The News (Site updated Wednesday, May 19, 2004 | 18:00)
Council of Europe Congress elects new President at annual Session
[19/05/04 16:30:00] The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is to vote in a new president at its annual plenary session from 25 to 27 May in Strasbourg. The three-day session will include debates on Russia, Georgia, Armenia and South East Europe. Other topics on the agenda include immigrant participation in city life, policing, drinking water quality, tourism and sports violence. Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder and Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer will address the session.
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PARLIAMENTARY SUMMIT
Joao Mota Amaral: Parliamentarians should foster inter-institutional dialogue
[19/05/04 11:30:00] Members of national parliaments have a decisive role as regards promoting inter-institutional dialogue, said Joao Bosco Mota Amaral, President of the Assembleia da Republica of Portugal, giving his thoughts on the sub-theme ''Co-operation for more democracy – National Parliaments and European assemblies'' this morning. It would not be enough to just participate in meetings, but ''on-going initiative'' was also required within the national parliament and the government, even on a regional or local level. On the subject of strengthening the relationship with citizens, Amaral suggested making use of new technologies and the media, as well as making personal contact with citizens.
Speech Video of the speech
Peter Schieder: Strengthen democracy by improving inter-parliamentary communication
[19/05/04 09:30:00] The President of the Parliamentary Assembly, introducing the final theme of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments, said today that the 'democratic deficit' was not an academic invention, and that politicians should find a way of persuading citizens to start voting again, for democracies needed voters. He stressed that one of the keys to strengthening parliamentary democracy at national level was closer co-operation between national parliaments and European assemblies. Peter Schieder also advocated improving the machinery for information exchanges and tightening links with NGOs.
Speech Video of the speech
Modern technologies, a boon to parliamentary life
[18/05/04 15:30:00] The Speaker of the Estonian Parliament, Ene Ergma, introducing the 'modern technology and democratic procedures' theme, emphasised the impact of information technology on parliamentary activity. She pointed out that documents could be processed more quickly using modern technologies, making the work of parliaments both easier and less costly. She also pointed to the particular role of modern technology as a means of bringing parliaments closer to citizens and of making parliamentary democracy more transparent. Mrs Ergma also said that new technologies promoted interaction between citizens and parliaments and enabled citizens to play a part in the decision-making process, providing them with a way of getting their views across to politicians. Among other things, she recommended training in new technologies so that users could better understand ''the complex shaping of society''.
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Borut Pahor on democratic deficit: gaining people´s confidence on the basis of work and results
[18/05/04 10:30:00] Introducing the sub-theme ''How democratic is our democracy?'' Borut Pahor, President of the Slovene Državni Zbor, pointed out that democratic deficit is a topical issue in both Western and Eastern Europe. ''Solving the problem means building confidence in our democratic institutions all over Europe. The new democracies, including those still outside the enlarged Union, all have the same task, namely to convince the people – on the basis of work and results. Parliaments have a leading role to play here'', he concluded.
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Peter Schieder : Using new technologies for the benefit of democracy(more ...) Speech
Parliament Speakers of South Caucasus: Further European integration a stimulating factor for the region(more ...)
Interview with Alexander Trechsel: States should do more to develop electronic democracy
[18/05/04 10:30:00] Governments and public authorities are gradually developing a presence on the Internet. However, the services they offer remain very limited, and the risk of a digital divide certainly exists. Alexander Trechsel, a Swiss political scientist, says that this divide relates not only to difficulties in accessing the Internet, which are now being overcome, but also to the education of citizens, in particular.
Interview Video of the speech
Giving children the vote – one way of stimulating democratic participation
[17/05/04 12:00:00] According to Philippe Schmitter, Professor of Political Science at the European University Institute in Florence, our democracy is in a bad way. If the system wants to stay legitimate, it will have to reform itself. A Council of Europe think-tank is studying the question, and coming up with some bright new ideas – such as giving children (even very young children) the vote, and combining elections and lotteries. As Philippe Schmitter says, behind every problem lies a challenge to be met …
Interview Video of the speech
Secretary General meets Speaker of the Georgian Parliament
[17/05/04 16:30:00] The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Nino Burjanadze, has met Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, during an official visit to the Council of Europe. They discussed recent developments in the Ajaria region of Georgia, the general situation in the country, and relations between Georgia and the Council of Europe.
SIGNATURES AND RATIFICATIONS
Estonia ratifies European Code of Social Security
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Poland signs two Council of Europe treaties
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Lithuania ratifies four Council of Europe treaties
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Committee of Ministers adopts two recommendations on public health
[19/05/04 16:30:00] The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has just adopted two recommendations to member States in the field of public health: one on the prevention of organ and tissue trafficking and application of appropriate sanctions to this effect, the other aimed at avoiding commercialisation of cord blood and regulating its collection.
