AA15CR06

AS (2015) CR 06

2015 ORDINARY SESSION

________________

(First part)

REPORT

First sitting

Monday 26 January 2015 at 11.30 a.m.

In this report:

1.       Speeches in English are reported in full.

2.       Speeches in other languages are reported using the interpretation and are marked with an asterisk.

3. The text of the amendments is available at the document centre and on the Assembly’s website. Only oral amendments or oral sub-amendments are reproduced in the report of debates.

4.       Speeches in German and Italian are reproduced in full in a separate document.

5.       Corrections should be handed in at Room 1059A not later than 24 hours after the report has been circulated.

The contents page for this sitting is given at the end of the report.

(Mr Iwiński, the doyen of the Assembly, took the Chair at 11.35 a.m.)

THE PRESIDENT – The sitting is open.

1. Opening of the first part of the 2015 ordinary session

THE PRESIDENT – I declare open the 2015 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

As the longest-serving member of our Assembly – I have been a member continuously since the major changes that swept through central and eastern Europe – I would like you all to accept my best wishes for the new year. In a few days, millions of people will celebrate the year of the goat and the new year in the Chinese calendar. My best wishes go to current and new members, as well as to parliamentarians from delegations that hold the status of partner for democracy or observer, and to all members of the Secretariat.

The Council of Europe is the oldest such organisation on the continent; it has reached the ripe old age of 66. Unfortunately, its achievements are not always appreciated. Nevertheless, we must work to defend human rights and develop democracy, as well as co-operation between parliaments, to do our bit to bring about a change in that state of affairs.

As well as old problems such as the abuse of the rights of different minorities, freedom of speech and the media, we are facing new ones linked to breaching democratic standards in a more sophisticated way. By and large, one of the most dangerous attitudes in many member countries, including the so-called old democracies such as France and the United Kingdom, is rising nationalism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism, resulting from the decline of democracy and the economic crisis.

In those circumstances, there is a particular need to defend and propagate fundamental values, as well as the ideals of the founding fathers. It is a cliché to say we are living in uncertain economic and political times. Dramatic events in Ukraine, which are ongoing, only confirm that assertion. Instead of a political dialogue, the proper way to find a compromise, unfortunately, recently, the violence has escalated, which has led to heavy casualties among civilians, plus at least 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons. Therefore, a halt to military operations and respect of the Minsk cease-fire agreement are a necessity.

(The speaker continued in French)

Among the many challenges we face, we cannot overestimate the role of the dialogue among civilisations. That dialogue is necessary to avoid the clash of civilisations that Samuel Huntington warned us against. Many years ago, I had an opportunity to work with him at Harvard university. An important part of the dialogue is the dialogue among religions. It is not the differences between religions that can lead to a clash of civilisations, but the politicisation of religions and the fundamentalism stemming therefrom. It is in that context that there are the terrorist acts. The Council of Europe must foster dialogue among civilisations, paving the way to a safe future and overcoming problems of humiliation and marginalisation. We all want the 21st century to betoken for humanity the end of times of war.

I profoundly regret to open the part-session on a solemn note, in grief, as a result of the killings in France. Journalists, policemen and other men and women lost their lives in the appalling terrorist attacks in Paris. We must also recall those who were killed in the east of Ukraine, including those who died in Donetsk and Mariupol. Moreover, as many of you know, Mr Andreas Schockenhoff, a member of the German delegation, passed away on 13 December and today we have heard the tragic news that a new member of the Bulgarian delegation, Ms Yanakieva-Kostadinova, has passed away. I ask members of the Assembly to observe a moment’s silence.

2. Examination of credentials

THE PRESIDENT – The first item of business is the examination of members’ credentials.

      The names of the members and substitutes are in Document 13670. If no credentials are challenged, the credentials will be ratified.

Are any credentials challenged? I call Mr Walter.

      Mr WALTER (United Kingdom) – I wish to challenge the credentials of the Russian Federation on behalf of many members of the Assembly on substantive grounds under Rule 8, which basically says that it is in serious violation of the basic principles of the Council of Europe under Article 3 of the Statute and its preamble and is persistently failing to honour its obligations and commitments. This is a country which is, with the support of its members of parliament, occupying the territory of another member State, and the sanctions we imposed in April should at least be continued.

THE PRESIDENT – Thank you, Mr Walter. You are challenging the credentials of the Russian delegation on substantive grounds.

Under Rule 8, your challenge must be supported by at least 30 members from at least five national delegations present in the Chamber. Would those members supporting this challenge please rise in their places and remain standing while we check whether the requirement is met?

The challenge has the support required under the Rules of Procedure.

The credentials of the Russian delegation are referred without debate to the Monitoring Committee for report and to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for opinion. The Monitoring Committee shall report within 24 hours if possible.

The President will make proposals for the examination by the Assembly of the Committee’s report when we consider the draft agenda.

I remind you that members of a national delegation whose credentials are challenged may take their seats provisionally with the same rights as other Assembly members until the Assembly has reached a decision. However, those members shall not vote in any proceedings relating to the examination of their own credentials.

