Ukraine, announced on Tuesday an agreement on the establishment of a clear roadmap for the adoption of the legal reforms demanded by the Council of Europe. (More)  Statement by PACE pre-election delegation | ||||||||||||
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Need to collate information Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC), rapporteur of PACE Committee on Culture, on respect for media freedom, said he was shocked by the increase in attacks on journalists and media – at least twenty journalists have been killed since 2007 in Europe, including thirteen in Russia. (More)
While recalling that the eradication of homophobia and transphobia requires the member states political resolve, the PACE Legal Affairs Committee adopted a draft resolution urging European governments to guarantee “legal recognition of same-sex partnerships” and the possibility of joint parental responsibility for each partner’s children, or even “the right of each partner to adopt the other partner’s children”. (More) Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, ended a two-day visit to Rome (23-24 November 2009) by calling for a solution to the structural problem of excessive length of judicial proceedings in Italy. (More) Irrespective of her origin or background, any victim of gender-based violence residing in Europe must be able to receive protection and rehabilitation, said PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig, in a statement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. (More)
The Museum Prize for 2010 has been awarded to the Portimão Museum in Algarve in Portugal. The committee's decision was motivated by the success story of the museum, the relevance of its theme and the extent of its educational programme to the benefit of the local community. The Museum housed in a former sardine canning factory on the estuary of the Arade River has successfully restored the industrial/historical heritage of the area. (More)
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Debates on legal recognition of same-sex couples across Europe and a debate on the situation in the Middle East, as well as addresses by Greek Prime Minister George A. Papandreou and Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Franco Frattini, are among highlights of PACE’s winter session on 25-29 January 2010. The Assembly is also due to elect a new President. Other subjects due to be debated include respect for media freedom, judicial corruption and the detention of asylum seekers and irregular migrants. The Assembly will only decide its final agenda on the first day of the session. 