TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly
Synopsis No 2001/111
1 October 2001
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 24 September 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Democracies facing terrorism: appointed its Chairperson as Rapporteur for opinion;
- Security and crime prevention in cities: setting up a European observatory(Rapporteur for opinion: Mr McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC): considered a report tabled by the Committee on the Environment and Agriculture and supported a proposal by its Rapporteur for opinion to ask for the report to be referred back to committee;
- Campaign against trafficking in women(Rapporteur for opinion: Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): considered a report tabled by the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, considered and approved an opinion and considered, amended and approved some amendments to the draft recommendation;
- Right to family life for migrants and refugees(Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Magnusson, Sweden, SOC): considered a report tabled by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, considered and approved an opinion, and considered and approved some amendments to the draft recommendation;
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 25 September 2001 with first Mr Magnusson, 1st Vice-Chairperson, and then Mr Jansson, in the Chair, as regards:
- Democracies facing terrorism(Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Jansson, Finland, LDR): considered a report tabled by the Political Affairs Committee, considered and approved an opinion, and considered, amended and approved some amendments to the draft resolution as well as to a draft recommendation;
- Conflict in the Chechen Republic: held an exchange of views with the Deputy Prosecutor General and the Deputy Military Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation and the Acting Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic;
- Violations of human rights in Algeria: appointed Mr Akçali (Turkey, EDG) Rapporteur and asked him to attend the exchange of views with the Algerian parliamentary delegation, organised by the Political Affairs Committee;
- Sub-Committee on Penal Law and Criminology: appointed Mr Pellicini (Italy, EDG) as a titular member of the Sub-Committee;
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 26 September 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Situation of the political prisoners in Azerbaijan(Rapporteur: Mr Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR): heard a statement by the Rapporteur;
- European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT): took note of the 11th General Report on the CPT's activities;
- Situation in the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"(Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Lippelt, Germany, LDR): approved an oral opinion by the Rapporteur, and appointed Mr Lloyd (United Kingdom, SOC) to present it during the debate and vote on the draft resolution and draft recommendation tabled by the Political Affairs Committee;
- Protection of minorities in Belgium(Rapporteur: Mrs Nabholz-Haidegger, Switzerland, LDR): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on her visit to the country on 4-7 September 2001, decided to ask for the opinion of the European Commission for Democracy through Law («Venice Commission») on the definition of the term «national minority» as applicable to Belgium in the context of the Framework Convention on National Minorities, and authorised the Rapporteur to go to the country again to meet with the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs;
- Sub-Committee on Human Rights: appointed Mr Piscitello (Italy, LDR) as the alternate member for Mr Contestabile on the Sub-Committee;
- Conflict in the Chechen Republic: appointed Mr Bindig (Germany, SOC) as the Committee's spokesperson;
- People's Republic of China: held an exchange of views with a delegation from the National People's Congress of China;
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 27 September 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Conflict in the Chechen Republic(Spokesperson of the Committee: Mr Bindig, Germany, SOC): considered the activity report on the conflict in the Chechen Republic, prepared by the Co-Chairpersons of the Joint Working Group on Chechnya;
- Abolition of the death penalty in Council of Europe observer States(Rapporteur: Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): heard a statement by the Rapporteur and decided to organise two seminars in the spring of 2001, in Japan and in the United States of America;
- Composition of the European Commission for Democracy through Law ("Venice Commission")(Rapporteur: Mr Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC): considered and unanimously adopted a draft recommendation submitted by the Rapporteur;
- Appointment of rapporteurs:
i. Elimination of religious discrimination against Jehovah's witnesses: Mr Akçali (Turkey, EDG)
