Frequent abuse of administrative resources Russian Duma elections ‘not held on a level playing field’
The State Duma elections in the Russian Federation on 2 December 2007 were not fair and failed to meet many OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections, according to an observation mission of parliamentarians from these two bodies. The observation, bringing together over 70 parliamentarians from 28 countries, was a joint effort of delegations from PACE, led by Luc van den Brande, and the OSCE PA, led by Göran Lennmarker. (More)
Mikhail Gorbachev will take part in a debate PACE Winter Session highlights
Developments as regards the future status of Kosovo, UN Security Council and EU blacklists, the disappearance of new-born babies for illegal adoption and the election of the new President of the Assembly are among highlights of PACE’s Winter session (21-25 January 2008). (More)
PACE to observe 5 January 2008 elections Georgia: restoring confidence in democratic elections is the joint responsibility of all political forces
At the end of a three-day mission ahead of the observation of Georgia’s 5 January parliamentary elections, a four-member PACE delegation said that the political schism and polarised political debate risk undermining the credibility of the upcoming Presidential elections, and its outcome, in the eyes of the Georgian public. (More)
Call on the parties to preserve dialogue Potential for compromise on Kosovo exhausted, says PACE committee
The potential for finding a compromise between Belgrade and Pristina over Kosovo’s future status has been exhausted, according to PACE's Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The UN Security Council should now overcome existing differences and impose a solution, the committee said. (More)
European Day against the Death Penalty PACE President calls on Japan and the US to abolish the death penalty
René van der Linden welcomed the unanimous decision by the Ministers of Justice of the European Union (EU) to establish a “European Day against the Death Penalty” on the 10th October each year. “This unanimous vote, made possible by the change of government in Poland, sends out a very clear message beyond our borders to other parts of the world', he said. (More)
The museum displays the region's 400-year history Norway’s Svalbard Museum wins 2008 Museum Prize
The Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2008 has been awarded to the Svalbard Museum in Longyearbyen, Norway. Located in Spitzbergen, the museum is the northernmost museum in the world, displaying Svalbard’s 400-year history and explaining the factors which help support life and activities in the Arctic. (More)
THE IMAGE
Appeal by PACE's Committee on Human Rights to free Ingrid Betancourt
PACE's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights solemnly called upon the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to free Ingrid Betancourt without further delay. (More)
PACE News is the electronic newsletter of the Parliamentary Assembly. It is published monthly and sent by e-mail. Click here to subscribe or to unsubscribe. It is also available on the PACE website (http://assembly.coe.int/Newsletter/). PACE is not responsible for the content of external websites.
The State Duma elections in the Russian Federation on 2 December 2007 were not fair and failed to meet many OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections, according to an observation mission of parliamentarians from these two bodies. The observation, bringing together over 70 parliamentarians from 28 countries, was a joint effort of delegations from PACE, led by Luc van den Brande, and the OSCE PA, led by Göran Lennmarker. 
Developments as regards the future status of Kosovo, UN Security Council and EU blacklists, the disappearance of new-born babies for illegal adoption and the election of the new President of the Assembly are among highlights of PACE’s Winter session (21-25 January 2008). 
At the end of a three-day mission ahead of the observation of Georgia’s 5 January parliamentary elections, a four-member PACE delegation said that the political schism and polarised political debate risk undermining the credibility of the upcoming Presidential elections, and its outcome, in the eyes of the Georgian public. (
The potential for finding a compromise between Belgrade and Pristina over Kosovo’s future status has been exhausted, according to PACE's Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The UN Security Council should now overcome existing differences and impose a solution, the committee said. 
René van der Linden welcomed the unanimous decision by the Ministers of Justice of the European Union (EU) to establish a “European Day against the Death Penalty” on the 10th October each year. “This unanimous vote, made possible by the change of government in Poland, sends out a very clear message beyond our borders to other parts of the world', he said. 
The Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2008 has been awarded to the Svalbard Museum in Longyearbyen, Norway. Located in Spitzbergen, the museum is the northernmost museum in the world, displaying Svalbard’s 400-year history and explaining the factors which help support life and activities in the Arctic. 