FOR THE ATTENTION OF MEMBERS OF THE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly
Synopsis No. 2001 / 115
2 October 2001
The Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Strasbourg on 24, 25, 26 and 27 September 2001, under the chairmanship of Mr. Terry Davis (United Kingdom, SOC) and Mr Roman Jakič (Slovenia, LDR) senior Vice-Chairman:
As regards:
Democracies facing terrorism (Rapporteur: Mr. Terry Davis, United Kingdom, SOC): appointed its Chairman as rapporteur, considered a draft report, adopted a draft Resolution and a draft Recommendation;
Situation in ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ (Rapporteur: Mr. Roman Jakič, Slovenia, LDR): considered a draft report, adopted a draft Resolution and a draft Recommendation and took position on the amendments;
Conflict in the Chechen Republic (Rapporteur: Lord Judd, United Kingdom, SOC): heard a progress report on the conflict in the Chechen Republic by the co-chairmen of the Joint Working Group, Lord Judd and Mr. Rogozin;
Request for membership of the Council of Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina (Rapporteur: Mr. László Surjan, Hungary, EPP/CD): held an exchange of views with the participation of members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Special Guest delegation on the recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, considered a draft report and unanimously adopted a preliminary draft Opinion, subject to the undertaking by the Bosnian authorities to honour the commitments listed in this draft Opinion;
Changes to the composition of the sub-committees:
Sub-Committee on the Middle East: appointed Mr. Mota Amaral (Portugal, EPP/CD) as alternate of Mr. Medeiros Ferreira (Portugal, SOC);
Sub-Committee on Relations with Non-Member Countries: appointed Mr. Medeiros Ferreira (Portugal, SOC) as alternate of Mr. Mota Amaral (Portugal, EPP/CD);
Sub-committee on Strengthening of Democratic Institutions: appointed:
Members Alternates Mr. ADAMIA, SOC Georgia Mr. ATTARD MONTALTO,SOC Malta Mr. BEHRENDT,SOC Germany Mr. BERCEANU, SOC Romania Mr. BERNIK EPP/CD Slovenia Mr. DIAZ DE MERA, EPP/CD Spain Mrs DURRIEU, SOC France Mr. BAUMEL, EDG Mr. GLIGOROSKI, EPP/CD “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Mr GRAAS, LDR Luxembourg Mr. GROSS, SOC Switzerland Mr. HÖRSTER, EPP/CD Germany Mr. LEKBERG, SOC Sweden Mr. LEMOINE, SOC France Mrs LÓPEZ GONZÁLEZ, SOC Spain Mr. MARTĺNEZ CASAŃ, EPP/CD Spain Mr. MOLLAZADE, EDG Azerbaijan Mr. PRISĂCARU, SOC Romania Mr. RANIERI, SOC Italy Mr. SOLÉ TURA, SOC Spain Mr. ŠVEC, LDR Slovakia Mr. WEISS, SOC Slovakia Mr. WIELOWIEYSKI, EPP/CD Poland
Next meetings: decided to hold its next meetings as follows:
Strasbourg, 7 November (morning) (to be confirmed)
Lithuania, 19 - 20 November 2001 – exchange of views with the Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers
Paris, 12 - 13 December 2001
Mexico, 9 - 12 January 2002
The Sub-Committee on Relations with Non-Member Countries, meeting in Strasbourg on 25 September 2001, under the chairmanship of Mr. Jan Bergqvist, (Sweden, SOC):
As regards:
Relations with the United Nations: considered the preliminary draft programme of its visit to the United Nations to be held on the occasion of the 56th session of the General Assembly (18 - 19 October 2001);
Joint Seminar with the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association on “Democratic reform: challenges for parliamentarians” (Ottawa (Canada), 22 - 23 October 2001): prepared its participation in the Joint Seminar;
Next meetings: decided to hold its next meetings as follows:
New York, 18 - 19 October 2001 (on the occasion of the 56th General Assembly of the United Nations) (to be confirmed)
Ottawa (Canada), 22 - 23 October 2001 (Joint Seminar with the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association
The Sub-Committee on the Middle East, meeting in Strasbourg on 25 September 2001, under the chairmanship of Mr. Henning Gjellerod, (Denmark, SOC) and with the participation of representatives of the Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council:
held an exchange of views with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Walter Schwimmer, on his visit to Israel and the Territories under the control of the Palestinian National Authority (13 - 17 July 2001);
held an exchange of views with Mr. Patrick Vial, Deputy Head of Operations, Middle East and North Africa, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on the activities of the ICRC in the region.
Next meeting :
left to its Chairman to convene it
The Sub-Committee on Strengthening of Democratic Institutions, meeting in Strasbourg on 27 September 2001, under the chairmanship of Mr. Terry Davis (United Kingdom, SOC), oldest member present:
- elected by acclamation Mr. Wielowieyski (Poland, EPP/CD) Chairman and Mr. Gross (Switzerland, SOC) Vice-Chairman;
As regards:
Future activities: decided to hold a consultation on the future activities of the Sub-Committee at its next meeting;
Next meeting: decided to hold its next meeting as follows:
Strasbourg, 6 or 7 November 2001 (to be confirmed).
The Working Group on the South Caucasus met in Strasbourg on 27 September 2001, under the chairmanship of Mr Terry Davis and examined its future work. It decided to meet in Paris on 12 December and have an exchange of views on the question of “missing persons” with the participation of a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Barış Perin, Marja Ruotanen, Petr Sich and Markus Adelsbach