Information documents

SG-AS (2025) 01                                                                                  

21 January 2025

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Communication by the Secretary General

of the Parliamentary Assembly

at the 1517^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies[1]

(22 January 2025)

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I.          Main developments between the Assembly’s October 2025 part-session and the 2025 January part-session

A.      Assembly’s response to the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine

On 24 October, at the 3rd Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Riga, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos evoked the now operational international Register of Damage as an especially critical centrepiece of a comprehensive system of accountability for violations of international law resulting from the aggression and urged to complement it with the other vital elements needed for a comprehensive system of accountability and reparation to address the war crimes and wrongdoing committed by the Russian Federation, most importantly the ad hoc tribunal for the crime of aggression. He called on the “core group” of 42 countries and organisations working on setting up such a tribunal to quickly agree on a compromise solution regarding the legal form and statute of the tribunal. During his visit to Latvia, Mr Rousopoulos also held high-level bilateral meetings with the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

On 19 November 2024, in a video statement on the occasion of the 1000th day of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos recalled the nightmares experienced by Ukrainian citizens who see foreign troops occupying their country, and “who every day and every night wake up and fall asleep in fear that the next morning death will strike one of their loved ones.” The President called on all those who can contribute to finding “a just end with the return of territories to those to whom they belong and the return to peace". Unfortunately, "the thousands of dead will never return..."

B.      75th anniversary of the Council of Europe

On 1st November 2024, speaking at a ceremony in Athens marking 50 years since the re-ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights by Greece and the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Theodoros Rousopoulos, said “As times change, we must recognise that our achievements are never guaranteed, and that we must therefore remain steadfast in upholding the values that guide us and continue to fight for them”. “The Council of Europe is the living result of this drive towards multilateralism, a drive nurtured by a simple consideration: reconciliation builds a better future than hatred,” but he stressed that participating in the organisation “is not like joining a club of perfect democracies once and for all. It is precisely because our nations are not perfect, that they need the European ideal and ideas, as well as their constructive criticism, today more than ever”.

Speakers in the opening of the ceremony, organised in Athens’ Zappeion Megaron by the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic and the Hellenic Parliament, included Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of the Hellenic Republic; Constantine An. Tassoulas, President of the Hellenic Parliament; Marko Bošnjak, President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); Koen Lenaerts, President of the EU Court of Justice; and Ioannis Ktistakis, ECtHR Judge.

The Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, Despina Chatzivassiliou, moderated a panel on ‘Strengthening of democracy by PACE: the contribution of Greece’, with the participation of Anastasios Chatzivasileiou (representing Dora Bakoyannis, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Greek Delegation to the PACE); former Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and George Papandreou, members of the Greek Delegation PACE, as well as Liana Kanelli, member of the Greek Delegation to the PACE, and Lazaros Tsabdaridis, President of the Special Permanent Committee of the Hellenic Parliament on monitoring the ECtHR decisions.

On 12 November 2024, speaking at a special ceremony to mark the 75th anniversaries of the Council of Europe and NATO as pillars of democratic security, organised in Rome by the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly traced the early history of the Council and summarised its achievements as an engine of European unification, a custodian of shared values and a guarantor of dialogue on the European continent: “The values it establishes and promotes through its various bodies set moral and political benchmarks not only in Europe but around the world.” Mr Rousopoulos recalled that the Council of Europe still serves as “an essential gateway for any country aspiring to join the European Union”, listing its achievements in many different areas. “Membership in the Council of Europe does not grant a place in a club of flawless democracies forever, but rather places one in a community committed to safeguarding and advancing the achievements of democracy,” he said. The organisation “does not turn a blind eye to violations of its founding statute”, he pointed out, recalling its expulsion of Russia in 2022 – the only international organisation to take such an uncompromising step – and its decisive support for the people of Ukraine. The Council of Europe and its Assembly are well-equipped to address “the new, multifaceted challenges facing European democracies in the years ahead”, he underlined. “As Shakespeare wrote in Cymbeline, we ‘meet the time where it seeks us’, meaning that we are prepared to face unforeseen events and challenges not with fear, but with courage and an open mind.”

Other PACE members took part in a parliamentary debate at the event, while in closing remarks, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, Despina Chatzivassiliou, hailed the shared aims of both organisations and their complementary work to build democratic security: “We have the common goal of the pursuit of peace.” Other speakers included the Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana, the Vice-President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Nicu Falcoi, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and the Full Professor of the History of Political Institutions at the LUMSA University of Rome Francesco Bonini.

C.      Follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit

On 18 October, at a meeting on “The Council of Europe and Artificial Intelligence: A World in Transition”, organised in Kalamata (Greece) by the Chamber of Messinia, in co-operation with the Region of Peloponnese and the Municipality of Kalamata, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos referred to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Mr Rousopoulos highlighted the rapid development of AI and the increasing use of AI systems in decision-making. He warned against the "easy ways" that AI could offer, leading to the decline of critical thinking and traditional reading. The address concluded with a reference to the importance of the recently launched Council of Europe Convention on AI and a call to action for public engagement in AI legislation.

On 14 November, the PACE Secretary General participated in the Youth Space Conference on the theme ‘Celebrating 75 Years of the Council of Europe - Challenges and Opportunities in Shaping Europe's Future’ organized in Berlin by the German delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly in co-operation with the German Federal Youth Council and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. The Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly stated that bringing the youth perspective to the forefront is essential to ensure intergenerational justice, and to address the demands of the present without diminishing the promise of the future. “Our task is to build a Europe that stays young at heart, where young voices aren’t just heard, but empowered”. She underlined the action taken by the Assembly to systematically integrate the youth perspective in its work with, amongst several measures, appointing Youth Rapporteurs in each committee of the Assembly to present a youth perspective in committee deliberations or organizing an annual debate devoted to a theme agreed between the Bureau of Assembly and the Bureau of the Joint Council of Youth. The Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly announced a concrete calendar of events leading up to the Youth Ministerial Conference to be organised in Malta in October 2025.

The need to rethink the meaning and functioning of democracy in the world where the erosion of trust in democratic institutions is growing, as well as the role of social media and fake news in this process worldwide, were at the centre of discussions held by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly Theodoros Rousopoulos in New York during a four-day visit to the United Nations headquarters from 18 to 21 November 2024. The importance of AI and its implications for human rights, democracy and the rule of law – as well as co-operation in promoting the Council of Europe's recently-adopted AI convention – were also highlighted. During the visit the President met, among others, with the President of the UN General Assembly Philémon Yang, UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Al Mohammed, Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner and Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships of UN Women Kirsi Madi. Other issues discussed included possible ways for the Assembly to meaningfully and effectively contribute to raising awareness and implementing the recently adopted UN Pact for the Future; improving the visibility of the Council of Europe and increasing knowledge of its relevant standards and Conventions among non-European states and organisations; supporting Ukraine in a rapidly changing political environment; advancing gender equality and empowering women to enable them to play a more active role in public life worldwide.

