The fourth part of the 2023 session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was held in Strasbourg from 9 to 13 October. It was the last PACE session in the 51st legislature period. The delegation will be reconstituted after the national elections on 22 October. The week-long session also provided an opportunity to mark the 60th anniversary of Switzerland joining the Council of Europe. The following are the main points from the perspective of the Swiss delegation (DCE).
The Assembly held
urgent debates on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, on a call for the immediate release of Osman Kavala, and on ensuring a just peace in Ukraine and lasting security in Europe.
Current affairs debates took place on the situation in the north of Kosovo and on the escalation of violence in the Middle East following the recent Hamas attack on Israel.
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60 years of Switzerland in the Council of Europe
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Main focus of the session
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Further speeches by DCE members
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Special sittings, fringe events and meetings
1. 60 years of Switzerland in the Council of Europe
On Wednesday 11 October, the Swiss parliamentary delegation, together with the Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe, organised a Swiss evening to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Switzerland's accession to the Council of Europe. Raclette was served at the event and the evening was accompanied by an alphorn music ensemble. The members of PACE's national delegations and permanent representatives of the member countries in the Committee of Ministers were invited. In his address, the President of PACE,
Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), said that Switzerland had distinguished itself by a high level of commitment to the principles and values of the Council of Europe and had become a pillar of multilateral parliamentary diplomacy during its 60 years of membership in the organisation.
Damien Cottier (FDP, NE) recalled Switzerland's contribution to the organisation over the years and praised the Council of Europe as an outstanding institution working for lasting peace.
from left to right Damien Cottier, President of the Council of Europe Delegation ; Ambassador Claude Wild, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Council of Europe; Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly; ©Parliamentary Services
The event was an opportunity to present a new PACE publication with the conclusions of the Bern Conference. The brochure contains a series of recommendations for conducting elections under difficult conditions and addresses the possible impact of new digital technologies on electoral processes.
Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly; Damien Cottier, President of the Council of Europe Delegation ; ©Parliamentary Services
2. Main focus of the session
The Assembly held two
current affairs debates. The first focused on the
situation in the north of Kosovo. At the end of September, an armed confrontation took place in the north of Kosovo when ethnic Serb militants attacked a Kosovar police unit. Four people were killed, including a Kosovo police officer. This confrontation exacerbated the crisis between Serbia and Kosovo and sparked fears of renewed conflict.
The second current affairs debate concerned the escalation of violence in the Middle East following the recent shocking attacks by Hamas from the Gaza Strip against civilians in Israel. Speakers included the head of the Israeli delegation,
Meirav Ben Ari, who joined via video link from Israel. Israel is one of the countries with
observer status at PACE.
Bernard Sabella, chairperson of the PACE Palestinian Parliamentary Delegation, also took the floor. Palestine has the status of
partner for democracy at PACE.
Damien Cottier spoke on behalf of the ALDE political group and condemned the "intolerable, inexcusable and inhuman attacks, which are reminiscent of the worst hours of humanity".
Nik Gugger (M-E, ZH) spoke in favour of classifying Hamas as a terrorist organisation. He called on the Palestinian leadership to distance itself from Hamas.
Sibel Arslan (G, BS) also affirmed that the actions of Hamas must have consequences and referred to ongoing discussions in Switzerland on effective measures. At the same time, she stressed that Palestinians need a new political vision.
Nik Gugger, ©Parliamentary Services
Sibel Arslan, ©Parliamentary Services
Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
In an
urgent procedure debate, the Assembly addressed the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled the region. The enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is located on Azerbaijani territory, but until now the majority of its inhabitants have been Armenians. On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation to seize Nagorno-Karabakh, after the region had been cut off from the outside world since December 2022 (cf.
Focus areas of the 2023 PACE Winter Session: Blockade of the Lachin corridor).
Pierre-Alain Fridez (SP, JU) raised the issue that the AS/Mig rapporteur has to date been denied access to this region of Azerbaijan and that it has been practically impossible for outsiders to get into the region for a long time. The Assembly adopted a
Resolution in which it stated, among other things, that the Council of Europe should play an important observer role and closely monitor the development of the situation over the coming weeks and months. In particular, a visit by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the very near future and the planned visit by the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities were also considered highly important.
