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91-512: It was the outcome of a process started in 1984, when the Portuguese Parliament hosted a conference held by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly on "North–South: Europe's role." The Lisbon Declaration, adopted at the end of the conference, broached the idea of a European public campaign on North–South interdependence and solidarity. The campaign was launched in 1988 with the support of

182-568: A motion by the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development a year prior, the Assembly passed a resolution and an accompanying recommendation on children's right to physical integrity. These documents argued that while PACE had addressed forms of child abuse such as sexual violence and domestic violence, it was also necessary to address what they called "non-medically justified violations of children's physical integrity which may have

273-541: A Bureau from among its members, ensuring representation of each of the 4 components of the quadrilogue. The Bureau monitors the preparation and execution of programs and report to the Executive Committee. It also prepares the meetings of the Executive Committee, with the assistance of the Centre's Secretariat. The Bureau shall also carry out any other task entrusted to it by the Executive Committee. The bureau meets twice

364-587: A European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, a proposal supported by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in a recommendation adopted in January 1989. The North–South Centre, was established in Lisbon in May 1990 with the purpose of promoting dialogue between North and South, fostering solidarity and raising awareness of global interdependence. The Centre fulfils a dual political role of representing "the voice of

455-479: A catalyst by facilitating meetings between players from different horizons and countries, working on issues of common interest and encouraging the formation of networks. Its expertise is used and recognized by its partners. Strategies and Capacity Building for Global Education The North–South Centre's objective as regards global education is to develop, enhance and sustain strategies and capacity-building for global education, targeting institutions and practitioners in

546-457: A flag were submitted to the Council of Europe in the early 1950s and on 25 September 1953 the Assembly officially adopted a version with fifteen stars, which represented the number of Council of Europe member states at the time. However "a difficulty arose" in the Council of Europe's ministerial body over the number of stars after West Germany objected that one was for the Saarland region, which

637-533: A list of three candidates nominated by each member state which has ratified the European Convention on Human Rights . A 20-member committee made up of parliamentarians with legal experience – meeting in camera – interviews all candidates for judge on the Court and assesses their CVs before making recommendations to the full Assembly, which elects one judge from each shortlist in a secret vote. Judges are elected for

728-401: A long-lasting impact on their lives". They called for a ban on the most harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation, while also calling for increased dialogue on other procedures they viewed as harmful, such as infant male circumcision, intersex medical interventions, and body piercings. While none of the above documents called for an outright ban on male circumcision, they did call for

819-479: A man and a woman, must have distinguished themselves in the following areas: protection of human rights, defense of pluralist democracy, public awareness raising on issues of global interdependence and solidarity, and strengthening the North-South partnership. Global/development education aims at raising awareness and at strengthening citizens’ capacity to take action, advocate for their rights and take part in

910-656: A member state. In the months since, the Assembly has on several occasions debated the consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including the legal consequences, and the practical support it can give to Ukraine. In October 2022, for example, it adopted a resolution declaring the Russian regime a "terrorist" one, while in January 2023 it unanimously demanded the setting up of an international criminal tribunal in The Hague to prosecute Russian and Belarusian political and military leaders who "planned, prepared, initiated or executed"

1001-662: A member – the NSC has 21 member States and 1st African University on Youth and Development (Praia) - 2007: 1st Africa-Europe Youth Summit - 2001: Accession of Germany – the NSC has 20 member States - 2000: Launching of the University on Youth and Development (Mollina) - 1995: Launching of the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe (Lisbon) - 1994: 1st meeting of the Lisbon Forum “Human Rights in North-South dialogue” Launching of

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1092-523: A path towards membership for former Communist countries with its "Special Guest status", paving the way for the historic reconciliation of European nations under one roof. In two reports for the Assembly in 2006 and 2007, Swiss Senator and former Prosecutor Dick Marty revealed convincing evidence that terror suspects were being transported to, held and tortured in CIA-run "secret prisons" on European soil. The evidence in his first report in 2006 – gathered with

1183-474: A period of nine years and may not be re-elected. Although the European Convention does not, in itself, require member states to present a multi-sex shortlist of potential appointees, in a 2004 resolution PACE decided that it "will not consider lists of candidates where the list does not include at least one candidate of each sex" unless there are exceptional circumstances. As a result, around one-third of