Are there any other challenges? I do not see any challenge.

The other credentials set out in Document 13670 are ratified. I welcome our new colleagues.

3. Election of the President of the Assembly

THE PRESIDENT – The next item of business is the election of the President of the Assembly.

I have received only one candidature: that of Ms Anne Brasseur, Luxembourg, of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

I therefore declare Ms Brasseur elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for this ordinary session.

Ms Brasseur, I congratulate you on your election.

(Ms Brasseur, President of the Assembly, took the Chair in place of Mr Iwiński.)

4. Address by Ms Brasseur, President of the Assembly

THE PRESIDENT* – Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, first I wish each and every one of you a happy new year. Unfortunately, the year did not start very well for many of us and for many of our fellow citizens, whether we are referring to the tragic events in Paris or the escalation of violence in Ukraine. We bow to the memory of all the victims. I restate our condolences to their families.

Dear colleagues, one year ago you afforded me the honour of electing me President of our Assembly. Today, you have again expressed your confidence in me, for which I thank you. I am grateful for your unfailing support in our common task, which is becoming less and less easy. I think we all endorse that view. Co-operation with colleagues in the Presidential Committee has been particularly productive and I thank them. I also thank the Secretary General of the Assembly, Mr Wojciech Sawicki, and the secretariats of the Assembly, national delegations and political groups: they have throughout the last year displayed professionalism, willingness and unstinting commitment. I also thank them for their friendship.

My thanks also go to my small team that supports me in the presidential office. We are all fortunate to be able to work with such a competent team. I also thank the ambassadors, with whom we have excellent co-operation in the Committee of Ministers and on the occasions of our numerous bilateral meetings. I also applaud the good co-ordination with the Secretary General, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland and the Deputy Secretary General, Ms Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, and all your staff.

I also thank the interpreters, who allow us to understand each other, for their flexibility, given that I tend to jump from one language to another.

The year 2014 was definitely not a good one for the fundamental principles which we defend in Europe. In some of our continent’s countries, civil society was subjected to an unprecedented assault. Many partners of the Council of Europe, intellectuals, human rights defenders and journalists who are acknowledged internationally for their commitment to liberty are in jail. Others, as they go about their work, have to cope with considerable pressures, searches, arrests, prohibitions, harassment and refusal to co-operate. The award of the 2014 Václav Havel prize to Anar Mammadli, a human rights defender in Azerbaijan, confirmed our commitment to stand alongside civil society when it is under threat and being muzzled. On 15 January, we invited nominations for the next prize, and we shall continue to support all those who fight for human rights on the ground.

In some of our countries, a return to so-called traditional values is being used as a pretext to deprive citizens of the rights for which generations had fought. The corruption which continues to poison our societies remains a major challenge. Our anti-corruption platform, launched last April, can make a contribution to meeting this challenge, and I invite you to play an active part in it.

Populations fleeing from wars and poverty continue to land on the shores of the Mediterranean. We know that there have been thousands of deaths, and the survivors often face indifference and contempt. Across Europe and elsewhere, extremist movements of all kinds are re-emerging, fuelled by xenophobia, hatred, social malaise and intolerance. These movements regard this diversity, which is a major asset for our societies, as a threat. We should say that these pose a huge threat to our shared values.

We have seen terror and violence emerge in many European countries, including France, the country which hosts our Organisation’s headquarters. The acts of terrorism in Paris were an assault on our fundamental values. Those tragic events are a reminder to us of the need to continue our daily battle and overcome political divisions to reject intolerance and defend our democracies, harmonious co-existence and freedom of expression. We can only applaud the huge surge in solidarity across Europe after the barbaric crimes committed in France. Now it is time to turn that wave of solidarity into a long-term movement against hatred. It is our responsibility to make that commitment a lasting one.

      When he addressed the Council of Europe last November, His Holiness Pope Francis proposed the creation of a new agora as a platform for interfaith dialogue and exchange. That proposal is in line with our work over many years on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, and we had already proposed the creation of a stable platform of that kind in 2011. We must now put the idea into practice, as repressive solutions will never suffice in coping with mounting intolerance. The “No Hate Parliamentary Alliance”, which we shall officially launch on Thursday, will also have to become an effective instrument in our fight against violence and intolerance, and it will be effective only if we truly pledge ourselves to it. The declaration of a European Day for Victims of Hate Crime, for which we expressed support in the September session, is all the more important in the current context.

      (The speaker continued in English.)

      Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, the events of 2014 have been an enormous challenge for us all. For the first time since the end of the Second World War, we face a unilateral attempt to redraw the map of Europe. The annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation is a flagrant and major violation of international law. It is a dangerous precedent that risks plunging our continent back to the times when war defined borders. Europe needs Russia as a reliable partner and a responsible power, but Russia has to respect its international obligations if there is to be peace, security and stability in Europe.