During the two-day conference, held in Athens on 4-5 November 2024, jointly organised by the Parliamentary Assembly and the Hellenic Parliament, and which brought together parliamentarians, policy-makers, athletes, sporting organisations and experts in the cradle of the Olympics to discuss promoting safety, integrity, equality and inclusion in sport, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos, has hailed what he called “the transformative power of sport”, and urged all sides to work together to make sport a positive force for society. “The role of sport extends far beyond the football stadium or the swimming pool. It long ago ceased to be just a leisure activity - where people simply measure who jumped further or lifted more weight,” the President pointed out. “Sport, due to its huge public following and enormous media attention, has evolved into a powerful tool that teaches those involved important values such as fairness, integrity, mutual respect, equality and inclusion.” But sport, he added, also has the capacity to “transmit and promote values, ideas and modes of behaviour to society as a whole. It has the power to bring people together, inspire hope, and foster inclusion.” As a part of society, sport could also sometimes reflect many of its problems and challenges, such as violence and abuse, corruption, doping and match-fixing, as well as gender imbalances, discrimination, hate speech and the exclusion of marginalised groups. In countries ruled by authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, it could become a source of propaganda and even transmit negative values.

In the current context, the President pointed out, “it is simply dangerous to leave the power of sport to influence people in the hands of dictators. Instead, we should find a way to direct it to promote the values of peace, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” It was the duty of parliamentarians and others to join efforts to make sport a “positive force”, he said. Following opening remarks by the President of the Hellenic Parliament Constantine An. Tassoulas, Greece's Alternate Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport Ioannis Vroutsis highlighted the efforts made around Europe in general, and in Greece in particular, to reverse negative indicators when it comes to sport for people with disabilities.

II.         Meetings of the Bureau (28 November and 13 December 2024)

The Bureau of the Assembly, meeting on Thursday, 28 November 2024, in Luxembourg, with
Mr Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, in the Chair, as regards:

-                Communications: took note of the communications by the President of the Assembly, the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and held an exchange of views with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe;

-                Human Rights in Motion Prize: took note of the information contained in the memorandum prepared by the Secretariat, under the instructions of the President of the Assembly, and decided to:

o   establish the Human Rights in Motion Prize, to be awarded quarterly, in cooperation with four international documentary film festivals, to the director of the best documentary film promoting the "human rights or the fight for democratic values”;

o   launch a call for artists or artistic organisations to create, pro bono, a plaque to accompany the award ceremony;

took note that the Prize will be officially launched during the meeting of the Standing Committee on 29 November 2024;

-                Meeting of the Standing Committee (Luxembourg, 29 November 2024):

o   Requests for current affairs debates:

§  took note of the request by the Chairperson of the delegation of Luxembourg to hold a current affairs debate onIntensification of repressions in Azerbaijan: undermining democratic freedoms and parliamentary rights, decided to recommend to the Standing Committee to hold this debate, to modify the title in  Intensification of repressions in Azerbaijan: the situation of political prisoners, threats to democratic freedoms and parliamentary rights, and appointed Mr Gusty Graas (Luxembourg, ALDE) as the first speaker;

§  took note of the request by the chairpersons of the five political groups to hold a current affairs debate on Foreign interference: a threat to democracy, decided to recommend to the Standing Committee to hold this debate, and appointed Mr Pablo Hispán (Spain, EPP/CD) as the first speaker;

o   updated the draft agenda;

-                First part-session of 2025 (Strasbourg, 27-31 January): drew up the preliminary draft agenda for the first part-session of 2025 (Appendix 1);

-                References and transmissions to committees: approved the references and transmissions as set out in Appendix 2, subject to ratification by the Standing Committee;

-                Election observation:

o   Republic of Moldova: presidential election (20 October and 3 November 2024) and constitutional referendum (20 October 2024): approved the election observation report, with a view to a debate at the Standing Committee on the following day;

o   Bulgaria: early parliamentary elections (9 June and 27 October 2024): approved the election observation report, with a view to a debate at the Standing Committee on the following day;

o   Georgia: parliamentary elections (26 October 2024): approved the election observation report, with a view to a debate at the 2025 January part-session;

o   Assembly of Kosovo^*: elections (9 February 2025): decided to observe these elections and set up an ad hoc committee composed of 20 members (SOC: 6; EPP/CD: 6; EC/DA: 4; ALDE: 3; UEL: 1); and authorised a pre-electoral mission;

Request for special guest status by the Assembly of Kosovo*: took note of the letter by the President of the Assembly of Kosovo* and, in accordance with Rule 62.3 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, transmitted the request to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for consultation;

-                Václav Havel Human Rights Prize: took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly on the composition of the Selection Panel and of the calendar of the 2025 edition; decided to:

o   exceptionally extend the mandate of one of the members appointed by the Bureau and of one of the members appointed by the Czech partners for one year each and to subsequently extend the current mandate of Ms Anne Brasseur for one year, bringing the end of her mandate to 31 May 2026; and

o   invited Bureau members to propose candidatures for the vacant seat in the Selection Panel for the subsequent appointment of a member of the Panel by the Bureau. The names and CVs of candidates together with justification of fulfilment of required condition (“recognised moral standing in the field of human rights”) should be submitted to the Secretary General of the Assembly no later than 15 January 2025, in view of the Bureau taking a decision on the appointment during the 2025 January part-session;

-                Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment:

o   took note of the letter by the Chairperson of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and approved the modification of the regulations of the Prize concerning the deadline for reception of candidatures (Appendix 3);

o   took note of the calendar of the 2025 edition and of the launch of the 2025 edition of the Prize on 29 November 2024;

-                European Conference of Presidents of Parliament (Strasbourg, 20-21 March 2025): took note of the information provided by the Secretary General of the Assembly;

-                Institutional representation of the Parliamentary Assembly in 2024: appointed Ms Ingjerd Schie Schou (Norway, EPP/CD) as a representative of the Assembly to the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission);

-                Meetings of the Standing Committee and the Bureau in 2025: approved the revised proposals contained in the document (Appendix 4);

The Bureau of the Assembly, meeting on Friday, 13 December 2024, in Paris, with Mr Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, in the Chair, as regards:

-                observed a minute's silence in the memory of Mr Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 2004 to 2009;

-                Communications: took note of the communications by the President of the Assembly, the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and held an exchange of views with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe;

-                Minutes: decided to declassify the minutes of the meeting of the ad hoc Committee of the Bureau on the situation of the children of Ukraine, held in Geneva on 13 June 2024;

-                Follow-up to the Standing Committee meeting (Luxembourg, 29 November 2024): approved the follow-up proposals presented by the Secretary General of the Assembly and decided to refer the follow-up to Resolution 2579 (2024) on Civil society and the Parliamentary Assembly: towards greater transparency and engagement to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on Modification of various provisions of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure;

-                First part-session of 2025 (Strasbourg, 27-31 January): updated the preliminary draft agenda for the first part-session of 2025 (Appendix 1);

-                References and transmissions to committees: approved the references and transmissions as set out in Appendix 5, subject to ratification by the Assembly;

-                Election observation:

o   Assembly of Kosovo^*: elections (9 February 2025): approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections and appointed Ms Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC) as its Chairperson (Appendix 6: the list was updated on 20 December 2024 by the Bureau following a written consultation);

o   Schedule of the elections in 2025: took note of the calendar;

-                Election of the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly: took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretariat of the Assembly and:

o   decided that the forthcoming election should follow the pre-Covid-19 pandemic timetable, with an election during the 2025 October part-session;

o   therefore decided to exceptionally shorten the mandate of the forthcoming Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly by one month, subject to agreement with the Committee of Ministers to be reached within the Joint Committee;

o   approved the timetable for the election of the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly (Appendix 7);

o   asked the President of the Parliamentary Assembly to transmit to the Committee of Ministers the timetable regarding the procedure in the Assembly and the decision of the Bureau regarding the duration of the mandate of the forthcoming Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly;