1274-536: A series of rulings by the European Court of Human Rights , as well as a comprehensive US Senate report – threw the first real light on a dark chapter in US and European history in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks , kicked off a series of national probes, and helped to make torture on European soil less likely. In April 2014, after the Russian parliament's backing for the annexation of Crimea and Russo-Ukrainian War ,

1365-451: A vote of 116 in favour, 62 against and 15 abstentions. As a result, the Russian delegation which included Pyotr Olegovich Tolstoy as its head, returned to PACE with its full rights after a gap of five years. In response, the Ukrainian delegation protested before the Assembly, and announced Ukraine would leave the institution. Ukraine returned to PACE in January 2020. On 25 February 2022 -

1456-623: A year, in principle in Lisbon and in Strasbourg. Member states Associate Member Former member states Non-member States The Objective of the Youth Co-operation Program of the Centre in terms of youth is to provide training and capacity building for young people and youth organizations as well as to facilitate their participation in decision and policy making, in the framework of quadrilogue initiatives. This work should be developed in close co-operation with youth organizations,

1547-515: Is based on the following dimensions: - Women's participation in politics - Prevention of the violence against women and adoption of the CoE's Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) - Women and media - Euro-Med Women Network - Prevention of the human trafficking The activities of the Women Program are implemented in the framework of

1638-584: Is based on three principles: dialogue, partnership and solidarity. Governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society organizations constitute the partners in the quadrilogue and are involved in the center's activities. They are also represented in the center's statutory bodies. This approach helps to bring the different players in North–South cooperation closer, thereby creating constructive synergies. The center carries out studies and organizes debates, workshops and training courses. It acts as

1729-459: Is made up of 306 members drawn from the national parliaments of the Council of Europe's member states, and meets four times a year for week-long plenary sessions in Strasbourg . It is one of the two statutory bodies of the Council of Europe, along with the Committee of Ministers , the executive body representing governments, with which it holds an ongoing dialogue. However, it is the Assembly which

1820-427: Is now regarded as a major achievement of the Council of Europe as a whole, and it now joins others in pressing for abolition worldwide. Over the decades, the Assembly has been at the forefront of supporting democratic change in successive waves of European nations at key moments in their history, negotiating their entry into the Council of Europe "club of democracies" (as the Assembly has a veto on any new member joining

1911-577: Is on strengthening civil society, in particular with regard to youth and women. The Centre works in close cooperation with the European Union in the framework of a Joint Management Agreement concluded between the NSC and the European Commission to raise awareness of global interdependence and solidarity through global/development education and youth cooperation in Europe and beyond. A key objective of

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2002-607: Is strong. In 2007, this became evident when the Parliamentary Assembly voted on a report compiled by Anne Brasseur of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party on the rise of Christian creationism , bolstered by right-wing and populist parties in Eastern Europe. In 2018, an online archive of all speeches made to the Parliamentary Assembly by heads of state or government since its creation in 1949 appeared on

2093-409: Is usually regarded as the "motor" of the organisation, holding governments to account on human rights issues, pressing states to maintain democratic standards, proposing fresh ideas and generating the momentum for reform. The Assembly held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, embodying at that time the hopes of many Europeans who, in the aftermath of World War II , saw European unity as

2184-479: The Council of Europe 's ministerial body to go further and to "immediately" expel Russia from the Council because of its aggression against Ukraine. It is the first time in its history that the Assembly has made such a call. As the debate was drawing to a close, the Russian authorities submitted a formal letter announcing that it was withdrawing from the Council; however, as the expulsion procedure had already begun, this

2275-514: The GRECO like all its member states is also a matter of criticism. In 2013, The New York Times reported that "some council members, notably Central Asian states and Russia, have tried to influence the organisation's parliamentary assembly with lavish gifts and trips". According to the report, said member states also hire lobbyists to fend off criticism of their human rights records. PACE members have been implicated in corruption scandals relating to

2366-473: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , European politicians were paid off and received lavish gifts and paid trips . In 2018, an independent investigation found "strong suspicions of corruptive conduct involving members of the Assembly" and named a multiple members as having breached the Assembly's Code of Conduct. Following a series of hearings, it sanctioned many of the members or former members mentioned in

