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FOCUS OF THE SESSION
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SPEECHES BY DCE MEMBERS
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SPECIAL SESSIONS, FRINGE EVENTS AND MEETINGS
1.FOCUS OF THE SESSION
Review of the Parliamentary Conference on Elections in times of crisis in Bern, 9/10 May 2023
In the context of the Office's activity report, Damien Cottier (FDP, NE) looked back on the Conference on Elections in Times of Crisis’, which took place in Bern on 9 and 10 May and was organised by the Swiss Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The conference was attended by around 130 parliamentarians from all over Europe as well as representatives of national electoral authorities, international organisations, universities and civil society. The conference was part of various celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Switzerland's accession to the Council of Europe (6 May 1963).
The conference in Bern focused on four key flashpoints and challenges in holding free and fair elections: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elections; How natural disasters distort elections; The impact of war and armed conflicts on elections; How AI and ICTs are transforming elections. ‘Adaptation and anticipation’ were the words used by
Damien Cottier to summarise the conference’s
final declaration. Election processes should adapt to and better anticipate the changing world and modern crises. The Bern final declaration can serve as a guideline for the Council of Europe’s members in these four areas. Damien Cottier called on the Assembly to take up meaningful follow-up work based on the discussions and findings of the Bern Conference, especially with regard to possible elections in Ukraine after the lifting of martial law.
Damien Cottier / Hannes Germann ©Parliamentary Services
Follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit?
The fourth Council of Europe summit of heads of State and Government took place in Reykjavik on 16 and 17 May. PACE was an important driver in organising such a meeting after the last summit in 2005.
The Reykjavik Summit set an ambitious political agenda for the Council of Europe. At the meeting of the Standing Committee in Riga on 26 May, PACE expressed its strong support for the Reykjavik Declaration and its proposals. In an opinion addressed to the Committee of Ministers on the budget and priorities of the Council of Europe, the Assembly agreed with the Reykjavik Declaration and its annexes, which set the priorities and direction for the Council of Europe's work? It welcomed the renewed commitment of member states to the fundamental values enshrined in the Statute of the Council of Europe: democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In the discussion, based on reports by Ingjerd Schou (Norway, EPP), it was stressed that the ambitious goals set in Reykjavik can only be achieved if the Council of Europe is provided with the resources to match the political ambitions of the member states. These resources should go beyond the real zero growth. PACE then adopted a
resolution on its expenditure to the Committee of Ministers. The amounts allocated to the Assembly from the ordinary budget of the Council of Europe cover staff and operating costs, including those of the political groups. During the debate, reference was made to the increasing financial pressure on the political groups.
Debate on migration: Strategies for integration and social inclusion
The Assembly debated several migration-related matters. The joint debate on three draft resolutions opened with a minute’s silence for all those who lost their lives in the recent tragedy in the Mediterranean: according to estimates by the Greek authorities, more than 500 people lost their lives when the ship they were on sank off the Greek coast. In the debate that followed, most of the members present expressed concern about the current discourse in member states inducing fear and resentment towards people arriving from other countries. In a
resolution based on a report by
Domagoj Hajduković (Croatia, SOC), the Assembly stressed the importance of improving integration efforts in order to strengthen inclusion and social cohesion. The resolution contains sixteen measures that Council of Europe member states can take to integrate migrants and refugees and promote cohesion in society. The parliamentarians emphasised in particular the dynamic process of integration, which requires mutual adjustment and in which both migrants and refugees and the host societies bear responsibility for success.
A second report by
Nigar Arpadarai (Azerbaijan, EC/DA) dealt with the role of sport in the social inclusion of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons. The
resolution adopted calls on member states to provide all people with a migrant or refugee background with adequate access to sports facilities and activities.
The third topic in the migration debate concerned the protection of undocumented migrants and persons with irregular residence status in the world of work.
Ada Marra (SP, VD) was
rapporteur for the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development. She explained that there are about four to five million undocumented migrants in Europe, including many invisible workers. These people participate in the labour market without legal recognition, but remain in a socio-economically precarious situation, with limited or no access to labour rights. They are at high risk of abuse, exploitation or even forced labour. PACE proposes a number of proven measures that member states can adopt to regularise the status of undocumented workers and facilitate their integration: namely, providing multilingual information on official procedures; ensuring that a change of employment does not affect residence status; or guaranteeing access to healthcare for all workers.
Ada Mara ©Parliamentary Services
The war in Ukraine and its consequences
The war in Ukraine also kept PACE on its toes during the summer session. The Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons held a joint hearing to discuss the challenges of Russians in exile with representatives of the Russian civilian population. In doing so, PACE drew on two resolutions adopted by the Assembly in 2022 in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: Resolutions
2244 ‘Consequences of the Russian Federation's continued aggression against Ukraine: role and response of the Council of Europe’ and
2473 ‘Strengthening the role of the Council of Europe as a cornerstone of the European political architecture’. Based on paragraph 18.2 of Resolution 2244, PACE calls on its member states to support Belarusian and Russian civil society, their human rights defenders, independent journalists, academia and democratic forces that respect the values and principles of the Council of Europe in their resistance.