-                Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the 2025 financial year: took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly;

-                Apportionment of the allocation to political groups for 2025: approved the proposals contained in the document;

-                Parliamentary co-operation and electoral activities - work plan 2025: took note of the work plan for 2025;

-                Follow-up to a Bureau decision - summaries of PACE adopted texts through the use of AI: took note of the information provided;

-                Issues raised by committees:

o   Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy: took take note of the letter by the Chairperson of the Committee and decided to set up an ad hoc committee of the Bureau, composed of 8 members (AS/Pol: 3, AS/Jur: 2; AS/Soc:2 and AS/Cult:1), to participate in the OECD Global Parliamentary Network, to be held on 5-7 February 2025 in Paris;

o   Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons: took note of the letter by the Chairperson of the Committee and decided to set up an ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in the conference on the follow-up to the Resolution 2569 (2024) Missing migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – A call to clarify their fate to be held in Strasbourg by July 2025 (date tbc);

-                Honorary President: decided to grant the title of Honorary President to Mr Rik Daems, President of the Parliamentary Assembly from 2020 to 2022;

-                Other business: took note that the President will ask the Venice Commission for an urgent opinion on the conditions and the legal standards under which a constitutional court can invalidate elections;

-                Meetings elsewhere than Strasbourg and Paris: authorised:

o   the ad hoc Sub-Committee to participate in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 69) of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination to meet in New York, United States, in March 2025 (dates tbc);

o   the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) to meet in Riga on 15-16 May 2025;

o   the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media to meet in Oslo or Trondheim, Norway, on 3 and 4 June 2025;

III.        Meeting of the Standing Committee (29 November 2024)

The Standing Committee, meeting on 29 November 2024 in Luxembourg, with MrTheodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Assembly, in the Chair:

-            heard a welcome address by Mr Claude Wiseler, President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies;

-            held an exchange of views with Ms Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence, for Mobility and Public Works, and for Gender Equality and Diversity, in the framework of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;

-            ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly submitted by the delegations of Finland, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and United Kingdom;

-                  approved the changes in the composition of Assembly committees;

-         took note of the preliminary draft agenda of the first part-session of the Assembly (27-31 January 2025);

-         ratified the references proposed by the Bureau (see Appendix 8);

-            held current affairs debates on “Intensification of repressions in Azerbaijan : the situation of political prisoners, threats to democratic freedoms and parliamentary rights “ and on “Foreign interference: a threat to democracy“;

-            adopted a declaration on “Georgia must remain faithful to its European values”;

-               took note of the reports of the Ad hoc Committee of the Bureau on the Observation of:

·         the presidential election (20 October and 3 November 2024) and constitutional referendum (20 October 2024) in the Republic of Moldova;

·         the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria (9 June and 27 October 2024);

-           unanimously adopted the following texts on behalf of the Assembly:

Resolution 2579 (2024)	Civil society and the Parliamentary Assembly: towards greater transparency and engagement
Recommendation 2287 (2024)	Civil society and the Parliamentary Assembly: towards greater transparency and engagement

-        decided to hold its next meetings as follows:

·         Valletta, Malta, on 23 May 2025

·         Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, on 21 November 2025.

IV.     Prizes

Ø    Europe Prize

The official presentation ceremony of the Europe Prize took place on Thursday, 17 October 2024, in Terrassa (Spain).

The Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media held a hearing on 4 December 2024 in Paris, with the participation of M. Constantinos Efstathiou (Cyprus, SOC), Representative of the committee for the Council of Europe Museum Prize and Ms Amina Krvavac, Chairperson of the Jury for the Museum Prize, European Museum Forum (EMF), and decided to award the 2025 Council of Europe Museum Prize to Euskararen Etxea (The House of Basque Language), Bilbao, Spain.

Ø    Vigdís Prize for Women’s Empowerment

On 29 November 2024, in Luxembourg, the Parliamentary Assembly launched a call for applications for the 2nd edition of the Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment

Ø    Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

On 15 January 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly, in partnership with the Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation, issued a call for nominations for the 2025 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

V.        Activities of committees and networks, and election observation missions

Ø    On 10-11 October 2024, in Belgrade, the Sub-Committee on the Western Balkans of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy:

          . held exchanges of views on Regional developments and security challenges in the Western Balkans; Economic challenges, energy cooperation, and environmental transition; European Integration: what next? in the framework of the current work of the sub-committee.

Ø     A PACE election observation delegationobserved the presidential election (20 October 2024 and 3 November 2024) and the constitutional referendum (20 October 2024) in the Republic of Moldova in the framework of an International Election Observation Missions (IEOM) including ODIHR, the OSCE PA and the European Parliament.

Ø     A PACE election observation delegation observed the parliamentary elections in Georgia on 26 October 2024 as part of an International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) including ODIHR, the OSCE PA, the European Parliament and NATO PA.

Ø     A PACE election observation delegation observed the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria on 27 October 2024. 

Ø    On 2 December 2024, in Tirana, the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee):

          . held an exchange of views with high-level Albanian authorities, with the participation of H.E. Ms Elisa Spiropali, Speaker of the Parliament of Albania, and H.E. Mr Taulant Balla, Minister of State for Relations with Parliament of Albania;

          . held a hearing on The judicial reform process in Poland and the issues raised in this context, in the context of a report on “The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by Poland”, prepared by Ms Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC) and Mr Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), with the participation of H.E. Mr Adam Bodnar, Minister of Justice of Poland, Mr Marcin Wiącek, Polish Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Martin Kuijer, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), Mr Maciej Nowicki, Chairperson of the Board, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, and Mr Jacek Sokołowski, Expert of the Jagiellonian Club Analysis Center for the administration of justice and member of the Jagiellonian Club;

          . held a public seminar on Comprehensive actions to fighting corruption: policies and instruments, with the participation of H.E. Mr Ulsi Manja, Minister of Justice of Albania, H.E. Ms Adea Pirdeni, Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, Mr Olsian Çela, General Prosecutor of the Republic of Albania, Mr Altin Dumani, Director of the Special Structure against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) and Ms Aida Hajnaj, Director of NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).

Ø     On 4 December 2024, in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI persons in Europe of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination:

. held a conference on Addressing violence and discrimination against LBQ women in Europe, in the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, with the participation of Ms Despina Chatzivassiliou, Secretary General of PACE,  Mr Michael O'Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Lady Phyll, Executive Director and Founder of UK Black Pride, Ms Bella FitzPatrick, Executive Director of IGLYO, Ms Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo (Monaco), PACE General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI people, Ms Dragana Todorovic, Executive Director, Eurocentralasian Lesbian Community, Ms Caterina Bolognese, Head of the Gender Equality Division (Council of Europe), Ms Marie Patouillet, French Paralympic medallist, Ms Anastasiia Gerasymenko, Insight, (Ukraine), Ms Irene Zeilinger, WAVE Board Member, Founder of Garance, Ms Kate Osborne (United Kingdom), member of the Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe, (PACE), Ms Lucia Plaváková (Slovakia), member of the Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe, (PACE),Ms Evgenia Giakoumopoulou, Head of the SOGIESC Unit (Council of Europe),Ms Françoise Kempf, Administrator, Violence against Women Division, (Council of Europe), Ms Maud Royer President, Toutes des Femmes, France, Ms Ruth Mestre Researcher, University of Valencia, (Spain).

