PACE session (4-8 October, Strasbourg):
Urgent debate on terrorism
The situation in the Chechen Republic
Monaco accession ceremony

Strasbourg, 27.09.2004 – An urgent debate on the challenge of terrorism in
Council of Europe member states as well as a joint debate on the political,
human rights and humanitarian situation in the Chechen Republic are among
highlights of the session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
(PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg from 4 to 8 October 2004.

Other items due for debate include the functioning of democratic
institutions in Serbia and Montenegro and in Azerbaijan, the honouring of
obligations and commitments by Armenia, as well as women’s participation in
elections.

Guest speakers include Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Crown
Prince Albert of Monaco – who is due to address the parliamentarians just
before the ceremony for Monaco’s accession – and the President of the new
Pan-African Parliament Gertrude Mongella.

Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment
Programme, is due to participate in a debate on global warming. The annual
enlarged debate on the OECD and the world economy will take place in the
presence of its Deputy Secretary-General Berglind Asgeirsdottir. The
Director General of the World Trade Organization Supachai Panitchpakdi will
address parliamentarians during a debate on the Doha Development Agenda:
world trade at a crossroads.

The Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister and Chairman of the Council of
Europe’s Committee of Ministers Jan Petersen, the Organisation’s Secretary
General Terry Davis, the President of its Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities Giovanni Di Stasi and the President of the “Venice Commission”
Antonio La Pergola will also address PACE. Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights Alvaro Gil-Robles will take part in the debate on the
situation in the Chechen Republic.

The first ever meeting of women members of the Assembly is also due to take
place on the fringe of the session (Tuesday 5 October).

_________

Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, will give a press
conference on Monday 4 October at 11 a.m. (Room 1). Other press conferences
will be announced on the spot.
./..

The following is a provisional order of business which may be altered by the
Assembly on the first day of the session.

Monday 4 October
? Statement by Gertrude Mongella, President of the Pan-African
Parliament
? Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing
Committee
? Statement by Antonio La Pergola, President of the European
Commission for Democracy through Law (“Venice Commission”)
? Communication from Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe
? The Doha Development Agenda: world trade at a crossroads and
statement by Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director General of the World Trade
Organization (WTO)

Tuesday 5 October
* Functioning of democratic institutions in Serbia and Montenegro
* Communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary
Assembly presented by Jan Petersen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway
and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers
* Address by H.S.H. Crown Prince Albert of Monaco
* Implementation of Resolution 1358 (2004) on the functioning of democratic
institutions in Azerbaijan
* European strategy for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and
rights
* Women’s participation in elections

Wednesday 6 October
* Election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to
Slovakia
* Statement by Giovanni Di Stasi, President of the Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
* Possible urgent debate:Challenge of terrorism in Council of Europe member
states
* Address by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey
* The OECD and the world economy and statement by Berglind Asgeirsdottir,
Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD

Thursday 7 October
* Joint debate on the political situation in the Chechen Republic: measures
to increase democratic stability in accordance with Council of Europe
standards, the human rights situation in the Chechen Republic and the
humanitarian situation of the Chechen displaced population
* Implementation of Resolutions 1361 (2004) and 1374 (2004) on the honouring
of obligations and commitments by Armenia
* Global warming: beyond Kyoto and statement by Klaus Töpfer,
ExecutiveDirector of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Friday 8 October
* New concepts to evaluate the state of democratic development
* Campaign to combat domestic violence against women in Europe
* Education for Europe
* Population trends in Europe and their sensitivity to policy measures

See the Assembly’s website, , for further details.
Additional information may also be found on the Council of Europe web
portal,

Contact:
Communication Unit of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax +33 3 90 2141 34; e-mail: assembly.news@coe.int

2

Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 451a04
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
pace.com@coe.int
internet:

The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 626 members from the national
parliaments of the 45 member states.
President: Peter Schieder (Austria, SOC); Secretary General of the Assembly:
Bruno Haller.
Political Groups: SOC (Socialist Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European
People’s Party); LDR (Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group);
EDG (European Democratic Group); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).