Jean-Pierre Grin, ©Parliamentary Services
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize awarded
This year's
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize was awarded on 9 October to Osman Kavala. Kavala is a human rights defender, philanthropist and civil activist who was arrested in October 2017 for alleged links to the Gezi Park protests. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2022. The prize was accepted by his wife, Ayşe Buğra.
The award honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights in Europe. Also nominated were:
- Justyna Wydrzynska, a lawyer from Poland specialising in human and women's rights. She founded the Abortion Dream Team and was sentenced to community service for helping a woman terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
- Yevgeniy Zakharov, a Ukrainian human rights activist who has been campaigning for human rights in Ukraine and other former Soviet republics for more than 50 years. In 2022, he founded the Tribunal for Putin initiative, a coalition of NGOs that documents and records war crimes.
In announcing the winner, the PACE President paid tribute to all human rights defenders who work to protect and promote fundamental freedoms and human rights while often putting their own lives at risk.
At the request of the leaders of the five political groups, the Assembly held an
urgent procedure debate and again called for the immediate release of Osman Kavala in a
resolution.
3. Further speeches by DCE members
Challenges of far-right ideology for democracy and human rights in Europe
Based on a report by
Samad Seyidov (Azerbaijan, EC/DA) and on behalf of the Political Affairs Committee (AS/Pol), PACE adopted a
Resolution on "the challenges of far-right ideology to democracy and human rights in Europe". It outlines the threats to human rights and the functioning of democratic institutions that stem from right-wing extremist ideologies. To address these challenges, political parties are encouraged to sign the Charter of European Political Parties for a non-racist and inclusive society.
Ada Marra (SP, VD) took the floor.
Ada Marra, ©Parliamentary Services
Pegasus and similar spyware and secret state surveillance
Various investigative reports since 2021 have revealed that governments of several Council of Europe member states have acquired and used spyware called Pegasus. This spyware is a highly intrusive surveillance tool that is installed on mobile phones. The Assembly was concerned about the evidence presented in the
Report by
Peter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP) commissioned by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (AS/Jur) that spyware such as Pegasus had been used by several member states for illegal purposes, including against media professionals, political opponents and human rights activists. The Assembly unequivocally condemned the use of spyware by state authorities for political purposes. The resolution asks the Committee of Ministers, among other things, to adopt a recommendation to Council of Europe member states on secret surveillance and human rights.
Damien Cottier, in his role as Chairperson of AS/Jur, closed the debate.
Damien Cottier, © Council of Europe
Preventing and combating violence against women with disabilities
Ada Marra (SP, VD) and
Jean-Pierre Grin (SVP, VD) took the floor on the report by
Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo (Monaco, ALDE). The report deals with preventing and combating violence against women with disabilities. It highlights the increased vulnerability of people with disabilities to violence and discrimination: women with disabilities often face infantilisation and restrictions on their autonomy, especially in relation to their sexual and reproductive health. In the unanimously adopted
resolution, the Assembly lists a number of measures to counter discrimination. In particular, the resolution calls on member states to ban forced sterilisations and forced abortions and to ensure that victims of such violence are compensated.
Jean-Pierre Grin, ©Parliamentary Services
Damien Cottier took the floor for the Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee at the opening of the session.
4. Special sittings, fringe events and meetings
In a joint meeting of the AS/Pol, AS/Jur and AS/Mig committees, representatives of the Russian democratic forces that share the values of the Council of Europe were heard. The public hearing discussed the current situation of the democratic opposition in Russia, possible future developments, and how to support Ukraine. At the end of the hearing, PACE President
Tiny Kox outlined the prospect of creating a new permanent platform within PACE for dialogue with Russian democratic opposition forces.
Damien Cottier co-chaired the meeting as Chairperson of the AS/Jur.
Following an urgent debate, PACE adopted a
Resolution condemning the Russian Federation's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. Among other things, it calls for the Great Famine of the 1930s (the Holodomor) to be recognised as an act of genocide.
Working meeting of the Swiss delegation with the Liechtenstein delegation
At the beginning of the session, the DCE continued the dialogue with the Liechtenstein delegation on Liechtenstein's upcoming presidency of the Committee of Ministers. The delegations exchanged views on the priorities, the agenda and the biggest challenges for the organisation from Liechtenstein's perspective. Claude Wild and Domenik Wanger, the permanent representatives of Switzerland and Liechtenstein respectively, were also present at the working meeting.