2457-707: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament . It ended with a European conference of parliamentarians and non-governmental organizations (Madrid, 1–3 June 1988), which launched the Madrid Appeal. The Madrid Appeal laid the foundations for a dynamic dialogue between North and South in a spirit of respect for democracy, and human dignity in order to allow all the world's inhabitants to enjoy fair, balanced and sustainable development. The Portuguese government then proposed setting up

2548-619: The "custodian" of Europe's political culture of pluralism, democracy and respect of human rights. The center is under the administrative responsibility of the Directorate of Democracy. This tutelage reinforces the intercultural dialogue, education and youth dimensions in the center's activities. The center is a unique confidence-building instrument that enables its partners to analyze, discuss and compare their policies and experiences so that they can share best practices, reach consensuses and influence political debate. The North–South Centre's work

2639-469: The Anti-Defamation League. In 2015, PACE passed a resolution on religious freedom and tolerance that referenced its previous resolution on circumcision and reiterated its view that the procedure should only be performed under appropriate medical conditions. Though some outlets reported that PACE had retracted its anti-circumcision stance, PACE clarified that it had neither cancelled nor replaced

2730-481: The Assembly also uses German and Italian as working languages. Each parliamentarian has separate earphones and a desk on which they are able to select the language which they would like to listen to. When foreign guests wish to address the Assembly in languages other than its working languages, they are invited to bring their own interpreters. The Assembly has a total of 612 members in total – 306 principal members and 306 substitutes – who are appointed or elected by

2821-530: The Assembly decided to suspend the Russian delegation's voting rights as well as the right of Russian members to be represented in the Assembly's leading bodies and to participate in election observation missions. However, the Russian delegation remained members of the Assembly. The sanction applied throughout the remainder of the 2014 session and was renewed for a full year in January 2015, lapsing in January 2016. The sanction applied only to Russian parliamentarians in PACE,

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2912-410: The Assembly meet all year long to prepare reports and draft resolutions in their respective fields of expertise. The Assembly sets its own agenda, but its debates and reports are primarily focused on the Council of Europe 's three core statutory aims, defending human rights , promoting democracy and upholding the rule of law . Judges of the European Court of Human Rights are elected by PACE from

3003-415: The Assembly took the decision to make ending executions a condition of Council of Europe membership - just before a wave of central and eastern European nations joined the organisation. Today, the death penalty has been abolished in law in all 46 member states in peacetime, though some continue to allow it in time of war. Though rare calls are occasionally heard for its reintroduction, abolition continent-wide

3094-425: The Assembly's website, the fruit of the two-year project entitled "Voices of Europe". At the time of its launch, the archive comprised 263 speeches delivered over a 70-year period by some 216 Presidents, Prime Ministers, monarchs and religious leaders from 45 countries, but it continues to expand, as new speeches are added every few months. Some very early speeches by individuals considered to be "founding figures" of

3185-541: The Centre and ready to engage in concrete cooperation • A representative of the European Commission • A representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in an advisory The Executive Committee meets twice a year, in principle in Lisbon and in Strasbourg. The current president of the Executive Council is Jean-Marie Heydt . To facilitate efficient management, the Executive Committee shall elect

3276-527: The Centre has been preserved, while full participation of all member states in the decision-making process is ensured. - the relationship with the European Union has been reinforced, through the introduction of the EU Committee of Regions as a new stakeholder of the North–South Centre. - the priority areas of the Centre are confirmed (education, youth, intercultural dialogue), with an increased focus on

3367-533: The Centre merged into a new "Executive Committee". The Executive Committee is the decision-making body of the Centre. The different components of the quadrilogue are represented as follows: • A government representative for each member state of the Centre • Four parliamentarians, 2 each from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament • Four members representing organized civil society active in priority activity areas for

3458-485: The Centre representative of all the relevant stakeholders. The Executive Committee is the decision-making statutory organ of the Centre. On 5 May, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a new statutory resolution for the North–South Centre. One of the main lines of the Centre's new statute, which entered into force on 1 June 2011, concerns its statutory bodies. In fact, the two former statutory organs of

3549-536: The Council of Europe can also join. There are currently 17 member States, two of whom are not members of the Council of Europe. Management of the North–South Centre is overseen by an Executive Committee that is composed of members representing each of the components of the "quadrilogue." The "quadrilogue" is a unique North–South Centre concept coined to explain a partnership which brings together representatives of governments, national parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society to ensure good governance of

