На сесията ще говори Министър Даниел Митов - Председател на Комитета на Министрите на Съвета на Европа, който ще отговаря на въпроси от депутатите в ПАСЕ
Пред ПАСЕ ще говорят също - Жан Клод Юнкер - Президент на Европейската комисия, Президентът на Австрия Хайнц Фишер, Премиерът на Турция Ахмет Давутоглу, Премиерът на Грузия Георги Квирикашвили и Европейският Комисар по правата на човека Нилс Муйзниекс
Генералният секрета на Съвета на Европа Тьобьорн Ягланд ще отговаря на въпроси на депутати
The Session:
Speeches by
the Presidents of Austria and
the European Commission,
and the Prime Ministers of Georgia and Turkey
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
The President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the Prime Ministers of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu, are among leading personalities due to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during its spring session (18-22 April 2016).
The refugee and migrant crisis in Europe will be on
the agenda, with debates on a stronger European response to the
Syrian refugee crisis, the human rights of refugees and migrants in
the Western Balkans and the new challenge posed by forced migration.
Other items on the agenda include debates on
assessing the impact of measures to improve women’s political
representation, preventing the radicalisation of children,
humanitarian concerns with regard to people captured during the war
in Ukraine, the handling of international public health emergencies,
and the fight against antisemitism in Europe. There have also been
several requests for urgent and current affairs debates.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, will address the Assembly in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, will present his annual activity report 2015. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, will answer questions from parliamentarians.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, will address the Assembly in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, will present his annual activity report 2015. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, will answer questions from parliamentarians.
The Assembly will also be evaluating the partnership
for democracy in respect of the Palestinian National Council.
The Assembly will decide its final agenda on the opening day of
the session.
18.04.2016
"Family Photo" оf EPP Group
Сеимейна снимка на групата на ЕНП в ПАСЕ в началото на сесията.
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
19.04.2016
Среща на Ръководителя на българската делегация в ПАСЕ д-р Джема Грозданова с ръководителя на делегацията на Устония в ПАСЕ г-жа Мариане Мико.
На следващата сесия на ПАСЕ през юни Естония ще ръководи Комитета на Минстирите.
На срещата бяха обсъдени приоритетите на българското председателство на парламентарно ниво, това което беше постигнато и необходимостта за продължаване на работата по някои от темите лансирани от българската делегация в ПАСЕ. Естония ще поеме част от темите на българското председателство като свои приоритети, за да бъдат те доведени до успех.
The Head of the Bulgarian Delegation Dr. Dzhema Grozdanova and the Head of Estonian Delegation Ms. Marianne Mikko |
От Агенция ПИК :
Джема Грозданова в Страсбург: България
доказа способността си да обединява
и да сътрудничи за приемане на трудни
решения с консенсус
Линк :
Линк :
В рамките на
Парламентарното измерение на
председателството България предложи
организирането на Четвърта среща на
върха на държавни и правителствени
ръководители на държавите-членки на
Съвета на Европа.
Инициативата е
подкрепена от всички председатели на
политически групи в ПАСЕ.
С тази инициатива
е свързана Софийската декларация, приета
единодушно от Постоянната комисия на
ПАСЕ през месец ноември м.г. в София.
"България участва активно в дневния
ред на Съвета на Европа, като по време
на Председателството доказа способността
си да обединява и да сътрудничи за
приемане на трудни решения с консенсус.
На 18 май България ще предаде председателството
на Комитета на министрите (КМ) на Естония.
На срещата, която проведох с ръководителя
на естонската делегация в ПАСЕ г-жа
Мико, обсъдихме общите приоритети на
двете страни, като естонската страна
ще продължи работа по Софийската
стратегия за децата и инициативата за
Четвъртата среща на върха", заяви
Джема Грозданова по време на втората
редовна сесия на ПАСЕ в Страсбург.
По време на второто в историята ни
председателство на КМ на Съвета на
Европа, България изведе на преден
план няколко приоритета.
Защитата
правата на децата се превърна в т. нар
Софийска Стратегия по детски права след
стратегиите от Монако и Стокхолм.
Защитата на уязвимите групи е подкрепена
от скорошното подписване на Истанбулската
конвенция на Съвета на Европа за защита
на жените от домашно насилие.
Правителството
упълномощи министър Екатерина Захариева
да подпише конвенцията.
Независимата и прозрачна съдебна
система е третият основен приоритет,
който ще бъде подкрепен от т. нар. План
за действие, който ще бъде приет утре
на конференция на министрите на
правосъдието на държавите-членки на
Съвета на Европа (СЕ).
По този повод в
София пристига генералния секретар на
СЕ Торбьорн Ягланд.
Изложбата се проведе по инициатива на ръководителят на делегацията на Увгария Жолт Немет и Председателят на групата на ЕНП Аксел Фишер
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
На снимката горе - Гьоран Линдблад, Жолт Немет и Нийла Винкелман
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Докладчикът на ПАСЕ по тази резолюция беше Гьоран Линдблад, сега Президент на Платформата.