      Today the Ukrainian people continue to suffer. According to the latest data from the United Nations, more than 5 000 people have died since the beginning of the conflict, including in the recent tragedies near Volnovakha, in Donetsk and in Mariupol. We mourn the victims. Over 1 million people have fled their homes because of the fighting. The catastrophe reminds us, a century after the start of the First World War, of the danger of geopolitics prevailing over the values of democracy, the rule of law and even human life. The profound economic crisis and the absence of strong and reliable State institutions aggravate further the complex and difficult situation prevailing in Ukraine.

      I visited Kiev 10 days ago, together with the presidents of the political groups. Our interlocutors spoke with one voice, stating that respect for the Minsk Agreement was an imperative first step towards peace and reconciliation. One element of the agreement is the exchange of prisoners of war and hostages. In that respect, it is of grave concern that Ms Nadiia Savchenko, who is now a member of the Verkhovna Rada, and who was this morning confirmed as a member of our Assembly, is detained in the Russian Federation. I hope that her situation will be resolved swiftly and that she will be able to join us in the Chamber very soon.

      The rule of law and respect for human rights must guide the steps we take. Those responsible for human rights violations must be brought to justice, no matter which side they are on and regardless of whether the events occurred during the conflict in the east of the country, in the Maidan-related events or in the May tragedy in Odessa.

      We know that what we are witnessing is not the end of history, and the page of history that we are living and writing is regrettably not a happy one. We live in a world facing disruption, and on the European continent we see fundamental rights being undermined. Last year, I was often asked whether I was optimistic or pessimistic about the future of Europe. In reply, I referred to the founding fathers of the Council of Europe, who were convinced that we could – and that we had to – overcome our history, modelled by disputes and injustice, in order to build a common future based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The founders of the Council of Europe were neither optimists, nor pessimists; they were men and women who chose to commit themselves to building together a peaceful and united Europe in spite of the deep wounds and ambient mistrust left by a horrendous war. I believe that today we need to draw inspiration from their example. We must strive to find solutions that are not guided by short-term considerations; we must see our mission in a middle and long-term perspective.

      What kinds of tools do we have to confront today’s challenges in Europe? Our main force is parliamentary diplomacy and mutually respectful dialogue, but to conduct dialogue does not mean to close our eyes to shortcomings and violations. Our duty is to have the courage to speak the truth. Sometimes you have to criticise, and sometimes you have to take criticism.

      The challenges before us are huge, but we should not give up. Their immensity shows that the commitment of each one of us is more important than ever. It is our responsibility, as representatives of parliaments of 47 member States, to make all possible efforts to protect the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We must do that first and foremost in our own countries, but also in this Chamber. We can succeed only by working together. I will not give up and, with your support, I will continue to try to make a difference. I know that you will not give up either, and I thank you for that.

5. Election of Vice-Presidents

      THE PRESIDENT – The next item of business is the election of Vice-Presidents of the Assembly.

      Nineteen nominations for Vice-Presidents are listed in Assembly Document AS/Inf (2015) 01.

      If there is no request for a vote, they will be declared elected.

      Since there has been no request for a vote, I declare these candidates elected as Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, in accordance with Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure.

      They will take precedence by age.

6. Appointment of members of committees

      THE PRESIDENT – The next item of business is the appointment of members of committees.

      The candidatures for committee members have been published in Document Commissions 2015 (01) and Addendum 1.

      These candidatures are submitted to the Assembly for ratification.

      Are these proposals approved?

      The proposed candidatures are approved and the committees are appointed accordingly.

7. Proposals for debates under urgent procedure and on current affairs

      THE PRESIDENT – Before we examine the draft agenda, the Assembly needs to consider requests for debates under urgent procedure and on current affairs. The Bureau has received the following: a request for an urgent debate on the subject of “Terrorist attacks in Paris: together for a democratic response” from the five political groups; a request for an urgent debate on the subject of “Renewed intense hostilities in eastern Ukraine: end of the cease-fire” from the European Conservatives Group; and a request from the European Conservatives Group for a current affairs debate on “Implications of the opinion of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the proposed accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights”.

      Taking the first request for an urgent debate, at its meeting this morning the Bureau agreed to propose to the Assembly that it hold an urgent debate on “Terrorist attacks in Paris: together for a democratic response”.

      Does the Assembly agree to this proposal from the Bureau?

      The proposal is agreed. The request for urgent procedure is therefore approved. I propose that the debate be held on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. with a deadline for amendments of Tuesday at 4 p.m.

      Under Rule 26, the Bureau proposes that the debate on “Terrorist attacks in Paris: together for a democratic response” be referred to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy.

      Is this agreed?

      The reference is agreed to. I propose that the debate be held on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. with a deadline for amendments of Tuesday at 4 p.m.

      The Assembly now needs to consider the request submitted by the European Conservatives Group for a debate under the urgent procedure on “Renewed intense hostilities in eastern Ukraine: end of the cease-fire”.

At its meeting this morning the Bureau agreed to recommend to the Assembly that this request be rejected. Is the Bureau’s recommendation accepted? I call Mr Chope.