3640-564: The Council of Europe on 16 March 2022. In January 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resolved to not ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, thereby preventing the Azerbaijani delegates from participating in the work of the Assembly. Parliaments with Partner for Democracy status, pledge to work towards certain basic values of the Council of Europe, and agree to occasional assessments of their progress. In return, they are able to send delegations to take part in

3731-581: The Council of Europe's parliamentary body, and Russia continued to be a full member of the organisation as a whole. In response, the Russian parliamentary delegation suspended its co-operation with PACE in June 2014, and in January 2016 – despite the lapsing of the sanctions – the Russian parliament decided not to submit its delegation's credentials for ratification, effectively leaving its seats empty. It did so again in January 2017, January 2018 and January 2019. On 25 June 2019, after an eight-hour debate which ended in

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3822-458: The European Commission in November 2008 and renewed until 2015. The Program "Women" aims to strengthen the role of women as developing actors in the southern and eastern Mediterranean region, and to enhance women's empowerment at all levels of governance in order to contribute to the ongoing democratic processes in this geographic area, with particular attention to Morocco and Tunisia. The program

3913-401: The European Union began using the flag in 1986. Propositions for an anthem for Europe began almost as soon as the Council of Europe was created in 1949. "Ode to Joy" had been suggested in the 1920s by the great pioneer of European unity, Count Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi , and in a 1955 letter to the Council of Europe he proposed it again. However it was not until the early 1970s that

4004-492: The European institutions, even if they were not heads of state or government at the time, are also included (such as those by Winston Churchill and Robert Schuman ). Addresses by eight monarchs appear in the list (such as King Juan Carlos I of Spain , King Albert II of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg ) as well as the speeches given by religious figures (such as Pope John Paul II ) and several leaders from countries in

4095-473: The Forum have been closely related to the core mission of the Council of Europe: to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In light of the events of the 'Arab Spring' and of the changes in the countries of the region, recent editions of the Forum have sought to address key challenges faced by Arab societies and explore possibilities for renewed cooperation with Europe. The Lisbon Forum 2014, building on

4186-629: The Investigative Body's report, either by depriving them of certain rights, or by excluding them from the Assembly's premises for life. Following the flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians in 2023, PACE adopted a motion which stated that "it regrets the fact that Members of the European Parliament have accepted and failed to declare trips to Azerbaijan, visits to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and luxury hotel stays that were organised and paid for by Azerbaijani officials." In October 2013, following

4277-427: The Madrid Appeal - 1984: Conference organized in Lisbon held by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the theme, “North-South: Europe’s role” and adoption of the “Lisbon Declaration” (9–11 April) On 5 May 2011, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a new statutory resolution for the North–South Centre. This crucial step positively concluded a process launched in November 2009 by

4368-461: The Middle East and North Africa (such as Shimon Peres , Yasser Arafat , Hosni Mubarak , Léopold Sédar Senghor or King Hussein of Jordan ). The full text of the speeches is given in both English and French, regardless of the original language used. The archive is searchable by country, by name, and chronologically. The official languages of the Council of Europe are English and French , but

4459-607: The North-South Process for the Empowerment of Women (NSPEW) and its Euro-Med Women Network (EMWN). North-South Process for the Empowerment of Women: The North–South Centre acts as Secretariat and monitors the Euro-Med Women Network launched in 2012. The Euro-Med Women Network aims at contributing to the empowerment of women by providing its members with an online platform, supported by a website, which will facilitate

4550-468: The North–South Centre following a proposition by the government of Portugal, with 10 founding countries (16 November) - 1988: European public campaign on North-South interdependence and solidarity organized by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the European Community. It ended with a European conference of parliamentarians and non-governmental organizations (Madrid, 1–3 June 1988), which issued

4641-460: The Organization, by offering them a platform for structured cooperation at different levels (governments, parliamentarians, local and regional authorities, civil society). - the two former statutory organs of the Centre merged into a new "Executive Committee", which is the single decision-making body of the North–South Centre through this important structural change, the "quadrilogue" functioning of

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4732-450: The Parliamentary Assembly, in connection with the 20th Anniversary of the Centre. Through this decision, the member States - and indeed all the stakeholders of the North–South Centre - have confirmed its relevance and importance, at a time when the Arab countries - our Neighbours - are facing historical changes. The main lines of the Centre's new statute, which entered into force on 1 June 2011, are

