Run-off confirms that Ukraine's presidential election meets most international commitments
[08/02/2010]Ukraine's run-off presidential election confirmed the international election observation mission's assessment that the electoral process met most OSCE and Council of Europe commitments. In a statement issued today, the observers noted that the election consolidated progress achieved since 2004. "Some say the Orange Revolution has failed. I say no. Thanks to the Orange Revolution, democratic elections in Ukraine are now a reality," said Matyas Eörsi, Head of the delegation of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.(more..)
Belarus - death penalty: PACE President welcomes creation of a parliamentary working group
[04/02/2010]Mevlüt Çavusoglu, PACE President today welcomed the creation, by the Belarus parliament, of a working group “on the issue of death penalty as an instrument of punishment” composed by members of both chambers. He encouraged the working group to examine experience of Council of Europe member states in this field as it showed that there were no valid reasons to maintain the death penalty. “This is a positive step in the right direction. PACE stands ready to assist the Belarus parliament in this process,” he said.(more..)
Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights: PACE rapporteur to visit Russia
[05/02/2010]Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), rapporteur of PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, will make a fact-finding visit to Moscow on 8 and 9 February as part of the preparation of his report on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The cases considered by Mr Pourgourides cover those which raise serious implementation issues.(more..)
PACE co-rapporteurs: Armenian authorities need to implement recommended reforms without further delay
[02/02/2010]“The Armenian authorities need to implement the reforms recommended by the ad hoc Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia on the events of 1 and 2 March 2008, without further delay,” concluded PACE co-rapporteurs, John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) and Georges Colombier (France, EPP/CD), following an exchange of views in the PACE Monitoring Committee last week. “The reforms recommended by the ad hoc Committee, in combination with those contained in the relevant PACE resolutions, if implemented in good faith, could comprehensively address the circumstances that led to the events of 1 and 2 March 2008,” the co-rapporteurs said.(more..)
President
Turkish Foreign Minister and PACE President meet in Strasbourg
[29/01/2010]Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu today met the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Mevlüt Çavusoglu at the end of the Assembly’s plenary session in Strasbourg. He congratulated the President on his election. Mr Çavusoglu is the 25th President of PACE, and the first Turk to hold this position.
Winter session: 25-29 January 2010
PACE calls for more funding for the ICPD Programme of Action
[29/01/2010]At the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, 179 countries adopted a Twenty-year Programme of Action, which focused on individuals’ needs and rights rather than on achieving demographic targets. Sixteen years later, the Assembly today noted that “while some progress has been made, achievements on education enrolment, gender equity and equality, infant child and maternal mortality and morbidity and the provision of universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning and safe abortion services, remain mixed”.
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