The objective of the conference was to highlight the urgent need to prevent and combat violence and discrimination against LBQ women, to reverse the invisibility of LBQ women and to promote targeted action to tackle lesbophobia.

Ø    On 5 December 2024, in Paris, the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination:

          . held a hearing on Enhancing co-operation between parliaments and equality bodies, in the context of a report prepared by Ms Tuula Haatainen (Finland, SOC), with the participation of Ms Guri Hestflått Gabrielsen, Human Rights Policy Director, Norwegian Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud and Ms Claire Hasenfratz, Legal officer, Non-discrimination Unit, European Commission (online);

          . held a hearing on For a ban on so-called conversion therapies, in the context of a report prepared by
Ms Kate Osborne (United Kingdom, SOC), with the participation ofMx Cianán B. Russell, Senior Policy Officer, ILGA-Europe and Ms Lenna Cumberbatch, Co-Chair of Galop, National Helpline for LGBT+ Victims and Survivors of Abuse and Violence (United Kingdom);

. held a joint meeting with the Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence on Addressing gender-based violence in the healthcare sector and providing support for survivors by medical staff, in the context of the preparation of the report “Preventing and combating gender discrimination in health” by Ms Camilla Fabricius (Denmark, SOC), with the participation of Ms Violette Perrotte, Executive director of La Maison des Femmes, Dr Sophie Tellier, Head of the unit on sexual violence of La Maison des Femmes of Saint-Denis and Dr Gilles Lazimi, General practitioner.

Ø    On 4 December 2024, in Paris, the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media:

. held a hearing on Protecting human rights in and through sport: obligations and shared responsibilities, in the context of the preparation of a report of the same title by Mr Kim Valentin (Denmark, ALDE) with the participation of Mr Niels Lindholm, Compliance and Risk Officer, World Athletics, Mr Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director and Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International UK and representative of the Sport & Rights Alliance and Mr Alexandre Husting, Chairperson of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) Governing Board, Council of Europe;

. held an exchange of views on Olympic Movement and peacekeeping: is sport neutrality serving sport values?, in the context of the preparation of a report of the same title by Ms Denisa Elena Neagu (Romania, ALDE), with the participation of Mr Luigi Melica, Professor of Comparative Public Law, University of Salento, (Italy) and Mr Guido Battaglia, Head of Partnerships and Institutional Affairs, Head of Geneva Office, Centre for Sport and Human Rights.

Ø    On 6 December 2024, in Strasbourg, the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development:

          . held a public hearing on Promoting Universal Health Coverage, in the context of a report prepared by
Ms Heike Engelhardt (Germany, SOC), with the participation of Ms Marjolaine Nicod, Head, UHC2030 Secretariat – World Health Organization.

Ø    On 9 and 10 December (morning) 2024, in Paris, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons:

          . held an exchange of views on Saving migrants’ lives at sea and protecting their human rights, in the context of a report prepared by Mr Paulo Pisco (Portugal, SOC), with the participation of Ms Sophie Beau, General Director of SOS Méditerranée France, Ms Marie Michel, Advocacy Manager at SOS Humanity, Germany, and Mr Klaas van Dijken, Director of Lighthouse Reports, The Netherlands;

          . held an exchange of views on Putting an end to collective expulsions of aliens, in the context of a report prepared by Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), with the participation of Mr Jonas Grimheden, Fundamental Rights Officer, Frontex, Ms Dominique Simonnot, Inspector General of Places of Deprivation of Liberty, France, Ms Marjane Ghaem, Attorney at law, France, Ms Marianna Wartecka, Member of the Board, Director of Partnerships and Advocacy, Ocalenie Foundation, Poland;

          . held an exchange of views The challenges and needs of public and private actors involved in migration management, in the context of a report prepared by Ms Sandra Zampa (Italy, SOC), with the participation of Ms Carla Ferstman, Professor at the University of Essex, United Kingdom, Ms Chloe Marshall-Denton, Humanitarian Advisor at Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium, and Ms Silvia Carta, Advocacy Officer at PICUM – Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, Belgium.

Ø    On 9 December 2024, in Yerevan, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights:

. held a hearing on the Legal and humanitarian aspects related to Azerbaijan’s military operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the refugee situation in Armenia, with the participation of
Mr Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia before the International Court of Justice, Ms Anahit Manasyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia andMs Mariam Poghosyan, forcibly displaced civilian from the Nagorno-Karabakh region;

          . held an exchange of views on The refugee situation with Ms Monica Sandri, Representative ad interim (a.i.), UNHCR Armenia;

. held a hearing on the Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights – 12th report, in the context of a report prepared by Mr Constantinos Efstathiou (Cyprus, SOC),with the participation of Mr Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the European Court of Human Rights, Ms Arpi Harutyunyan, Justice and Human Rights Portfolios Manager, Democracy Development Foundation and Ms Araks Melkonyan, President, “The Protection of Rights without Borders” Non-Governmental Organization;

          . held an exchange of views on Proceeds of the crime denounced by Sergei Magnitsky found in Switzerland must not be returned to the presumed perpetrators, in the context of a report prepared by
Ms Lesia Vasylenko, (Ukraine, ALDE) with the participation of Mr Andreas Gross (Switzerland), former member of PACE and Rapporteur on “Refusing impunity for the killers of Sergei Magnitsky”;

. held a hearing on Regulating foreign influence: best practices and European standards, with the participation ofMr Julien Mousnier, Director of Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy at Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission (online) and Mr Giorigi Oniani, Deputy Executive Director at Transparency International, Georgia;

. held a hearing on Ensuring better protection of whistle-blowers in Europe, in the context of a report prepared by Ms Anna-Kristiina Mikkonen, (Finland, SOC) with the participation of Ms Anna Myers, Executive Director, Whistleblowing International Network, United Kingdom and Ms Vigjilenca Abazi, Assistant Professor of European Law, University of Maastricht.

Ø    On 10 December 2024, in Yerevan, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights:

. held a hearing on the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime (9 December), with the participation of Mr Luis Moreno Ocampo, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Ms Edita Gzoyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation;

. held a hearing on the Opinion on the Draft Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, with the participation ofDr. Christoph Henrichs, LL.M., German Federal Ministry of Justice, Head of Section "International Law, Law of International Organisations", Chair of the Committee of Experts on the Protection of Lawyers (CJ-AV) tasked with drafting of the Convention (online), Mr Laurent Pettiti, President of the French Bar Delegation in Brussels, Representative of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and Mr Arnold Vardanyan, member of the Armenian Chamber of Advocates.

Ø    On 11 December 2024, in Paris, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy:

          . held an online hearing on Russian democratic forces, in the framework of the mandate of General Rapporteur on Russian Democratic forces of M. Eerik-Niiles Kross (Estonia, ALDE), with the participation of Mr Garry Kasparov, Free Russia Forum, Russian Action Committee, Russian Anti-War Committee;

          . held an exchange of views on Support for political negotiations to enforce exchange and release of prisoners of war, in the context of a report prepared by Ms Yelyzaveta Yasko (Ukraine, EPP/CD), with the participation of Ms Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and Ms Ariane Bauer, International Committee of the Red Cross Regional Director for Europe & Central Asia;

          . held a hearing, followed by an exchange of views on the situation in the Middle East, in the context of the work of the Sub-Committee on the Middle East and the Arab World, with the participation of Mr Charles Lister, Middle East Institute, Senior Fellow, Director of Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs.