Mr CHOPE (United Kingdom) – This request was supported this morning not just by the European Conservatives Group but by the Group of the European People's Party. Colleagues might have seen the vile defamatory leaflet being distributed by members of the Russian delegation today attacking Ms Savchenko as a Nazi. The best response of the Assembly would be to support this request for an urgent debate on the renewed hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

THE PRESIDENTThank you. According to our rules, someone may speak against that objection. I call Mr Gross. You have 30 seconds.

Mr GROSS (Switzerland) – We have the opportunity to discuss the subject in the credentials debate and tomorrow morning in the debate on the consequences of the war. I urge members to vote against this debate. They would not be voting against the subject matter, but against having similar debates three times, which would downgrade our proceedings.

      THE PRESIDENT – We shall now vote on the request for urgent procedure. The decision requires a two-thirds majority. Those who are in favour of holding an urgent procedure debate on “Renewed intense hostilities in eastern Ukraine: end of the cease-fire” should vote yes, those who are against holding such a debate should vote no.

      The vote is open.

The request for an urgent procedure debate is rejected.

      We now turn to the request from the European Conservatives Group for a current affairs debate on “Implications of the opinion of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the proposed accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights”.

At its meeting this morning, the Bureau decided to recommend to the Assembly that this request be rejected.

Is the Bureau’s recommendation accepted?

The Bureau’s recommendation is accepted and the request for a current affairs debate on the “Implications of the opinion of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the proposed accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights” is therefore rejected.

8. Adoption of the agenda

      THE PRESIDENT – The next item of business is the adoption of the agenda for the first part of the 2015 ordinary session. The draft agenda submitted for the Assembly’s approval was brought up to date by the Bureau on 9 December and this morning. I remind members that we have just agreed to hold an urgent debate on the subject of “Terrorist attacks on Paris: together for a democratic response” on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., for which the deadline for amendments will be Tuesday at 4 p.m.

      I propose that the committee report on the challenge to credentials be debated on Wednesday afternoon after the joint debate. The deadline for amendments will be Tuesday at 6 p.m.

      Is the draft agenda agreed to?

      It is agreed to.

      Details of the debates are set out in each sitting’s Organisation of Debates document.

9. Time limits on speeches

      THE PRESIDENT – It is clear already that there will be a large number of speakers and amendments for certain debates. To enable as many members as possible to speak, the Bureau proposes that speaking time be limited to three minutes for all sittings except Friday.

      Is this agreed? It is agreed.

       I may make further proposals on these matters as required.

I welcome Mr Didier Reynders from Belgium, who has just joined us.

10. Adoption of the minutes of proceedings of the Standing Committee

THE PRESIDENT – The minutes of the meeting of the Standing Committee held in Brussels on 18 November 2014 have been distributed in Document AS/Per (2014) PV 03.

      I invite the Assembly to take note of these minutes.

11. Commemoration ceremony: 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

      THE PRESIDENT* – The next item on the agenda is the commemoration ceremony of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. I invite colleagues to watch the screens.

I thank the Shoah Memorial for allowing us to display these moving images.

Dear colleagues, we have convened here the day before the international day dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust to commemorate the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp on 27 January 1945. Auschwitz-Birkenau is a name that bears witness to more than a million personal tragedies. It is also a symbol of inhumanity that is both barbarous and organised, a revolting demonstration of the spread of evil referred to by Hannah Arendt. For us, Auschwitz-Birkenau represents an extermination machine for whole categories of the population. The aim of this machine was to destroy the dignity, hopes and history of individuals and to reduce men and women to numbers.

      Is man capable of such atrocities? Yes, he is, and we must take stock of that fact. Our Organisation was created in 1949 to avoid a repetition. Our predecessors understood that they could prevent a recurrence of that immense, murderous dehumanisation only by bolstering democracy and the rule of law and by ensuring that human rights were upheld as supreme values.

      We must speak about the history of the Holocaust, and we are duty bound to continue this remembrance work, but in this endeavour nothing can supplant the survivors’ testimonies. Today, we have the honour to receive a witness of this era, Ms Ida Grinspan, who was a prisoner at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Throughout her life, she has never ceased to contribute to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Mr Samuel Pisar also wished to bear witness. Unfortunately, he is not able to do so, as he was taken to hospital yesterday. I wish him a swift recovery on behalf of us all.

      I belong to the generation born a few years after the war. We are the direct descendants of those who suffered and who sacrificed themselves for our freedom. We are now duty bound to hand on the torch of their memory to future generations, and we can do so today thanks to the testimony of a survivor who will refer to her experiences and hand them on to the students who are in the gallery, and whom I warmly welcome. We especially appreciate their attendance at this ceremony, as well as that of Ms Jane Braden-Golay, the President of the European Union of Jewish Students.

      As nothing can replace the testimony of those who experienced the nightmare of the death camps, I invite Ms Grinspan to come to the podium and to take the floor.

      Ms GRINSPAN* – Madam President, members of the Parliamentary Assembly, it is a Jewish tradition to place a small pebble on tombstones, and for me being here this morning and talking about my experience is a way of placing such a pebble: it is the wreath of flowers that I throw at the end of each visit into the pond where are amassed the ashes from the Auschwitz-Birkenau crematorium.