The war in Ukraine also affects the world of sport. The members of PACE therefore dealt with the question of whether Russian and Belarusian athletes should be banned from participating in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is currently examining the possibility of allowing athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports to compete in Paris as ‘neutral athletes’ and is expected to make a decision shortly. In its
resolution, PACE calls on the IOC and its member sports federations to maintain the 2022 position and ban the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Paris Games and all other major sporting events. This ban should apply as long as Russia’s war of aggression continues.
Although a clear majority of parliamentarians present adopted the resolution, the issue was nevertheless hotly debated, also within the DCE.
Sibel Arslan (Greens, BS) spoke in favour of the resolution, because especially in authoritarian regimes, sportswomen and sportsmen are exploited for propaganda. Those critical of the regime have a hard time pursuing their careers in these contexts and are put under pressure.
Roland Rino Büchel (SVP, SG), on the other hand, expressed reservations about a ban: “Do we really want to force the IOC to violate its charter? Among other things, the following principles are laid down there, and I quote: The practice of sport is a human right. Any form of discrimination against a country or a person on the basis of race, religion, politics, gender or any other grounds is incompatible with membership of the Olympic Movement.”
Roland Büchel ©Parliamentary Services
Belarus
The current situation in Belarus was one of the focal points of the PACE summer session, as several debates on the subject were tabled. Before the
report ‘Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile’ was discussed in the plenary debate, PACE listened to a musical contribution by the Belarusian
Volny Choir. The Volny Choir – which translates as ‘peaceful choir’ – was set up in response to the Belarusian presidential elections in August 2020 and the subsequent protests, during which security forces cracked down on protesters. Since then, the choir has been regarded as a symbol of peaceful protest. According to their own statements, numerous choir members were arrested or are being persecuted in Belarus. The remaining members subsequently fled Belarus and coordinate their performances from Poland.
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Volny Chor ©Council of Europe
In the debate, PACE addressed the challenges faced by Belarusians who were forced to leave the country involuntarily after the presidential elections in August 2020. To this end, PACE also listened to the address by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who stressed the urgency of addressing the situation of Belarusians living in exile. The
speech of National Council member Pierre-Alain Fridez (SP, JU), who spoke on behalf of his parliamentary group, can be found on the PACE website.
Pierre-Alain Fridez ©Parliamentary Services
2.SPEECHES BY DCE MEMBERS
Public health emergency: the need for a holistic approach to multilateralism and health care
National Council member
Jean-Pierre Grin (SVP, VD) spoke on behalf of his political group at the beginning of the debate on the
report ‘The need for a holistic approach to multilateralism and health care’. The effective control and prevention of infectious diseases is, according to Jean-Pierre Grin, one of the greatest health challenges of our time. The Assembly stressed the need for multilateral approaches and cooperation between the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other stakeholders in order to be better equipped to deal with health crises in the future.
Jean-Pierre Grin ©Parliamentary Services
The implications of human rights law reform in the UK for national and European human rights protection
The UK's asylum policy repeatedly made international headlines last year. In its
resolution ‘UK reform of its human rights legislation: consequences for domestic and European Human Rights protection’, PACE called on the UK government and parliament to carefully consider the content of the two bills, the Bill of Rights Bill and the Illegal Migration Bill. The Assembly expressed concern that these bills, if enacted, ‘risk putting the UK in breach of its international obligations’. The enactment of the bills would, among other things, violate international provisions protecting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking or the safeguards against indefinite or arbitrary detention of migrants.
National Council member
Damien Cottier (FDP, NE), in his capacity as chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, closed the debate. In his
speech, he reminded the UK of its duty to respect and effectively implement human rights obligations at national level. National Council member
Sibel Arslan chaired the debate in her capacity as vice president of PACE.
Sibel Arslan ©Council of Europe
Closing the digital divide: promoting equal access to digital technologies
Digital technologies are omnipresent in our everyday lives. In the debate on the
report ‘Closing the digital divide: promoting equal access to digital technologies’, PACE expressed the need to ensure fair, affordable and secure access to the internet for all. The speech by Ada Marra (SP, VD) can be found on the PACE website.
3.SPECIAL SESSIONS, FRINGE EVENTS AND MEETINGS
On Monday, 19 June,
Liliane Maury Pasquier, former member of the Council of States from Geneva and president of PACE (2018-2019), was awarded the
Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour) by the Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe for her commitment to the Council of Europe. The event was attended by the members of the Swiss delegation.
Ceremony for Liliane Maury Pasquier ©Parliamentary Services
Visit from school class from Denis-de-Rougemont baccalaureate school
On Tuesday, 20 June, a class from a Neuchâtel baccalaureate school visited the Council of Europe. The pupils had an opportunity to speak with Delegation President Damien Cottier and Ada Marra and had the opportunity for a short meeting with the President of PACE, Tiny Kox. In the afternoon, they attended the plenary session in the European Parliament.
"Denis-de-Rougemont" ©Parliamentary Services
Meeting with Liechtenstein Delegation
On Wednesday, 21 June, a bilateral meeting and dinner took place at the residence of the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Liechtenstein at the invitation of the Liechtenstein delegation. The Swiss delegation took the opportunity to exchange views with their Liechtenstein colleagues on the priorities of Liechtenstein's upcoming chairmanship of the Council of Europe (Liechtenstein will take over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers from Latvia in November).
Liechtenstein reception ©Permanent Representation of the Principality of Liechtenstein