Ø    On 12 December 2024, in Paris, the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs :

          . held a exchange of views on Mechanisms for facilitating the participation of PACE members at meetings of the Assembly: national examples, in the context of the report prepared by Ms Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC), “Increasing members’ active participation in and contribution to the work of the Parliamentary Assembly and its committees”, and the report prepared by Mr Sergiy Vlasenko (Ukraine, EPP/CD), ”Free movement of representatives to the Parliamentary Assembly and their substitutes to and from the place of meeting”, with the participation of Mr Anastasios Chatzivasileiou and Baroness Ann Taylor ;

. held an exchange of views on Strengthening ethics and integrity in Parliaments: the French example, in the context of the project on “Strengthening ethics and integrity in Parliaments” with the participation of
Ms Louise Bréhier, Secretary General of the Haute Autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique, and Mr Jean-Eric Gicquel, Deontologue (Commissioner for Ethical Standards) of the National Assembly.

Ø     A PACE delegation carried out a pre-electoral mission to Pristina on 16 and 17 January 2025 ahead of the observation of the elections to the Assembly of Kosovo*scheduled on 9 February 2025.

VI.       Fact-finding visits in the framework of the preparation of reports

Ø    The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by Poland

Ms Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), rapporteur of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), carried out a fact-finding visit to Poland on 18-20 November 2024.

Ø    The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by Hungary

Mr Eerik-Niiles Kross (Estonia, ALDE) and Mr George Papandreou (Greece, SOC), co-rapporteurs of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), carried out a fact-finding visit to Hungary on 18-20 November 2024.

Ø    Analysis and guidelines to guarantee the right to housing and to decent housing

Ms Aurora Floridia (Italy, SOC), rapporteur of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, carried out a fact-finding visit to Vienna on21 and 22 November 2024.

Ø    Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America

Mr Antonio Gutiérrez Limones (Spain, SOC), rapporteur of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy carried out a fact-finding visit toParlatino (Panama) and to Colombia, on 2-6 December 2024.

Ø     Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights – 12th report

Mr Constantinos Efstathiou (Cyprus, SOC) rapporteur of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights carried out a fact-finding visit to Yerevan on 11 December 2024.

Ø    Promoting the Istanbul Convention and improving its implementation: building on lessons learnt

MsEtilda Gjonaj (Albania, SOC), rapporteur of the Committee onEquality and Non-Discrimination, carried out a fact-finding visit to Austria on 16-17 December 2024.

Ø    Situation in Belarus

Mr Ryszard Petru (Poland, ALDE), General Rapporteur for a Democratic Belarus, carried out a fact-finding visit to Vilnius on 6 January 2025.

Ø    Putting an end to collective expulsions of aliens

Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), rapporteur of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced, carried out a fact-finding visit to Spain (Madrid and Tenerife) from 13 to 17 January 2025.

Ø    The honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia

Mr Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Ms Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), co-rapporteurs of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), carried out a fact-finding visit to Georgia on 14-16 January 2025.

VII.      Other activities of members of the Assembly

Ms Yevheniia Kravchuk (Ukraine, ALDE), Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Youth and the Society of the Future, participated online in the “Consultative meeting on the integration of a youth perspective”, on 19 and 20 September 2024 in Strasbourg.

Ms Luz Martínez Seijo (Spain, SOC), PACE representative to Europa Nostra, participated, together with Mr Andries Gryffroy (Belgium, NR), PACE substitute to Europa Nostra, in the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2024, from 6 to 8 October 2024 in Bucharest.

Ms Linda Hofstad Helleland (Norway, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, participated, together with Mr Mogens Jensen (Denmark, SOC), General Rapporteur on Governance and Ethics in Sport, in the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, on 9 and 10 October 2024 in Porto (Portugal).

Ms Luz Martínez Seijo (Spain, SOC), Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Culture, Education and Democratic Values, participated in the Conference on Sustaining democracy through quality citizenship education, on 17 and 18 October 2024 in Berlin.

Ms Linda Hofstad Helleland (Norway, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, participated in the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA) annual conference on “AI and Democracy”, on 21 October 2024 in Oslo.

Mr George Papandreou (Greece, SOC), General Rapporteur on Democracy, participated in the OECD Global Forum on “Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy”, held on 21-22 October 2024 in Milan.

Mr George Papandreou (Greece, SOC), General Rapporteur on Democracy, participated online in the 2^nd plenary meeting of the Steering Committee on Democracy, held on 29-30 October 2024 in Strasbourg.

Mr George Papandreou (Greece, SOC), General Rapporteur on Democracy, participated in the World Forum for Democracy, held on 6-8 November 2024 in Strasbourg.

Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), member of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, participated in the Forum Talk on “Elections under pressure: what’s at stake for representative democracy?” during the World Forum on Democracy organised by the Council of Europe, in his capacity as Rapporteur for follow-up on Resolution 2525 (2024) “the theme of migration and asylum in election campaign and its consequences on the reception of migrants and their rights” on 7 November 2024 in Strasbourg.

Mr Eerik-Niiles Kross (Estonia, ALDE), General Rapporteur on Russian Democratic forces, participated in the Fourth conference of the Russian Anti-War Committee on 9-10 November 2024 in Berlin.

Ms Yevheniia Kravchuk (Ukraine, ALDE), Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Youth and the Society of the Future, participated, together with Ms Sona Ghazaryan (Armenia, ALDE), rapporteur on “The role of youth in revitalising democracy”, in the Youth Space Berlin Conference (Y-SPACE) “Celebrating 75 years of the Council of Europe, Revitalising democracy”, organised by the German delegation to the PACE and the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, on 14 and 15 November 2024, at the German Bundestag, Berlin.

Mr Andries Gryffroy (Belgium, NR), rapporteur for follow-up on “The Cultural Routes: a platform for intercultural dialogue”, participated in the Parliamentary Round Table “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe as a platform for intercultural dialogue”, organised by the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division in collaboration with the Luxembourg Delegation to PACE, on 29 November 2024 in Luxembourg.

Mr Julian Pahlke (Germany, SOC),member of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, presented, in his capacity as Rapporteur for follow-up, the main elements brought forward in Resolution 2269 (2024) “Missing migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – A call to clarify their fate” to the Human Rights and Democracy Forum of the Exeter Law School (United Kingdom) on 4 December 2024 (online).

Mr Julian Pahlke (Germany, SOC), member of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, presented, in his capacity as Rapporteur for follow-up, the main elements brought forward in Resolution 2269 (2024) and in Recommendation 2284 (2024) “Missing migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – A call to clarify their fate” to the Network of focal points on migrations co-ordinated by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Migration and Refugees, on 13 December 2024 in Strasbourg.

VIII.     Seminars and conferences organised by the Assembly

Ø     4-5 November 2024, Athens: the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division in co-operation with the Hellenic Parliament organised a conference on “Promoting safety, integrity, equality and inclusion in sport”. The conference provided participants with a platform to discuss and exchange ideas and best practices for promoting a culture of respect, accountability, and transparency within the sports community. It also sought to foster collaboration among parliamentarians, policymakers, national delegations, sports organisations, and other key stakeholders, strengthening collective efforts to achieve shared objectives. During the event, the creation of the "Parliamentary Alliance for Good Governance and Integrity in Sport" was announced. This initiative is designed to reinforce PACE’s capacity to address sport issues and to uphold the role and actions of national parliaments in the design and implementation of policies aimed at enhancing the governance and integrity of sport at both national and multilateral levels.