      I was born in Paris in 1929. I am French as a result of the choice of my parents, who wanted to move to France – a country that they associated with human rights and hospitality. In 1940, German troops invaded France, leading to a massive exodus. Many schools were closed. I was 10 and a half at the time. My parents sent me to a small village near Niort in the countryside to live with a nanny, not so much to hide me, but because life was easier far from occupied Paris. We did not imagine then that Jews or, indeed, anyone else could suffer persecution in France.

      My life was turned upside down on the night of 31 January 1944. I was 14 years and two months old. Three French gendarmes arrived at my nanny’s home, saying that they were looking for the little Jewish girl who lived with her. My nanny tried to convince them not to take me, but they would not listen to her. They took me to a warehouse in Niort, where they held some 50 people who had been rounded up throughout the region. We stayed there for two days. We were then taken to Paris and then to the camp in Drancy. We were told that we would be leaving for camps in Germany, where we would be reunited with our families who had been deported before us, and I believed it. I had had no news of my mother since her arrest during the Vélodrome d'Hiver raid on 6 July 1942. The thought of being reunited with my mother came as a great comfort.

      A week later, we were herded into cattle trucks. We travelled for three days in appalling conditions – so unbearable that we all gave a sigh of relief when we arrived at Auschwitz on the morning of the fourth day. We were desperate to get outside and breathe. We thought that nothing could be worse than that journey, but of course, the reality was very different. We were assailed with cries and screams and the barking of SS officers’ dogs.

      When we climbed out of the train, men in prison uniform approached and told us that we had to leave everything behind. We had to throw into the snow all the small bags and items that we had been allowed to take with us. It was heart breaking to have to leave everything, even the small supplies that I had kept preciously for my mother. Then, with great brutality, the SS separated the men and the women. I witnessed heart-rending scenes when families refused to be separated. I, of course, had arrived alone.

      We women were told to gather at the head of the train. Unusually, only one SS officer with a stick was carrying out the selection that morning. He said, “Those of you who are tired, get into the lorries, and those who can walk, stay.” I thought that I could walk. I little imagined that my fate was decided at that instant. Thanks to the haircut that I had had three months before being arrested, the SS officer did not realise that I was 14. If you were not 14, you were not allowed into the camp. Thanks to that haircut, I was able to get into Auschwitz and not taken away.

      We then walked through the snow for about an hour before stopping in front of a low hut. Inside, three SS officers were waiting for us. They started screaming in German and French, “You must get undressed.” We were frozen and we did not move. No one dared to get undressed. It seemed to us impossible to undress in front of those soldiers, but we were given no time to think, because women rushed towards us from the depths of the hut, bludgeons in hand, wearing armbands with the word “Kapo” on them in black letters, although we did not know what that meant then. They rushed forward, shouting and screaming, and they started to beat the women who were closest to them. When we saw the force with which they used their bludgeons, we were forced to undress. We started timidly taking our clothes off. When we got to our underwear, we dared go no further. The SS then started screaming, “Nackt, nackt” – in other words, we had to strip naked.

      When we found ourselves naked in front of the soldiers, we were completely terrified, humiliated and embarrassed because we did not know how to hide our nudity. Some women tried to hide their chests with their arms; others, their pubic area; and others bent down, not daring to stand up, which is what I did. We were left naked, and the cold swept in through the open doors. We saw women with shavers in their hands arrive from the back of the room. We were shaved completely: our heads, armpits and pubic area. We were transformed – unrecognisable, we no longer looked like women. Our hair had fallen to the ground, and strands of different coloured hair were all mixed up.

Other prisoners with inkwells containing Indian ink and pens with steel nibs started tattooing numbers on our forearms. We were then sent into the frozen showers. We were given something to wear, and at the end of the morning we were given foul-smelling soup – one bowl that five of us had to eat without any spoons. That is how the first day following our arrival in Auschwitz was spent.

      Within the space of a few hours, and without understanding what was happening to us, we lost any kind of identity. Our humanity had been shattered, and henceforth we would not be called by our name; we became the number that was tattooed on our forearm. Henceforth we were just Stück; we were numbers, and that is how we would be referred to. There were some 40 of us in the hut, and when at last we heard French being spoken, the women who had arrived with their families asked prisoners who had arrived before us, “Where are those who got into the lorries? When will we see them?” Without sparing us in any way, the prisoners said, “Here in Auschwitz there are gas chambers. The people who climbed into the lorries were taken to those gas chambers, and afterwards their bodies were incinerated in the crematoria.” It defied human understanding. We thought that perhaps those prisoners had gone mad, and in spite of the smoking chimney that we could see, nobody believed them and it took a certain time to understand that it was true.

      After the war, I returned to Auschwitz for the first time in 1988, and I almost passed out in the room where one sees a huge pile of human hair. I thought to myself that perhaps the hair of my mother was there, because I never found out what happened to her. It is extremely painful to talk about the Shoah, and if I, Ida, have the strength to be with you here this morning, it is out of a sense of duty and to honour the memory of those who never returned from Auschwitz and to give them, if not a name, at least their dignity. [Applause.]