20.04. 2016
Председателят на Комитета на министрите г-н Даниел Митов, министър на външните работи на България направи изялнеие пред ПАСЕ и отговори навъпроси на депутати в пленарната зала.
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Това е заключителното му обращение към депутатите в ПАСЕ поради завършването на българското председателство на 18 май. Тогава на заседание на Комитета на Министрите в София, Даниел митов ще предаде председателството на Министърът на воншните работи на Естония, която е следващият председател на Комитета на Министрите.
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Фото: Съвет на Европа |
Видеозапис на обращението на Министър Митов :
Videorecord :
.... и като стенограма от заседанието - тук :
2016 ORDINARY SESSION
________________________
(Second part)
REPORT
Fifteenth sitting
Wednesday 20 April
2016 at 3.30 p.m.
(…)
2. Communication from the
Committee Of Ministers to the Parliamentary Assembly, presented by Mr Daniel
Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Chairperson of the Committee
of Ministers
The
PRESIDENT – The first item of business this afternoon is the communication from
the Committee of Ministers to the Assembly presented by Mr Daniel Mitov,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Chairperson of the Committee of
Ministers.
This will be followed by questions to Mr Mitov. We have only 45 minutes.
Dear
Mr Mitov, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to our Assembly again. Bulgaria
is making great efforts in achieving the goals set out at the beginning of the
chairmanship. I particularly congratulate you on the new Council of Europe strategy
on the rights of the child launched in Sofia some weeks ago. The strategy is
extremely necessary at a time when thousands of children in Europe are
suffering exploitation, abuse and discrimination. We must build a society in
which they can grow up healthy and safe. The floor is yours.
Mr
MITOV (Minister for Foreign
Affairs of Bulgaria and Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers) – Mr President, members of the Assembly, excellencies, and ladies
and gentlemen, it is my great honour to address, for the second time, the
plenary sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly in my capacity as Chairman of the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The work done by the Committee
of Ministers under the Bulgarian chairmanship in the three months since my
previous participation have been rich in events and positive developments. I am
glad to be able to share with you some information.
Unfortunately,
during this period Europe has continued to face tragic events such as the
terrorist attacks in Turkey and Brussels. As Chairman of the Committee of
Ministers, on 18 February I issued a statement condemning the terrorist attack
in Ankara and on 22 March in another statement I conveyed my condolences to the
victims of the terrorist attacks in Brussels the same day. These were yet
further attacks against our democracies. I confirmed that we must resolutely
continue to combat terrorism in full respect of the values and principles that
unite our continent.
On
30 March, the Committee of Ministers adopted a statement condemning in the
strongest terms the terrorist attacks carried out in Turkey and Belgium. It
pointed out that these horrendous attacks are unjustifiable and that they can
only strengthen the determination of the Committee of Ministers to continue the
fight against terrorism in full respect of the principles of human rights,
democracy and the rule of law.
Those
events only confirmed that the fight against terrorism will continue to be part
of the agenda of the Council of Europe. We must constantly work on finding ways
to tackle the roots of this problem, while ensuring respect for fundamental
freedoms and the rule of law. In this respect, several steps have been taken in
the last period. On 15 March, the Ministers’ Deputies held a thematic debate on
“Rising extremism, radicalisation and xenophobia in the fight against
terrorism: Building inclusive societies as a cure/ The need for collective
action”. The Committee of Ministers also adopted guidelines for prison and
probation services regarding radicalisation and violent extremism, as well as
an action plan for 2016 to 2020 on transnational organised crime.
On
13 April, the Committee of Ministers decided to hold the 2016 exchange on the
religious dimension of intercultural dialogue from 9 to 10 November 2016 in Strasbourg. The
main theme of the exchange will be “The role of education in the prevention of
radicalisation leading to terrorism and violent extremism” and the two
sub-themes will be “Education for democratic citizenship in the context of
cultural and religious diversity” and “Empowering women and the role of the
family in countering radicalisation and violent extremism”.
In
the field of education, a Council of Europe conference of Ministers of
Education took place on 11 and 12 April 2016 in Brussels. In their final declaration,
the participants expressed their support for a new tool that has been developed
to promote democracy and democratic values in schools and other settings. The
new tool, called the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for
Democratic Culture, sets out a series of 20 key competences needed to play an
active role in democratic society and explains how these can be defined and
measured. The tool is designed to help tackle violent extremism and
radicalisation leading to terrorism and to promote inclusive societies.
At
the beginning of April, there was another worrying event – the escalation of
violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. On 5 April, I issued a statement
expressing my deep concern in this regard and I called on the parties to
respect their commitments and take all appropriate steps without delay to put
an end to the escalation of violence, respect the ceasefire and renew dialogue,
under the aegis of the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, towards a
negotiated solution.