Ø     29 November 2024, Luxembourg: the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division in co-operation with the Luxembourg Parliament organised a round table on “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe as a platform for intercultural dialogue”. The round table provided participants with the opportunity to discuss ways to promote dialogue and cultivate a sense of belonging and identity among Europeans. As a result of this event, Council of Europe member States were motivated to participate in the program and support new Routes, while highlighting successful examples of creating and managing Routes.

Ø     10 December 2024, Tirana: the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division joined forces with the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), Albania's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) and the OSCE presence in Albania, for the organisation of the pre-electoral conference on ““Depoliticization of electoral administration - the Need for Professional Electoral Workers”. Key interventions and ensuing discussions focused on addressing key issues in electoral administration, particularly the depoliticization of the electoral process and the importance of professional electoral administrators. Participants also explored topics such as the impartiality of second- and third-tier election administration bodies and international standards, including practices in other States. The conference underscored the urgency of professionalising and depoliticising Albania’s electoral administration to rebuild public trust and align with international standards. While challenges remain, especially lack of political will, setting up a permanent training centre and fostering greater transparency and accountability were identified as crucial steps towards ensuring free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections.

Ø     Through the project "Improving electoral practice in the Republic of Moldova, Phase 3", the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division organised the following activities:

. 8 October 2024, Chisinau: conducted training on investigating and examining illegal funding of political parties and electoral campaigns for about 25 judges and prosecutors. The one-day training session, covered topics such as the legal framework for political financing, methods for investigating electoral violations, exploration of current practices in electoral corruption and vote buying, as well as relevant ECtHR case law and various experiences of some European states ahead of the Presidential election and the EU-related Republican Constitutional Referendum in the Republic of Moldova in Autumn 2024;

. 8 October 2024, Chisinau:organised the Democracy Café info sessions for about 70 students, aged 18 to 25. The goal was to raise awareness with young people, especially first-time voters, about importance of participating in the 20 October Presidential election and the EU-related Republican Constitutional Referendum in the Republic of Moldova. The use of interactive materials from the Council of Europe such as the “Vote Outside the Box” toolkit allowed for an interactive and dynamic exchange;

. October-November 2024: conducted a citizens awareness raising campaign on combatting hate speech and sexism in elections as part of an ongoing awareness raising campaign "Do not tolerate sexist speech. Report it!". To reach wider audiences, the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau invited the projects’ partners, municipal authorities, development partners to promote the campaign by distributing it via their channels such as public transport, official websites and social media accounts;

. November 2024, Chisinau: developed a new Methodology for Auditing Political Parties in Moldova in close cooperation with the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova (CEC) and considering the opinions of the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank and the National Commission for Financial Markets. Once adopted by the CEC, the methodology will apply to all registered political parties in the Republic of Moldova, marking another step towards greater transparency and accountability of political party financing;

. 18 December 2024, Chisinau : held the Project Steering Committee meeting with the presence of 35 representatives of partners institutions, civil society and international organisations’ representatives and presented achievements in the electoral field in 2023-2024 and the way forward. The Steering Committee also launched the follow up project for 2025-2028 in the field of electoral cooperation, which started on the 1st of January 2025 in the framework of the Council of Europe new Action Plan 2025-2028 for the Republic of Moldova;

. 19-20 December 2024, Chisinau:organised a two-day workshop to assess the operational performance of the electoral administration during the 2024 Presidential election and the Republican constitutional referendum. About 55 representatives of the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova and district electoral councils addressed key topics such as: necessary amendments to the legal framework, registration of candidates and participants in the referendum, voters from Transnistria region, piloting of the postal vote in the 6 designated countries, need to improve the functioning of some modules of the State Automated Information System Elections, reported cases of voters taking photos of ballot papers, inaccuracy in voters rolls, foreign malign interference, cooperation with law-enforcement bodies, cases of intimidation of electoral management bodies, practicalities of financing political parties and electoral campaigns, the complexities of handling electoral complaints and electoral dispute resolution, need to enhance crisis communicational skills of the electoral officials;

Ø     Through the project " Supporting democratic post-war elections in Ukraine" the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division organised the following activities:

. 4-7 November, 18-21 November, 11-12 November, 25-29 November 2024, Kyiv: concluded a year-long series of specialized IT cybersecurity trainings for the IT staff of the Central Election Commission with two 4-day Windows Server courses, “Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure” and “Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services”, and two Cisco courses, 2-day “Leveraging Cisco Intent-Based Networking DNA Assurance v2.1” and 5-day “Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure” trainings. Spanning the entirety of 2024, the training program provided the participants with practical experience necessary for managing and securing IT systems critical to the Commission’s operations. The activity was implemented as a part of comprehensive training initiative for the Central Election Commission to strengthen the cybersecurity expertise of its IT staff on the use of innovative cybersecurity systems;

. 2 December 2024, Kyiv: organised the online presentation of the results of the study on “Risk assessment and feasibility study on alternative forms of voting in post-war elections in Ukraine with focus on Internet voting” for members and representatives of the profile Parliamentary Committee on state building, local governance, regional and urban development and the Central Election Commission. The study was developed in 2023 – 2024 upon the request of the profile Parliamentary Committee by a core group of Council of Europe experts. It aims to support the profile Parliamentary Committee in its further work on electoral legislation in search of possible modalities for the preparation to and organisation of first post-war elections in Ukraine and well-informed decision making;

. October-December 2024, Kyiv: developed materials (scenarios and storyboards) for four modules of the online training course for political parties and candidates "Balanced representation of women and men in political parties and electoral processes". The training course is aimed at raising the awareness of political parties and candidates on international and national standards and framework related to balanced participation of women and men in political and electoral processes, combatting gender-based discrimination, sexism and hate speech, as well as on available instruments to strengthen gender balanced representation within political parties’ structures. The online training course is developed upon the request of, and in cooperation with the Central Election Commission to address inequalities exacerbated by the war and affecting daily lives of Ukrainian men and women, particularly with regard to the participation in public and political decision-making;

. 9 January 2025, Kyiv: conducted an online presentation of the draft Communication strategy for the first post-war elections in Ukraine to the members of the Central Election Commission and representatives of its Secretariat. The draft Communication strategy was developed upon the request of the Central Election Commission through a two-year long inclusive and participatory process coordinated and led by the Council of Europe in cooperation with other international partners (IFES, International IDEA);

. 16-17 January 2025, Kyiv: organised a 2-days Strategic session on the draft Communication strategy for the first post-war elections in Ukraine and plan of actions for its implementation with participation of the members of the Central Election Commission and representatives of its Secretariat. This activity finalised a two-year inclusive and participatory process of its development under the leadership and coordination of the Council of Europe. The elaborated draft Communication strategy is a comprehensive document covering different target groups (both within and outside Ukraine), different stakeholders for cooperation, as well as set of proposed actions for its implementation, including through further development and operation of the online platform “CEC: prosvita”. Following the Strategic session, the draft Communication strategy will be finalised in line with the results of the discussion and exchanges and forwarded to the Central Election Commission for its further consideration and adoption. The activity is conducted upon the request of the Central Election Commission and coordinated throughout all the process by the Council of Europe in cooperation with other international partners (IFES, International IDEA).

