A decision on a request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary and a debate on tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity – to be addressed by the Women's Rights Minister of France Najat Vallaud-Belkacem – are among the highlights of the summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on 24-28 June 2013. There have also been requests for urgent debates on "Religious persecution in Iran" and on "The deteriorating situation in Georgia", and for a current affairs debate on "Riots in Sweden: European immigration policy in the spotlight".
Other topics on the agenda include the situation in the Middle East, corruption as a threat to the rule of law, and putting an end to coerced sterilisations and castrations. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will present the communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary Assembly and answer questions.
The parliamentarians will also debate a report evaluating the Parliament of Morocco's ‘Partnership for democracy' with the Assembly – the first evaluation since it acquired this status in 2011 – and are scheduled to discuss keeping political and criminal responsibility separate.
The Assembly is also due to elect judges to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Iceland, Lithuania and the Slovak Republic.
