European Conference of Presidents of Parliament

Strasbourg, 15-16 September 2016


The Presidents and Speakers of parliament from the 47 Council of Europe member states and many partner, observer and neighbouring countries, along with the Presidents of other international assemblies, met in Strasbourg on 15 and 16 September 2016 for a European parliamentary summit, held every two years.

Some 350 delegates attended the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). They discussed three current affairs issues:

• The migration and refugee crisis in Europe: role and responsibilities of parliaments, presented by Nikolaos Voutsis, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, and László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly.

• National parliaments and the Council of Europe: together promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, presented by Eiki Nestor, Speaker of the Estonian Riigikogu, and Maja Gojkovic, Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly.

• Mobilisation of parliaments against hate, for inclusive and non-racist societies, presented by Norbert Lammert, Speaker of the German Bundestag, and Anne Brasseur, Ambassador of the Council of Europe's "No Hate Speech" movement.

PACE President Pedro Agramunt and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland gave the opening addresses.

The first European Conference of Presidents of Parliament was held in 1975. This event is held every two years, alternately in Strasbourg and in a capital of a Council of Europe member state.

Documents

Opening speech

Proceedings

Conclusions

Background documents

Theme 1

Reference documents for Theme 1

(open)

Assembly Resolution 2128 (2016) on Violence against migrants

Assembly Resolution 2107 (2016) on A stronger European response to the Syrian refugee crisis

Assembly Resolution 2089 (2016) on Organised crime and migrants

Assembly Resolution 2088 (2016) on The Mediterranean Sea: a front door to irregular migration

Assembly Resolution 2072 (2015) on After Dublin – the urgent need for a real European asylum system

The Parliamentary Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children

Theme 2

Reference documents and websites for Theme 2

(open)

Assembly Resolution 2126 (2016) on The nature of the mandate of members of the Parliamentary Assembly

Assembly Resolution 1823 (2011) on National parliaments: guarantors of human rights in Europe

Assembly Resolution 1798 (2011) on Fair representation of the political parties or groups of national parliaments in their delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly

Assembly Resolution 1773 (2010) on Promoting parliamentary diplomacy

Assembly Resolution 1640 (2008) on Use by Assembly members of their dual parliamentary role – both national and European

Campaigns of the Assembly

No Hate Parliamentary Alliance

PACE anti-corruption platform

PACE election observation

PACE parliamentary project support activities

Theme 3

Reference documents and websites for Theme 3

(open)

Assembly Resolution 2106 (2016) on Renewed commitment in the fight against antisemitism in Europe

Assembly Resolution 2069 (2015) on Recognising and preventing neo-racism

Assembly Resolution 1967 (2014) on A strategy to prevent racism and intolerance in Europe

Living together. Combining diversity and freedom in 21st century Europe - Report of the Group of Eminent Persons of the Council of Europe (2011)

Inclusive societies – Chapter 5 of the report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on State of democracy, human rights and the rule of law (2016)

Factsheet on Hate Speech, European Court of Human Rights

No Hate Parliamentary Alliance

No Hate Speech Movement

European Commission against Racism and Intolerance