PACE autumn session starts in Strasbourg

APA reports quoting the website of the Council of Europe that a possible urgent debate on “The recent rise in national security discourse in Europe: the case of the Roma” as well as addresses by the Prime Minister of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Nikola Gruevski and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle are among highlights of the autumn session.

Other topics for the debate include the fight against extremism, human rights and business, and a report on women’s access to lawful medical care: the problem of the unregulated use of conscientious objection.

The Assembly will also discuss a number of reports on children’s rights: “Child abuse in institutions: ensure full protection of victims”, the urgent need for action on children without parental care, and guaranteeing the right to education for children with illnesses or disabilities. Hayrünnisa Gül, patron of the Turkish campaign “Education enables”, will contribute to the latter.

There will also be debates on the activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Council of Europe Development Bank.

Statement by the President of the Assembly, possible election of Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, celebration ceremony of the 60th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights have been scheduled for October 4.

The Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, judges to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Estonia, Greece and Portugal will be elected, the functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine, the socio-economic potential of the Baltic Sea region will be discussed during the autumn session. Azerbaijani delegation led by Samad Seyidov has already left for Strasbourg to attend the session.


/APA/