PACE winter session: consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia,
situation in Gaza and the global financial crisis
Strasbourg, 15.01.2009 – The implementation of Resolution 1633
< Doc=3D%20R%C3%A9solution%201633> on the consequences
of the war between Georgia and Russia, adopted in October 2008, and the
humanitarian consequences of the conflict will be one of the highlights
of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE), which will take place in Strasbourg from 26 to 30 January
2009.
The parliamentarians will discuss the reports by Luc Van den Brande
(Belgium, EPP/CD) and Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, ALDE), co-rapporteurs
of the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee, and Corien W.A. Jonker
(Netherlands, EPP/CD), rapporteur of the Committee on Migration,
Refugees and Population, following their visits to these countries.
The PACE Bureau has proposed (*) a current affairs debate on the
situation in Gaza and an urgent debate on the consequences of the
global financial crisis.
The Assembly will also discuss Armenia’s implementation of Resolutions
1609
< .asp?link=3D/Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/FRES1609.h tm> and 1620
< /Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/FRES1620.htm> , which PACE adopted in April 2008, and will give its opinion
on a proposal by the PACE Monitoring Committee to suspend the Armenian
delegation’s voting rights. The committee considers it "unacceptable"
that persons could be charged and deprived of their liberty for
political reasons and asks the Assembly to suspend the delegation’s
voting rights until the authorities have clearly demonstrated their
political will to resolve this issue.
The Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero [subject
to confirmation], has been invited to address the Assembly on Tuesday 27
January. In the context of the Spanish chairmanship of the Committee of
Ministers, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos will address
the parliamentarians on Wednesday 28 January. Philippe Kirsch, President
of the International Criminal Court (ICC), will make a speech on Tuesday
27 during a debate on co-operation with the ICC. Terry Davis, Secretary
General of the Council of Europe, will report on the state of the
Organisation on Monday 26 January.
The agenda also includes attitudes to memorials open to different
historical interpretations, the investigation of crimes allegedly
committed by high officials during the Kuchma rule in Ukraine, access to
rights for people with disabilities and the regulation of audiovisual
media services.
——————
(*) The Assembly will decide on its final agenda at the opening of the
session.
Draft order of business
Monday 26 January 2009 (opening at 11.30am)
* Opening of the first part of the 2009 Ordinary Session
* Election of the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly
* Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing
Committee
* Communication from Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, on the state of the Council of Europe
* Access to rights for people with disabilities and their full and
active participation in society
< 3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11694.htm>
Tuesday 27 January 2009
* The implementation by Armenia of Assembly Resolutions 1609 (2008)
< D/Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/ERES1609.htm> and 1620 (2008
< /Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/ERES1620.htm> ) (Doc. 11786
< Doc=3DDoc.%2011786> )
* Address by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain
[to be confirmed]
* Co-operation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its
universality
< .asp?link=3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11722 .htm> and statement by Philippe Kirsch, President of the
International Criminal Court
* Investigation of crimes allegedly committed by high officials during
the Kuchma rule in Ukraine – the Gongadze case as an emblematic example
< 3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11686.htm>
* Nomination of candidates and election of judges to the European Court
of Human Rights
< D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11767.htm>
W ednesday 28 January 2009
* The implementation of Resolution 1633
< ttp://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/RefRedirectEN.asp?D oc=3D%20Resolution%201633> (2008) on the
consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia
* The humanitarian consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia
< 3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc09/eDOC11789.htm>
* Communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary
Assembly presented by Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Co-operation of Spain, Chairperson of the Committee of
Ministers
* Palliative care: a model for innovative health and social policies
< =3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11758.htm>
* The regulation of audiovisual media services
< =3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11775.htm>
Thursday 29 January 2009
* Possible current affairs debate: the situation in Gaza
* Possible debate under urgent procedure: the consequences of the global
financial crisis
* Private military and security firms and the erosion of the state
monopoly on the use of force
< /Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11787.htm>
* A ttitude to memorials exposed to different historical interpretations
in Council of Europe member states
< D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11746.htm>
F riday 30 January 2009
* Electronic democracy
< k=3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11783.htm>
* Feminicides
< p?link=3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11781.ht m>
* Environmentally induced migration and displacement: a 21st century
challenge
< .asp?link=3D/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11785 .htm>
Practical information
Press conferences:
Lluís Maria de Puig, PACE President, will give a press conference on
Monday 26 January at 10.45 am. Other press conferences will be announced
on the spot.
Further details: see the Assembly’s website,
< t/> . Additional information may also be found on
the Council of Europe web portal,
For TV planning Units: videos in broadcast quality summing up PACE
highlights can be downloaded for free at
<; no later than two hours after the event.
Contact: PACE Communication Unit: Tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93;
pace.com@coe.int <mailto:pace.com@coe.int>
For accreditation: Directorate of Communication :
Danielle Schreiber-Somoza, danielle.schreiber-somoza@coe.int
<mailto:danie lle.schreiber-somoza@coe.int> , tel. +33 3 88 41 25 44
Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 029a09
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
pace.com@coe.int
internet:
The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 318 members from the national
parliaments of the 47 member states.
President: Lluís Maria de Puig (Spain, SOC) ; Secretary General of the
Assembly: Mateo Sorinas.
Political Groups: EPP/CD (Group of the European People’s Party); SOC
(Socialist Group); EDG (European Democratic Group);
ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); UEL (Group of the
Unified European Left).