      THE PRESIDENT* – Madam, you will have gathered from our applause just how touched we were to hear your testimony, and it should serve as a duty for us to ensure that the memory continues. You talked about the atrocities that you had to experience, along with all the other victims. It was very touching and we thank you for that with all our hearts.

(The President continued in English)

      I now give the floor to the next generation and to Ms Braden-Golay, the president of the European Union of Jewish Students.

      Ms BRADEN-GOLAY – Dear Mrs Grinspan, President Brasseur, members of this distinguished Assembly, ladies and gentleman, as we gather here today, we remind ourselves that we have a promise to keep. On the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we stand still, listen, remember, contemplate, and reaffirm the solemn vow that arose from the ashes of the Holocaust: never again. In honour of all the victims, we recall the events that shaped our values and institutions – most prominent among them this very Council of Europe – and reaffirm our commitment to human rights. However, as Elie Wiesel recently put it, “The winds of madness are blowing.” Although I can recall a peaceful, carefree childhood, today my peers and I are experiencing threats that, to me, it seems unthinkable should ever reoccur on European soil. It is becoming increasingly clear that our responsibility in the presence of survivors, and in honour of all the victims, is more than simply to remember – it is to remember, understand, recognise and act.

      Last year, the European Union of Jewish Students brought together Jewish student leaders in Skopje to define our duty as young Jews in Europe today. We understood that our generation has a particular responsibility. We are the bridges between those who have living memory of the horrors of the Holocaust, and our children who will not know survivors. We young Jews of Europe therefore developed two pledges. While I am able to take your hand, Mrs Grinspan, and to know you, I pledge to you that my children will also know you. My peers and I also pledge that commemorating the Holocaust and honouring the memory of all the victims will always mean taking action in the here and now.

      Ladies and gentlemen, I respectfully call on you to join me in my pledge to Mrs Grinspan and all survivors of the Holocaust. While we remember together today, I call on you also to consider decisive action in the face of anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry. The most meaningful way that we as a society can honour all those lives destroyed is to remain resilient against the divisive forces of fear and hatred. Let us contemplate that today as we remember the victims of the Holocaust, and first thing tomorrow, let us take action together.

      THE PRESIDENT – Ms Braden-Golay, thank you very much for your speech, and congratulations on your commitment. I am sure that with that commitment you also can pass on the memory, so thank you very much.

      Today, dear colleagues, we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and we reiterate our commitment to the protection of human rights and human dignity against brutal barbarian cruelty. With a minute of silence let us pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and to those who fought for our freedom.

      (The Assembly observed a minute’s silence)

12. Next public business

      THE PRESIDENT – The Assembly will hold its next public sitting this afternoon at 3 p.m. with the agenda which was approved this morning. I now invite everyone to gather in the forecourt of the Council of Europe to continue the commemoration ceremony.

      The sitting is closed.

      (The sitting was closed at 12.30 p.m.)

CONTENTS

1. Opening of the first part of the 2015 ordinary session

2. Examination of credentials

3. Election of the President of the Assembly

4. Address by Ms Brasseur, President of the Assembly

5. Election of vice-presidents

6. Appointment of members of committees

7. Proposals for debates under urgent procedure and on current affairs

8. Adoption of the agenda

9. Time limits on speeches

10. Adoption of the minutes of proceedings of the Standing Committee

11. Commemoration ceremony: 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Address by Ms Ida Grinspan, Holocaust survivor

Address by Ms Jane Braden-Golay, President of the European Union of Jewish Students

12. Next public business

Appendix I

Representatives or Substitutes who signed the Attendance Register in accordance with Rule 11.2 of the Rules of Procedure. The names of Substitutes who replaced absent Representatives are printed in small letters. The names of those who were absent or apologised for absence are followed by an asterisk