IX.       Relations with the Committee of Ministers

Ø     3 October 2024, Strasbourg : Mr Julian Pahlke (Germany, SOC), member of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, presented the main elements brought forward in Resolution 2269 (2024) and in Recommendation 2284 (2024) “Missing migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – A call to clarify their fate” to the Permanent Representations of member States to the Council of Europe, in his capacity as Rapporteur for follow-up, at the invitation of the Permanent Representation of Germany.

X.        Cooperation with the Venice Commission

Ø     11-12 October 2024, Venice Italy; the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights’ representative, Mr Gutiérrez Limones (Spain, SOC), participated in the 140^th meeting of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission).

Ø     Legal advice was provided by representatives of the Venice Commission to the PACE delegations observing the presidential election (20 October 2024 and 3 November 2024) and constitutional referendum (20 October 2024) in the Republic of Moldova, the parliamentary elections in Georgia (26 October 2024) and the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria (27 October 2024).

Ø     28-29 November 2024, Madrid: Mr George Papandreou (Greece, SOC), General Rapporteur on Democracy, participated in the International seminar “Private Powers and the Rule of Law”, co-organised by the Venice Commission and the Spanish “Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales” (CEPC).

Ø     5 December 2024, Venice, Italy: the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights’ representative,
Mr Pablo Hispán, (Spain, EPP/CD), participated in the 81st meeting of the Venice Commission’s Council for Democratic Election. Mr Michael Link and Ms Laura Castel respectively represented the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe.

Ø     6-7 December 2024, Venice (Italy): the President of the Assembly addressed the Venice Commission. The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human rights’ representative, Mr Sergiy Vlasenko (Ukraine, EPP/CD), participated in the 141^st meeting of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission).

Ø     7 December 2024, Venice (Italy): the Presidential Committee and the Enlarged Bureau of the Venice Commission held their traditional annual coordination meeting.

XI.       External relations

-       Relations with the European Parliament and other European Union institutions

Ø     PACE election observation delegations observed the presidential election (20 October 2024 and 3 November 2024) and the constitutional referendum (20 October 2024) in the Republic of Moldova and the parliamentary elections in Georgia (26 October 2024) in the framework of International Election Observation Missions (IEOM) including the European Parliament.

Ø     12 December 2024, Brussels: Mr Ryszard Petru (Poland, ALDE) General Rapporteur for a Democratic Belarus, participated in the European Union High-level Conference: Standing with the People of Belarus.

-       Relations with other international partners

Ø     PACE election observation delegations observed the presidential election (20 October 2024 and 3 November 2024) and the constitutional referendum (20 October 2024) in the Republic of Moldova and the parliamentary elections in Georgia (26 October 2024) in the framework of International Election Observation Missions (IEOM) including ODIHR and the OSCE PA.

Ø     11-13 November 2024, New York: the Sub-Committee on External Relations (of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy), met at the UN Headquarters in New York (United States of America) on the occasion of the 79^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Ø     20-22 November 2024, Gdansk (Poland): Lord Blencathra, Chair designate of the Parliamentary Assembly Network of Election Observers, participated in the Annual Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation (DoP2024) organised by ODIHR.

XII.      List of meetings of the committees, the Bureau and the Presidential     Committee

.         4 October 2024, Strasbourg: Bureau meeting

.         10-11 October 2024, Belgrade: Sub-committee on Western Balkans (Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy)

.         17-18 October 2024, Ljubljana: Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

.         11-13 November 2024, New York: Sub-Committee on External Relations (Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy)

.         18-19 November 2024, Geneva: Sub-Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights (Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights)

.         28 November 2024, Luxembourg: Presidential Committee

.         28 November 2024, Luxembourg: Bureau meeting

.         29 November 2024, Luxembourg: Standing Committee

.         2-3 December 2024, Tirana: Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member           States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)

.         3-4 December 2024, Paris: Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media

.         4 December 2024, Paris: Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe (Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination)

.         5 December 2024, Paris: Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination

.         6 December 2024, Strasbourg: Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

.         9 December 2024, Paris: Sub-Committee on diasporas and integration (Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons)

.         9-10 December 2024, Paris: Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

.         9-10 December 2024, Erevan: Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights

.         11 December 2024, Paris: Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy

.         12 December 2024, Paris: Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs

.         12 December 2024, Paris: Presidential Committee

.         13 December 2024, Paris: Bureau meeting

.         13-14 January 2025, Paris: Committee on the Election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights

Appendix 1 – Agenda of the 2025 first part-session of PACE

Appendix 2 - References and transmissions to committees

References to committees

-      Media freedom in sport, Doc. 16036, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report;

-      Improving the selection/election procedure of CPT members, Doc. 16038, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report;

-      Violations of media freedom and the right to information in Poland, Doc. 16051, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on “The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by Poland“;

-      Situation in Venezuela and support for Venezuelans living in exile in Council of Europe member States, Doc. 16052, motion for a resolution: transmission to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for information;

-      The activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Doc. 16055, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report;

-      Frontline States: the role of the Council of Europe in implementing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Doc. 16056, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons for report.

Extension of a reference

-      The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by the Netherlands, Monitoring Committee decision, Reference 4569 of 19 March 2021 (extended on 14 October 2022, 9 October 2023 and 22 January 2024) – validity: 19 March 2025: extension until 19 March 2026.

Appendix 3 – Regulations for the Vigdís Prize for Women’s Empowerment

Article 1 – The Prize

The Vigdís Prize for Women’s Empowerment will be awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe every year in order to reward outstanding initiatives promoting the empowerment of women in all their diversity, with a broad remit ranging from achievements in gender equality, in equal access to participation and decision making, to championing women’s opportunities and helping them to take their place in society, as well as action to encourage inclusive policies and practice.

Article 2 – Award

The Prize will consist of a sum of 60 000 euros to finance action in the field that is conducted or supported by the Prize-winner and a diploma.

Article 3 – Eligibility

Individuals or civil society groups, including national or international non-governmental organisations, associations and private companies may be nominated for the Prize. Current members of the Parliamentary Assembly and deceased individuals will not be eligible.

Article 4 – Nominations

4.1.       Nominations for the Prize must reach the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly in March, at a date to be set before 15 February each year. They will be signed by at least five sponsors, other than the nominee, on the special form appended to these Regulations.

4.2.       Nominations will provide details of the nominee’s action to promote women’s empowerment and specify the reasons why the nominee’s action can be considered to be outstanding. All relevant supporting documents will be provided.

4.3.    Nominations may be submitted in one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe.

Article 5 – Selection Panel

5.1.    The Selection Panel, chaired by the President of the Assembly or a person designated by her or him, will be composed of six independent members with recognised standing in the field of women’s empowerment.

5.2.    Three members of the Selection Panel will be nominated by the Bureau of the Assembly upon the proposal of the Assembly’s Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and three nominated by the Government of Iceland.

5.3.    Current members of the Assembly cannot be members of the Selection Panel. They are appointed for a two-year period, renewable twice.

Article 6 – Decision on the Prize-winner

6.1.       The Selection Panel will decide on any conflict of interest concerning its members.

6.2.       Once eligibility of the applications has been verified, a meeting of the Selection Panel will be held in spring in Reykjavík or in Strasbourg, on a rotation basis, to examine the candidacies and decide on a shortlist of three nominees to be submitted, for information, to the Bureau of the Assembly. The names of these nominees will subsequently be made public by the President of the Assembly.

6.3.       In a second sitting on the Sunday preceding the Assembly’s June part-session, the Selection Panel will meet in Strasbourg to decide on the winner of the Prize. This decision will be taken by an absolute majority of the votes cast.

