http://www.assembly.coe.int/rss/rss.aspx?cat=all&size=20&lang=en-gb&title=All+themes&rssdesc= Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:32:35 +0200 A 20-member PACE delegation, headed by Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD), will travel to Albania from 21 to 24 June to observe the parliamentary elections alongside observers from the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8847&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8847 “The drastic situation of the Syrian refugees is constantly worsening and has reached an unprecedented level of suffering. A million and a half Syrians have fled their country; it is an outright humanitarian disaster!... declared PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon on the eve of World Refugee Day (20 June). Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8849&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8849 A decision on a request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary and a debate on tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity – to be addressed by the Women’s Rights Minister of France Najat Vallaud-Belkacem – are among the highlights of the PACE summer plenary session in Strasbourg on 24-28 June 2013. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8845&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8845 PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon will make an official visit to Algeria from 17 to 19 June 2013, during which he is due to meet the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Council of the Nation and the Speaker of the People's National Assembly. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8843&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8843 “I was extremely surprised by the closure late on Tuesday of Greece’s three public radio and TV services, ERT,” said Deborah Bergamini (Italy, EPP/CD), Chair of the PACE Sub-Committee on Media and Information Society, speaking today. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8837&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8837 PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) and Joseph Debono Grech (Malta, SOC), have stressed the need for the creation of conditions which would allow for a fair electoral campaign during the forthcoming presidential election, in compliance with democratic standards. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8839&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8839 Marina Schuster (Germany, ALDE), PACE General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, and Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD), Rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, have expressed deep concern at press reports according to which another death sentence was handed down in Belarus yesterday. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8841&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8841 At the end of his visit to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon called for co-operation between that country and the Council of Europe to be stepped up, in order to complete the honouring of the commitments entered into on accession, and thus to speed progress along the path to European integration. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8835&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8835 Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), the rapporteur on the Palestinian National Council’s ‘Partnership for democracy’ with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has called on the relevant Palestinian authorities to “respect their agreement with PACE” and prevent any executions from taking place in Gaza. Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8825&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8825 Improving measures to help children report abuse happening within their “circle of trust” – family, friends, people from their activities or sports clubs, and among their internet contacts – was one of the main challenges to emerge during a parliamentary conference in Baku on the implementation in Azerbaijan of the ONE in FIVE campaign to stop sexual violence against children. Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8827&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8827 In his address to the National Assembly of the “former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon today welcomed the authorities’ willingness to “move forward along the path of European integration”. In support of this process he proposed that a joint effort be started to consider how to focus better on priorities... Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8829&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8829 “The Duma has today turned prejudice against LGBTs into law,” said Hakon Haugli (Norway, SOC), rapporteur on ‘Tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity’, commenting on the Duma’s unanimous adoption of the the law banning propaganda for “non-traditional sexual relations”. Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8831&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8831 “Albania needs the 23 June elections to meet Council of Europe standards, in order to confirm its genuine commitment to democracy, respect for the rule of law and protection of human rights,” concluded a five-member pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD), in a statement issued at the end of a two-day visit to T... Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8833&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8833 Following a fact-finding visit to Berlin to prepare his report on "the protection of minors against sectarian influence", the rapporteur of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Rudy Salles has welcomed the German authorities' determination to combat the phenomenon of "sectarian abuse". Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8819&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8819 Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) and Joseph Debono Grech (Malta, SOC), PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, will visit the country from 11 to 13 June 2013, to further assess the honouring of its obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe. Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8821&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8821 PACE General rapporteur on the rights of LGBT people Håkon Haugli today expressed concern about the draft bill on ‘homosexual propaganda’ to be examined by the Russian Duma. “Russia should wait for the Council of Europe Venice Commission opinion that will be approved on 14 June next”, he said. Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8823&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8823 On the basis of a report by Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC) on the situation in the Middle East, the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, meeting in Paris today, reiterated its support for a solution establishing “two states for two peoples”, while emphasising the need to qualify this expression by specifying “two democratic and pluralist states”. Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8809&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8809 “We have closely followed the events taking place in Turkey in the last few days,” said Josette Durrieu (France, SOC), PACE rapporteur for post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, appealing for calm and dialogue. Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8811&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8811 PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon will make an official visit to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” from 10 to 12 June 2013, during which he is due to meet the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, ... Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8813&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8813 “When, in 2011, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) agreed to grant partnership for democracy status to the Moroccan parliament, it stressed that the prime aim was progress in taking forward reforms and I note with satisfaction that this aim has been achieved. The partnership for democracy has created new dynamics between the Council of Europe and Morocco,” ... Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100 http://assembly.coe.int/ConsultationNews.asp?idNews=8815&Rss_Channel=2&Content-Language=en-gb&Rss_IDNews=8815