Pedro AGRAMUNT

Alexey Ivanovich ALEKSANDROV

Brigitte ALLAIN/Jean-Claude Frécon

Jean-Charles ALLAVENA

Werner AMON/Christine Muttonen

Luise AMTSBERG*

Liv Holm ANDERSEN*

Lord Donald ANDERSON

Paride ANDREOLI

Khadija ARIB

Volodymyr ARIEV

Egemen BAĞIŞ*

Theodora BAKOYANNIS*

David BAKRADZE/Giorgi Kandelaki

Taulant BALLA*

Gérard BAPT/Guy-Dominique Kennel

Gerard BARCIA DUEDRA

Doris BARNETT

José Manuel BARREIRO

Deniz BAYKAL

Marieluise BECK*

Ondřej BENEŠIK/ Gabriela Pecková

José María BENEYTO

Deborah BERGAMINI*

Sali BERISHA*

Anna Maria BERNINI

Maria Teresa BERTUZZI*

Andris BĒRZINŠ

Gülsün BİLGEHAN

Brian BINLEY/Lord Richard Balfe

Ľuboš BLAHA/Darina Gabániová

Philippe BLANCHART

Jean-Marie BOCKEL/Jacques Legendre

Olga BORZOVA

Mladen BOSIĆ

António BRAGA*

Anne BRASSEUR

Alessandro BRATTI*

Piet De BRUYN/Petra De Sutter

Beata BUBLEWICZ

Gerold BÜCHEL*

André BUGNON

Natalia BURYKINA*

Nunzia CATALFO*

Elena CENTEMERO*

Irakli CHIKOVANI

Vannino CHITI*

Tudor-Alexandru CHIUARIU/Viorel Riceard Badea

Christopher CHOPE

Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN

Henryk CIOCH

James CLAPPISON

Agustín CONDE/Carmen Quintanilla

Telmo CORREIA*

Paolo CORSINI

Carlos COSTA NEVES*

Celeste COSTANTINO*

Jonny CROSIO*

Yves CRUCHTEN

Zsolt CSENGER-ZALÁN

Katalin CSÖBÖR

Joseph DEBONO GRECH

Reha DENEMEÇ

Alain DESTEXHE

Manlio DI STEFANO*

Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA

Peter van DIJK*

Şaban DİŞLİ

Aleksandra DJUROVIĆ

Ioannis DRAGASAKIS*

Elvira DROBINSKI-WEIß

Daphné DUMERY / Hendrik Daems

Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE

Nicole DURANTON

Josette DURRIEU

Mustafa DZHEMILIEV/Andrii Lopushanskyi

Mikuláš DZURINDA*

Lady Diana ECCLES

Tülin ERKAL KARA

Franz Leonhard EßL/Edgar Mayer

Bernd FABRITIUS*

Joseph FENECH ADAMI/Charlò Bonnici

Cătălin Daniel FENECHIU

Vyacheslav FETISOV/Lidia Antonova

Doris FIALA

Daniela FILIPIOVÁ/Miroslav Antl

Ute FINCKH-KRÄMER

Axel E. FISCHER

Gvozden Srećko FLEGO

Bernard FOURNIER

Hans FRANKEN

Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO/Christian Barilaro

Martin FRONC

Sir Roger GALE

Adele GAMBARO

Karl GARÐARSSON

Iryna GERASHCHENKO/Sergiy Vlasenko

Tina GHASEMI

Valeriu GHILETCHI

Francesco Maria GIRO*

Pavol GOGA

Carlos Alberto GONÇALVES

Alina Ştefania GORGHIU

Svetlana GORYACHEVA*

Sandro GOZI*

Fred de GRAAF

François GROSDIDIER*

Andreas GROSS

Dzhema GROZDANOVA

Mehmet Kasim GÜLPINAR

Gergely GULYÁS*

Jonas GUNNARSSON

Nazmi GÜR

Antonio GUTIÉRREZ

Maria GUZENINA*

Márton GYÖNGYÖSI

Sabir HAJIYEV

Margus HANSON

Alfred HEER

Michael HENNRICH*

Martin HENRIKSEN*

Françoise HETTO-GAASCH

Oleksii HONCHARENKO/Svitlana Zalishchuk

Jim HOOD/David Crausby

Arpine HOVHANNISYAN

Anette HÜBINGER

Johannes HÜBNER

Andrej HUNKO

Ali HUSEYNLI*

Rafael HUSEYNOV*

Vitaly IGNATENKO

Florin IORDACHE/Daniel Florea

Tadeusz IWIŃSKI

Denis JACQUAT*

Gediminas JAKAVONIS

Gordan JANDROKOVIĆ

Tedo JAPARIDZE/Levan Berdzenishvili

Michael Aastrup JENSEN*

Frank J. JENSSEN

Florina-Ruxandra JIPA*

Ögmundur JÓNASSON

Aleksandar JOVIČIĆ*

Josip JURATOVIC*

Antti KAIKKONEN

Mustafa KARADAYI/Hamid Hamid

Marietta KARAMANLI/André Reichardt

Niklas KARLSSON

Andreja KATIČ/Matjaž Hanžek

Charles KENNEDY*

Tinatin KHIDASHELI*

Danail KIRILOV*

Bogdan KLICH/Marek Borowski

Haluk KOÇ

Igor KOLMAN

Unnur Brá KONRÁÐSDÓTTIR*

Ksenija KORENJAK KRAMAR

Attila KORODI

Alev KORUN

Rom KOSTŘICA

Elena KOUNTOURA*

Elvira KOVÁCS

Tiny KOX

Borjana KRIŠTO*

Julia KRONLID/Johan Nissinen

Marek KRZĄKAŁA/ Iwona Guzowska

Zviad KVATCHANTIRADZE

Athina KYRIAKIDOU

Serhiy LABAZIUK

Inese LAIZĀNE

Olof LAVESSON

Pierre-Yves LE BORGN'