4823-459: The Parliamentary Assembly. On 16 April 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly voted in favour of Kosovo's membership, with 131 votes in favour, 29 against, and 11 abstentions. Two representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community have been invited to participate in the deliberations of the assembly as observers without the right to vote. The Assembly has six political groups. The Presidents of

4914-565: The Qatari and Azerbaijani governments. Qatargate is an ongoing scandal, involving allegations that PACE officials, lobbyists and their families have been influenced by the governments of Qatar , Morocco and Mauritania , engaging in corruption, money laundering, and organized crime. Multiple PACE officials have been implicated in a money-laundering scheme organized by the Azerbaijani government. In exchange for (A) whiteashing Azerbaijan's poor human rights record and (B) lobbying for Azerbaijan in

5005-496: The Report on the new Mission of the Centre in the framework of the Council of Europe neighborhood policy - 5 May 2011: Adoption of a new Statutory Resolution for the NSC which entered into force on 1 June 2011 ↵- 2010: Accession of Azerbaijan and Cape Verde, the second non-European country to become a member; Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the North–South Centre ↵- 2009: Accession of Morocco, first non-European country to become

5096-482: The South" within the Council of Europe and of promoting and transmitting the values of democracy and human rights that are central to the Council of Europe's mission in neighboring regions. The Centre strives to promote gender empowerment , youth participation and democratic consolidation through intercultural dialogue in cooperation with civil society, local authorities, governments and parliaments. - 29 May 2013: Adoption of

5187-545: The Youth Department of the Council of Europe, the EU-CoE youth partnership and other relevant institutions working in the youth field. The Youth Co-operation Program is composed by 3 main dimensions: 1. A Euro-Arab and Mediterranean Dimension 2. The Network of Universities on Youth and Global Citizenship 3. The Africa-Europe Youth Co-operation activities in the framework of the “Joint Management Agreement” (JMA), signed with

5278-416: The activities carried out under this agreement is to strengthen the role of youth and facilitate the development of policies and structures for youth participation, particularly in Europe and Africa. The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, more commonly known as the North–South Centre, was established in November 1989 as an "Enlarged Partial Agreement" so that other states not members of

5369-502: The best way of preventing a return to the devastation of war, a "safety net" to prevent gross human rights violations such as the horrors of The Holocaust , and a democratic bulwark against tyranny. Among the Assembly's main achievements are: Unlike the European Parliament (an institution of the European Union ), the Assembly does not have the power to create binding laws. However, it speaks on behalf of 700 million Europeans and has

5460-608: The conclusions of the previous editions, was devoted to 'Electoral processes and democratic consolidation in the countries of the Southern Mediterranean'. It offered to the participants an opportunity to exchange on the main issues related to the electoral process as well as on the importance of democratic awareness of all actors involved. The North-South Prize has been awarded every year since 1995 to two candidates who have stood out for their exceptional commitment to promoting North-South solidarity. The candidates, preferably

5551-582: The continent. The Assembly continues to elect the judges of the Court. The Assembly was at the origin of both the Flag of Europe , the twelve yellow stars on a blue background, and the Anthem of Europe , an arrangement of Ludwig van Beethoven 's Ode to Joy. Having been proposed by the Assembly, both were adopted firstly by the Council of Europe , and - several years later - by the European Union . Both are now known worldwide as symbols of Europe . Various proposals for

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5642-437: The current bench of 46 judges are women, making the Court a leader among international courts on gender balance. At its very first meeting, in the summer of 1949, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted the essential blueprint of what became the European Convention on Human Rights , selecting which rights should be protected and defining the outline of the judicial mechanism to enforce them. Its detailed proposal, with some changes,

5733-421: The day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 - Russia's membership in the Council of Europe was suspended by the Council of Europe's ministerial body, having consulted the Assembly earlier on the same day. Suspension does not have the same legal status as full expulsion. On 15 March, following an all-day debate at an Extraordinary Session, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted a resolution calling on

5824-403: The exchange of best practices, the identification of common challenges and the sharing of experiences as well as will contribute to the identification of projects and partnerships. As a partial agreement of the Council of Europe, the center shares the advantages of being institutionally an integral part of Europe's oldest political organizations of States. The Council of Europe is often defined as