ii. Right of national minorities to create and use their own media in the Council of Europe member states: M Cilevics (Latvia, SOC)
iii. Law regarding the Hungarians living in neighbouring countries, adopted on 19 June 2001 by the Hungarian Parliament
and
Transfrontier co-operation in preserving the identity of national minorities:
Mr Jurgens (Netherlands, SOC)
iv. Protection of sign language in member states: Mr Bruce (United Kingdom, LDR)
v. Candidates to the European Court of Human Rights: Mr McNamara (United Kingdom, SOC)
vi. Opinion on the draft Convention on Contact concerning Children: Mrs López González (Spain, SOC)
- Appointment of representatives to conferences, meetings, seminars, etc:
i. Seminar on Roma participation in Europe, organised by the Finnish Center for European Security (Helsinki, 22 October 2001) (Helsinki, 22 October 2001): Mr Tabajdi (Hungary, SOC)
ii.Conference on "Clemency and Punishment" (Saratov (Russia), 22-26 October 2001): Mrs Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD)
- Participation of members in conferences, meetings, seminars, etc: heard a report on the World Conference against Racism (Durban (South Africa), 3-7 September 2001) by Mr McNamara (United Kingdom, SOC) and a report on the OSCE Conference on "Equal opportunities for Roma and Sinti: Translating words into Facts" (Bucharest, 10-13 September 2001) by Mr Tabajdi (Hungary, SOC);
- Next meetings:
Plenary Committee:
- Paris, Monday 29 October 2001 at 9 h 30 (Council of Europe Office)
- Paris, Monday 26 November 2001 at 9 h 30 (Council of Europe Office)
Sub-Committee on Human Rights:
- Zurich (Switzerland), 22-23 November 2001 (on the occasion of the 7th Round Table with the European Ombudsmen (subject to the authorisation of the Bureau)
- Strasbourg, during the Assembly's January 2002 part-session
Sub-Committee on Penal Law and Criminology:
- Paris, Tuesday 30 October 2001, at 9 h 30 (Council of Europe Office)
- Strasbourg, during the Assembly's January 2002 part-session
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The Sub-Committee on Human Rights of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 25 September 2001 with Mrs Wohlwend in the Chair, as regards:
- Hearing on the role and functioning of the Ombudsman institutions in societies in transition (Salzburg, 30 May 2001): decided to declassify the verbatim record of the hearing;
- Implementation of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights(Rapporteur: Mr Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC): took note of the reminder sent by the Chairperson of the plenary Committee to the parliamentary delegations of the five States which have not yet replied to the President of the Assembly's letter on this subject;
- 7th Council of Europe Round Table with European Ombudsmen (Zurich, 22-23 November 2001): decided to take part in the Round Table;
- European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) (Rapporteur: Lord Kirkhill, United Kingdom, SOC): considered a list of candidates submitted on behalf of the United Kingdom and recommended to the Assembly's Bureau that it be transmitted to the Committee of Ministers;
- Commission for Grace of the President of the Russian Federation: held an exchange of views with Mr Anatoly Pristavkin, President of this Commission;
- Next meetings:
. Zurich (Switzerland), 22-23 November 2001 (on the occasion of the 7th Round Table with the European Ombudsmen (subject to the authorisation of the Bureau)
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly's January 2002 part-session
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The Sub-Committee on Penal Law and Criminology, of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights,meeting in Strasbourg on 27 September 2001 with Mr Jaskiernia in the Chair, as regards:
- Role of the public prosecutor’s office in a democratic society governed by the rule of law:held an exchange of views with Mr Candido Cunha, Head of the Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Division in the General Directorate of Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe and decided to recommend that the plenary Committee continue to follow the matter;
- Harmonisation of criminal law in Europe(Rapporteur: Mr Olteanu, Romania, SOC): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on the preparation of the working meeting to take place on 30 October 2001 in Paris, with the participation of three experts;
- Democracies facing terrorism (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Jansson, Finland, LDR): decided to come back to this matter at its meeting on 30 October 2001;
- Fight against corruption(Rapporteur: Mr Tallo, Estonia, SOC): decided to invite the Chairman of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) to an exchange of views at the meeting of the Sub-Committee on 30 October 2001;
- Next meetings:
. Paris, Tuesday 30 October 2001, at 9 h 30 (Council of Europe Office)
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly's January 2002 part-session
Allard A. Plate, Danielle Coin, Tanja Kleinsorge, David Cupina