Addresses by the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman and the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and a debate on two reports calling for a Council of Europe Summit are among the highlights of the autumn session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg from 9-13 October 2017.
The winner of the 2017 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize will be announced on Monday, from a shortlist of three nominees, and the prize awarded in a special ceremony in the plenary.
Also on the agenda are debates on the situation in Azerbaijan based on two reports – one on the functioning of democratic institutions in the country and another on respect for human rights. The parliamentarians will also hold debates on promoting the human rights of intersex people, on the use of new genetic technologies in human beings, and on prosecuting and punishing crimes against humanity – or even possible genocide – committed by Daesh.
The Assembly will debate new proposals for promoting and strengthening the transparency, accountability and integrity of its members.
On the opening day of the session, the Assembly is due to hold a vote on a motion to dismiss its current President, Pedro Agramunt.
On Monday 9, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaorálek, who chairs the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, will present the communication on its recent activities. The following day the Assembly will debate the activities of the OECD in 2016-2017, with input from its Secretary-General Angel Gurría, and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will hold his usual question and answer with members.
There have also been requests for urgent debates on "The extremely worrying humanitarian situation of the Rohingya”, on “The new Ukrainian law on education: a major impediment to the teaching of national minorities' mother tongues” and on "Collision of sovereignty and self-determination in Spain, the need for a political solution to the crisis in Catalonia".