Article 7 – Award ceremony

7.1.       The name of the Prize-winner will be announced by the President of the Assembly during a special ceremony to be held at the opening of the Assembly’s June part-session.

Appendix 4 – Meetings of the Standing Committee and the Bureau in 2025

Monday 27 January, 8 am Strasbourg (part-session)                           Bureau

Friday 31 January, 8.30 am Strasbourg (part-session)                         Bureau

Wednesday 19 March, 2.30pm, Strasbourg                                       Bureau

Monday 7 April, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)                                 Bureau

Friday 11 April, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session)                             Bureau

Thursday 22 May, 3 pm, Malta                                                           Bureau

Friday 23 May, 9 am, Malta                                                                Standing Committee (CM Presidency)

Monday 23 June, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)                               Bureau

Friday 27 June, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session)                             Bureau

Friday 5 September, 9.30 am, Paris                                                    Bureau

Monday 29 September, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)                     Bureau

Friday 3 October, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session)                          Bureau

Thursday 20 November, 3 pm, Chișinău                                            Bureau

Friday 21 November, 9.30 am, Chișinău                                             Standing Committee (CM Presidency)

Friday 12 December, 9.30 am, Paris                                                   Bureau

Appendix 5 – References and transmissions to committees

References to committees

-     Safeguarding the rule of law in Tunisia, Doc. 16060, motion for a resolution: transmission to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for consultation;

-     The use of artificial intelligence in public decision-making processes and its impact on human rights, Doc. 16061, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on “Protecting democracy from disruptions caused by artificial intelligence” and to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for opinion;

-     Strengthening freedom of expression: an imperative for the consolidation and development of democratic societies, Doc. 16062, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report and to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for opinion;

-     The situation of Ukrainian soldiers who became disabled as a result of hostilities, Doc. 16063, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for report and the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for opinion;

-     Ensuring sustainable food security in times of crisis: strengthening resilience and access to food, Doc. 16064, motion for a resolution: reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for report;

-     Bureau decision, follow-up to Resolution 2579 (2024) on Civil society and the Parliamentary Assembly: towards greater transparency and engagement: reference to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on Modification of various provisions of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

Extension of references

-     Olympic movement and peacekeeping: is sport neutrality serving sport values? (former title: Excluding the athletes and officials of the Russian Federation and Belarus from participating in the international Olympic movement), Doc. 15721, motion for a resolution, reference 4716 of 2 March 2023 – validity: 2 March 2025: extension until 31 March 2025;

-     Legal aspects of the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights,
Doc. 15014, motion for a resolution, reference 4488 of 27 January 2020 (extended on 7 May 2020, 1 February 2021, 25 November 2022, 22 January 2024 and 24 May 2024) – validity: 31 December 2024:extension until 30 June 2025;

-     Threats to life and safety of journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan, Doc. 15521, motion for a resolution, reference 4659 of 24 June 2022 (extended on 24 May 2024) – validity: 31 December 2024: extension until 31 December 2025;

-     Promoting universal health coverage, Doc. 15729, motion for a resolution, Reference 4734 of 26 May 2023 – validity: 26 May 2025: extension until 26 November 2025.

Appendix 6 – List of members of the ad hoc committee to observe the elections in the Assembly of Kosovo*

Chairperson / Présidente : Ms / Mme Petra BAYR, Austria / Autriche

Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group / Groupe des socialistes, démocrates et verts (SOC)

Ms / Mme Petra BAYR, Austria / Autriche **

Mr / M. Christophe CHAILLOU, France   

Mr / M. Titus CORLĂŢEAN, Romania / Roumanie

Mr / M. Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg 

Mr / M. Yunus EMRE, Türkiye

Ms / Mme Annick LAMBRECHT, Belgium / Belgique

Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s

Mr / M. Jone BLIKRA, Norway / Norvège

Ms / Mme Cat ECCLES, United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni ****

Mr / M. Cerni ESCALE CABRE, Andorra / Andorre ***

Ms / Mme Edite ESTRELA, Portugal     

Lord George FOULKES, United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni ***

Mr / M. Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland / Suisse ***

Mr / M. Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino / Saint-Marin

Ms / Mme Bisera KOSTADINOVSKA-STOJEVSKA, North Macedonia      / Macédoine du Nord

Ms / Mme Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI, Finland / Finlande ***

Mr / M. Didier MARIE, France

Ms / Mme Anna-Kristiina MIKKONEN, Finland /Finlande

Mr / M. Paulo PISCO, Portugal

Mr / M. Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria / Autriche ***

Ms / Mme Céline THIÉBAULT-MARTINEZ, France            ****

Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD) / Groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE/DC)

Ms / Mme Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER, Austria / Autriche **

Mr / M. Pablo HISPÁN, Spain / Espagne ***

Mr / M. Jan Filip LIBICKI, Poland / Pologne

Mr / M. Cristian-Augustin NICULESCU-ȚÂGÂRLAȘ, Romania / Roumanie

Mr / M. Georgios STAMATIS, Greece / Grèce

Ms / Mme Jorida TABAKU, Albania / Albanie

Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s

Mr / M. Christian BUCHMANN, Austria / Autriche

Mr / M. Chris SAID, Malta / Malte

European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance (EC/DA) /

Groupe des Conservateurs européens et Alliance démocratique (CE/AD)

Mr / M. Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine**

ZZ
ZZ

ZZ

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) / Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l’Europe (ADLE)

Mr / M. Nikolla CAMAJ, Montenegro / Monténégro

Mr / M. Claude KERN, France

Ms / Mme Diana STOICA, Romania / Roumanie

Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s

Mr / M. Mehmet AKALIN, Türkiye **

Ms / Mme Liliana TANGUY, France

Group of the Unified European Left (UEL) / Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne (GUE)

Mr / M. George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus / Chypre **  *** 

Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s

Ms / Mme Nina KASIMATI, Greece / Grèce

* All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo. / Toute référence au Kosovo, que ce soit le territoire, les institutions ou la population, doit se comprendre en pleine conformité avec la Résolution 1244 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies et sans préjuger du statut du Kosovo.

**          Pre-electoral mission / mission prélectorale

***       Awaiting the non-conflict of interest declaration / en attente de la déclaration de non-conflit d’intérêt

****     Awaiting PACE 2024 declaration of interest / en attente de la déclaration d’intérêt 2024 de l’APCE

Appendix 7 – Timetable for the election of the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly

Appendix 8 - referencesto committees

1.         Media freedom in sport

            Doc. 16036

Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Mogens Jensen (Denmark, SOC) and other members of the Assembly

Reference to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report

2.         Improving the selection/election procedure of CPT members

Doc. 16038

Motion for a resolution tabled by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Reference to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report

3.         Violations of media freedom and the right to information in Poland

Doc. 16051

Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Marcin Romanowski (Poland, EC/DA) and other members of the Assembly

Reference to the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on “The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by Poland“

4.       Situation in Venezuela and support for Venezuelans living in exile in Council of Europe member States

          Doc. 16052

Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Markus Wiechel (Sweden, EC/DA) and other members of the Assembly

Transmission to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracyfor information

5.       The activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

          Doc. 16055

Motion for a resolution tabled by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy

Reference to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracyfor report

6.       Frontline States: the role of the Council of Europe in implementing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

          Doc. 16056

Motion for a resolution tabled by Ms Christiana Erotokritou (Cyprus, SOC) and other members of the Assembly

Reference to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons for report