Recommendation on autologous cord blood banks Recommendation on organ trafficking
Secretary General in Rome to present Italian version of his book 'The European Dream'
[19/05/04 09:30:00] On the initiative of the President of the Italian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Secretary General Walter Schwimmer will present the Italian version of his book, ''The European Dream'', at the Palazzo San Macuto in Rome on Thursday 20 May 2004 (2.30 pm). An exchange of views with members of the Italian delegation to the Council's Parliamentary Assembly is scheduled for 7pm on Wednesday 19 May.
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Walter Schwimmer meets Education Ministers of South Caucasus
[18/05/04 10:00:00] Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer has met education ministers from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, who are in Strasbourg for a conference to strengthen regional cooperation in this field. Among the topics discussed were the progress made so far under the Framework Programme of Cooperation 2002-2004, and the challenges that lie ahead in the next stage from 2004-2006.
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Commissioner for Human Rights Seminar on Religion and Education
[17/05/04 15:30:00] The Commissioner for Human Rights, Alvaro Gil-Robles, in co-operation with the Foundation for International Studies of the University of Malta, is organising a seminar entitled ''Religion and Education: The Possibility of Developing Tolerance through the Teaching of Religious Facts'' in Valletta on 17 and 18 May 2004. The President of the Republic of Malta, H.E. Dr Eddie Fenech Adami, will participate in the seminar’s closing ceremony.
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Peter Schieder condemns any compromise on torture
[17/05/04 09:00:00] Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder condemned torture against the background of reports of abuse of prisoners by American and British troops in Iraq. ''The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom are responsible under international law for the well-being of prisoners in their custody. Cases tantamount to torture as reported by the International Committee of the Red Cross and others constitute a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention'', he said.
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Anti-torture Committee of the Council of Europe returns to Georgia
[19/05/04 14:30:00] A delegation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recently returned to Georgia in order to complete the second periodic visit which had started in November 2003. The main purpose of the eight-day prolongation (7 to 14 May 2004) was to examine the treatment of persons detained in Ajara as well as conditions of detention in this part of Georgia. The delegation also returned to Prison No. 5 in Tbilisi in order to review the situation there and interview newly arrived prisoners.
Photo: GAMMA(more ...)
Anti-torture Committee visits Latvia
[17/05/04 15:00:00] A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has recently completed an eight-day ad hoc visit to Latvia. The main focus of the visit was to review the measures taken by the Latvian authorities after the Committee’s 2002 visit, in particular as regards the treatment of persons detained by the police. The delegation also examined the regime and security measures applied to life-sentenced prisoners.
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Venice Commission holds conference on Georgian Constitution
[17/05/04 12:00:00] The Council of Europe Venice Commission, in co-operation with the Constitutional Court of Georgia, will hold a conference in Tbilisi (Georgia), on 18 and 19 May, on ''The constitutional organisation of the State''. The Conference will, in particular, address issues of the separation of powers in the light of the recent constitutional amendments in Georgia, as well as territorial organisation following the restoration of Georgian Government authority in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara.
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EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
A violation in the case of Gusinskiy v. Russia
[19/05/04 17:30:00] In a judgment of 19 May, the Court held unanimously that that there had been a violation of the right to liberty and security and limitation on use of restrictions on rights in the case of Gusinskiy v. Russia. The applicant, who was, at the material time, owner of the television channel NTV, alleged that criminal cases were brought against him without any legal basis and that he was detained unlawfully. The Court awarded him 88,000 euros for costs and expenses.
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A violation found in the case of the publishing company Plon v. France
[17/05/04 14:30:00] In the case of Plon v. France, the Court has just found a violation of freedom of expression. The publishing company Plon complained about the order forbidding it to continue the distribution of ''Le Grand Secret'' (written by the personal doctor of former President François Mitterrand) and the order requiring it to pay what it considered to be ''exorbitant'' damages.
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Joao Mota Amaral: Parliamentarians should foster inter-institutional dialogue
Peter Schieder: Strengthen democracy by improving inter-parliamentary communication
Borut Pahor on democratic deficit: gaining people´s confidence on the basis of work and results
Parliamentary summit on ''How democratic is our democracy?''
Interview with Alexander Trechsel: States should do more to develop electronic democracy
Giving children the vote – one way of stimulating democratic participation
Secretary General meets Speaker of the Georgian Parliament
Committee of Ministers adopts two recommendations on public health
Walter Schwimmer meets Education Ministers of South Caucasus
Commissioner for Human Rights Seminar on Religion and Education
Anti-torture Committee of the Council of Europe returns to Georgia
Venice Commission holds conference on Georgian Constitution