5915-568: The field of global education in the formal and non-formal sector. Reinforcement of policies, partnerships and networking of key stakeholders in the field of global education - Joint Management Agreement between the EC and the NSC Objectives: elaborate on the prospects of developing a European framework for global/development education, facilitate and provide the space for dialogue and networking between international and European actors, in particular in

6006-437: The following: - the Centre has kept its present legal nature and continues to function as an enlarged partial agreement of the Council of Europe. - an invitation is made to all member States of the Council of Europe as well as to the European Union to join the Centre as soon as possible. - the Centre acts as an interface between the Council of Europe and countries in neighboring regions which are interested in cooperating with

6097-494: The help of investigative journalists and plane-spotters among others – suggested that a number of Council of Europe member states had permitted CIA "rendition flights" across their airspace, enabling the secret transfer of terror suspects without any legal rights. In a second report in 2007, Marty showed how two member states – Poland and Romania – had allowed "secret prisons" to be established on their territory, where torture took place. His main conclusions – subsequently confirmed in

6188-515: The member states of the Council of Europe. Capacity building Objectives: offer guidelines and training courses for practitioners to understand and practice global education. Organized annually since 1994 by the North - South Centre of the Council of Europe, the Lisbon Forum is a distinctive platform bringing together high - level participants from Europe, neighboring regions and other continents to share experience, good practice and expertise. Themes of

6279-477: The member states of the Council of Europe. Reinforcement of capacities Objectives: offer guidelines and training courses for practitioners to understand and practice global education. - Joint Management Agreement between the EC and the NSC Objectives: elaborate on the prospects of developing a European framework for global/development education, facilitate and provide the space for dialogue and networking between international and European actors, in particular in

6370-460: The national parliament of the delegation concerned. The few members who are appointed as rapporteurs, when they are carrying out work for the Assembly, have their costs covered by the Council of Europe. Some notable former members of PACE include: The special guest status of the National Assembly of Belarus was suspended on 13 January 1997. The Russian Federation ceased to be a member of

6461-519: The new EU member states, and to share experiences and identify common priorities. Promotion of Global Education Practices Objectives: promote and encourage global education practices through shared learning of global education fundamentals; support the successful implementation of global education program activities, in close collaboration with partners and stakeholders in Council of Europe members states and beyond (Southern countries and partners); achieve recognition of global education by policymakers in

6552-519: The new EU member states, and to share experiences and identify common priorities. Promotion of Global Education Practices Objectives: promote and encourage global education practices through shared learning of global education fundamentals; support the successful implementation of global education program activities, in close collaboration with partners and stakeholders in Council of Europe members states and beyond (Southern countries and partners); achieve recognition of global education by policymakers in

6643-441: The old resolution and that they had never called for infant circumcision to be banned in the first place. Although the Council of Europe is a human rights watchdog and a guardian against discrimination, it is widely regarded as becoming increasingly divided on moral issues because its membership includes mainly Muslim countries (Turkey and Azerbaijan) as well as Eastern European countries, among them Russia, where social conservatism

6734-517: The organisation, it has used this power to negotiate with applicant countries the conditions on which they join). In the 1950s it led the way in embracing recently defeated Germany, in the 1960s it took a strong stand during the Greek crisis, and in the 1970s it welcomed post-Franco Spain and Portugal into the democratic fold. Above all, it played a key role after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, creating

6825-473: The parliaments of Kyrgyzstan , Jordan , Morocco and Palestine hold "Partner for Democracy" status with the Assembly – which allows their delegations to take part in the Assembly's work, but without the right to vote – and there are also observer delegates from the Canadian , Israeli and Mexican parliaments. The costs of participation in the Assembly – mainly travel and accommodation expenses – are borne by

6916-406: The parliaments of each member state . Delegations must reflect the balance in the national parliament, so contain members of both ruling parties and oppositions. The population of each country determines its number of representatives and number of votes. This is in contrast to the Committee of Ministers , the Council of Europe's executive body, where each country has one vote. While not full members,

7007-412: The political debate at local, national and international level for social justice and sustainable development. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ( PACE ) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe , a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly

7098-449: The power to: Important statutory functions of PACE are the election of the judges of the European Court of Human Rights , from a list of three candidates submitted by governments, as well as the leading officials of the Council of Europe. In general the Assembly meets four times per year in Strasbourg at the Palace of Europe for week-long plenary sessions. The nine permanent committees of