Jean-Yves LE DÉAUT

Igor LEBEDEV

Valentina LESKAJ

Terry LEYDEN

Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE

Georgii LOGVYNSKYI

François LONCLE/Marie-Christine Dalloz

George LOUKAIDES

Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA

Jacob LUND

Trine Pertou MACH/Nikolaj Villumsen

Saša MAGAZINOVIĆ

Philippe MAHOUX

Thierry MARIANI

Soňa MARKOVÁ

Milica MARKOVIĆ

Meritxell MATEU PI

Ana MATO

Pirkko MATTILA/Mika Raatikainen

Frano MATUŠIĆ

Liliane MAURY PASQUIER

Michael McNAMARA*

Sir Alan MEALE

Ermira MEHMETI DEVAJA

Ivan MELNIKOV

Ana Catarina MENDONÇA*

Attila MESTERHÁZY/Gábor Harangozó

Jean-Claude MIGNON*

Philipp MIßFELDER*

Olivia MITCHELL

Igor MOROZOV

João Bosco MOTA AMARAL

Arkadiusz MULARCZYK

Melita MULIĆ

Oľga NACHTMANNOVÁ

Hermine NAGHDALYAN*

Piotr NAIMSKI

Sergey NARYSHKIN

Marian NEACŞU/Florin Costin Pâslaru

Zsolt NÉMETH

Miroslav NENUTIL

Baroness Emma NICHOLSON*

Michele NICOLETTI

Aleksandar NIKOLOSKI

Marija OBRADOVIĆ

Žarko OBRADOVIĆ

Judith OEHRI*

Carina OHLSSON

Joseph O'REILLY

Maciej ORZECHOWSKI/Jan Rzymełka

Sandra OSBORNE/Michael Connarty

José Ignacio PALACIOS

Liliana PALIHOVICI

Ganira PASHAYEVA

Waldemar PAWLAK/Jarosław Sellin

Foteini PIPILI*

Vladimir PLIGIN

Cezar Florin PREDA

John PRESCOTT*

Gabino PUCHE

Alexey PUSHKOV*

Mailis REPS / Rait Maruste

Andrea RIGONI*

François ROCHEBLOINE*

Soraya RODRÍGUEZ

Alexander ROMANOVICH

Maria de Belém ROSEIRA

René ROUQUET

Rovshan RZAYEV

Indrek SAAR*

Àlex SÁEZ

Vincenzo SANTANGELO*

Milena SANTERINI

Kimmo SASI

Nadiia SAVCHENKO/Boryslav Bereza

Deborah SCHEMBRI

Stefan SCHENNACH

Ingjerd SCHOU

Frank SCHWABE

Urs SCHWALLER/Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter

Salvador SEDÓ

Predrag SEKULIĆ

Ömer SELVİ

Aleksandar SENIĆ

Senad ŠEPIĆ

Samad SEYIDOV*

Jim SHERIDAN

Bernd SIEBERT*

Valeri SIMEONOV*

Andrej ŠIRCELJ

Arturas SKARDŽIUS

Leonid SLUTSKY

Serhiy SOBOLEV

Olena SOTNYK

Lorella STEFANELLI

Yanaki STOILOV

Karin STRENZ

Ionuţ-Marian STROE

Valeriy SUDARENKOV

Krzysztof SZCZERSKI

Damien THIÉRY*

Lord John E. TOMLINSON

Antoni TRENCHEV

Konstantinos TRIANTAFYLLOS*

Mihai TUDOSE/Corneliu Mugurel Cozmanciuc

Goran TUPONJA/Snežana Jonica

Ahmet Kutalmiş TÜRKEŞ

Tuğrul TÜRKEŞ

Konstantinos TZAVARAS*

Ilyas UMAKHANOV/Anton Belyakov

Dana VÁHALOVÁ

Olga-Nantia VALAVANI*

Snorre Serigstad VALEN

Petrit VASILI

Imre VEJKEY/Rózsa Hoffmann

Stefaan VERCAMER

Mark VERHEIJEN*

Birutė VĖSAITĖ

Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN

Vladimir VORONIN/Maria Postoico

Viktor VOVK

Klaas de VRIES

Nataša VUČKOVIĆ

Draginja VUKSANOVIĆ

Piotr WACH

Robert WALTER

Dame Angela WATKINSON/Judith Wilcox

Tom WATSON/Geraint Davies

Karl-Georg WELLMANN*

Katrin WERNER*

Morten WOLD/Ingebjørg Godskesen

Gisela WURM

Maciej WYDRZYŃSKI

Leonid YEMETS/ Pavlo Unguryan

Tobias ZECH

Kristýna ZELIENKOVÁ

Sergey ZHELEZNYAK

Marie-Jo ZIMMERMANN

Emanuelis ZINGERIS

Guennady ZIUGANOV

Naira ZOHRABYAN*

Levon ZOURABIAN*

Vacant Seat, Cyprus*

Vacant Seat, France/Maryvonne Blondin

Vacant Seat, Republic of Moldova*

Vacant Seat, Republic of Moldova*

Vacant Seat, ‘‘The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’’/ Vladimir Gjorchev

ALSO PRESENT

Representatives and Substitutes not authorised to vote

Helena HATKA

Andrzej JAWORSKI

Lotta JOHNSSON FORNARVE

Killion MUNYAMA

Michał STULIGROSZ

Observers

Corneliu CHISU

Partners for democracy

Abdelmalek AFERIAT

Mohammed AMEUR

Bernard SABELLA

Asiya SASYKBAEVA

Mohamed YATIM