7189-415: The problem of multiple languages in Europe. The committee agreed Beethoven was "justly regarded as one of the great European geniuses", and that his tune "had universal value". In a resolution adopted on 8 July 1971, the Assembly formally proposed "Ode to Joy" as the European anthem. The proposal found favour with the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers , which formally adopted the anthem in 1972. It

7280-494: The procedure to be regulated and debated, and an accompanying report referred to the practice as a "human rights violation". This condemnation received criticism from religious groups and figures, such as Shimon Peres , the president of Israel at the time, as well as the Anti-Defamation League , which argued that circumcision was an accepted medical procedure and that the resolution interfered with religious freedom and

7371-603: The promotion of Council of Europe principles and values beyond the European continent. Building on the experience, knowledge and network of contacts established over the years, the Centre is an important asset of the Council of Europe and its role has been refocused to contribute to implementation of the Council of Europe's neighbourhood policy. The Centre's multilateral activities contribute to processes of democratic consolidation in member states and in neighboring regions, mainly through education to democratic citizenship and intercultural dialogue. The focus of many of these activities

7462-406: The question was taken up by the Assembly's Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities. The parliamentarians saw an anthem as the next logical step, after the creation of the European flag in 1955 and Europe Day in 1964, to "spread the European idea" and - after initial discussion of a possible Europe-wide competition - the committee decided that a piece of music without words would overcome

7553-427: The small hours, the Assembly voted to change its rules, to make clear that its members should always have the right "to vote, to speak and to be represented", acceding to a key Russian demand and paving the way for the return of a Russian parliamentary delegation. Within hours the Russian parliament had presented the credentials of a new delegation, which – despite being challenged – were approved without any sanction by

7644-535: The war. In June 2023, as the International Olympic Committee signalled it was considering allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics as "neutral individuals", the Assembly urged the continuation of a total ban. The European Parliament has had criticism over its prodigality and for being too complacent with conflicts of interest. Its refusal to become full member of

7735-401: The work of the Assembly and its committees, but without the right to vote. The Assembly of Kosovo has been invited to designate a delegation to take part in the work of the Assembly and its committees as observers without the right to vote. On 24 April 2023, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe approved Kosovo's application for membership, allowing the application to progress to

7826-464: The “Transmed Program” (Rome) - 1993: Existence of the North–South Centre confirmed by Resolution (93)51 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (21 October) – the NSC has 15 member States - 1990: Set up of the North–South Centre in Lisbon - 1989: Adoption on 16 November 1989 of the Resolution (89)14 adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe endorsing the creation of

7917-478: Was anti-Semitic. In response to these criticisms, Liliane Maury Pasquier of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post arguing that medical evidence against circumcision was presented in the Assembly's hearings and that the child's right to physical integrity overrode the parents' right to religious freedom. This op-ed was further criticized by

8008-451: Was eventually adopted by the Council of Europe 's ministerial body, and entered into force in 1953. Today, seventy years later, the European Court of Human Rights – given shape and form during the Assembly's historic post-war debates – is regarded as a global standard-bearer for justice, protecting the rights of citizens in 46 European nations and beyond, and paving the way for the gradual convergence of human rights laws and practice across

8099-424: Was no longer legally possible. The Assembly's debate continued and - in a unanimous vote of 216 in favour, 0 against and 3 abstentions - the Assembly called for Russia's full expulsion. The following day, 16 March, at an extraordinary meeting, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe acceded to the Assembly's request, and decided that Russia should cease to be a member from that same day, after 26 years as

8190-468: Was subsequently taken up by the EU in 1985. In 1973 Swedish PACE member Astrid Bergegren first put forward a motion inviting member states to abolish the death penalty. Momentum built in the following years, and by 1980 the Assembly was calling on Europe's parliaments to abolish it, and insisting that the "right to life" included in the European Convention on Human Rights implied a ban on state killing. In 1989

8281-481: Was then under French control and did not rejoin Germany until 1957. It would have agreed to fourteen stars, but this was in turn unacceptable to France. Two years later, after further consultations, the twelve-star version was unanimously approved by both bodies of the Council of Europe, with twelve being regarded as a symbol of perfection, and no longer related to the number of states in the organisation. The institutions of

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