Having
touched on those unfortunate events, allow me to continue with some positive
information concerning one of the main priorities of the Bulgarian
chairmanship. In the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship, on 9 February an
international high-level conference “Democratic stability based on the European
unity and co-operation” was held in Sofia, hosted by the National Assembly of
the Republic of Bulgaria. The event was attended by the chairpersons of the
committees of foreign affairs of national parliaments of Council of Europe
member States, the Parliamentary President, Pedro Agramunt, Deputy Secretary
General of the Council of Europe, Gabriella Battaini Dragoni, and other
representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations. During that
forum, the participants discussed the challenges for democratic security and
co-operation in Europe, the migration and refugees crises and the process of
reconciliation and pan-European unification. One of the main topics was the
idea of holding a fourth summit of the Council of Europe, proposed by the Sofia
Declaration, aiming to reaffirm at the highest political level the Council of
Europe member States’ commitment to the common values and principles of democracy,
human rights and the rule of law.
Another
important event under the Bulgarian Chairmanship was the high-level conference
"Reaching the Heights for the Rights of the Child", held on 5 and 6
April 2016 in
Sofia. The event was opened by the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of
Europe together with the Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria and of Malta in
the presence of ministers from many countries and high-level representatives of
international organisations. The event officially launched the Council of
Europe’s Child Right’s Strategy, covering 2016-21, now known as the Sofia
strategy, which was adopted on 2 March 2016 by the Committee of Ministers. The
conference was co-organised by the Council of Europe, the State Agency for
Child Protection in Bulgaria and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of
Bulgaria.
It
was an honour for my country to be host of the conference and to contribute to
this very important area of the Council of Europe’s activity, namely the
protection of the rights of the child. It was attended by all member States,
with a high level of political representation. Over 300 experts, policy makers
and representatives of international and non-governmental organisations
discussed how to translate the strategy into specific concrete action at a
national level. Children and young people participated alongside adults
throughout, showing that at the Council of Europe we practise what we preach
when it comes to child participation. I am confident that the conference helped
to foster new networks of political leaders, experts and young people who will
continue to drive the implementation of the strategy, which will be also guided
by the new ad hoc Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child.
Nine
thematic sessions were held at the conference, in conformity with the five
priorities of the new strategy. At those sessions, the achievements of Council
of Europe member States in the area of the protection of the rights of the
child, the main challenges in the area and the working methods to achieve the
objectives of the new strategic document were discussed. A special focus was
placed on the protection of the rights of unaccompanied minors. Again, in the
framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship, an international conference on good
governance at local level – challenges and prospects – was organised by the
Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works in co-operation
with the European Committee on Democracy and Governance of the Council of
Europe. The conference was held on 31 March in Sofia and many representatives
of central and local authorities from Bulgaria and other member States of the
Council of Europe took part. The main topics on the agenda included an exchange
of views concerning mechanisms for fostering development of good governance at
local level in the member States of the Council of Europe. The further
development of the strategy for innovation and good governance at local level
of the Council of Europe, for the implementation of which the Republic of
Bulgaria has a leading role among European states, was also one of the main
focuses for discussions during the aforementioned conference.
I
would like to use this opportunity to inform you that last week the Government
of Bulgaria took the decision to sign the Council of Europe Convention on
Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, better
known as the Istanbul Convention. The convention will be officially signed
tomorrow in Sofia in the presence of the Secretary General of the Council of
Europe.
In
addition to those topics of primary importance, in the last three months the
Committee of Ministers continued its work on a number of other significant
issues. On 13 April, the Committee of Ministers adopted a plan of action on
“strengthening judicial independence and impartiality”, which is to be launched
at the high-level conference of Ministers of Justice and representatives of the
judiciary, which is organised in the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship of
the Committee of Ministers and will start tomorrow in Sofia. The conference is
organised by the Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria and I will have the pleasure,
together with Secretary General Jagland, to take part in its opening.
During
the last period, the Committee of Ministers held several interesting exchanges
of views with: the new President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr
Guido Raimondi; the Commissioner for Human Rights; the President of the
Advisory Panel of Experts on Candidates for Election as Judge to the European
Court of Human Rights; the President of the Group of Experts on Action against
Trafficking in Human Beings; the President of the European Committee of Social
Rights; the President of the Committee on the Prevention of Torture; and the
President of the International Criminal Court at the Hague. In March, the
committee had a very important discussion on the longer-term future of the
system of the European Convention on Human Rights. The committee endorsed
several solutions in response to the present and future challenges concerning:
the authority of the Convention; its implementation at national level; the
authority of the Court; the authority of the Court’s judgments, execution of
judgments and supervision; and the place of the Convention mechanism in the
European and international legal order.
At
their 1250th meeting, the Ministers’ Deputies decided to close the examination
of 88 decisions and judgments of the Court. At the end of March, the Committee
of Ministers held an exchange of views on the execution of the judgments of the
European Court of Human Rights in the light of the 2015 annual report on the
supervision of the execution. The committee also adopted in March a reply to
Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2079 from 2015 on “Implementation of
judgments of the European Court of Human Rights”, in which in particular it
reaffirmed that full and prompt execution of Court judgments, in accordance
with the obligation set out in Article 46 of the Convention, is essential for
the effective functioning of the Convention system.
With
regard to co-operation with other organisations, the Committee of Ministers
held an exchange of views with Mr Gernot Erler, special representative of the
German federal Government for the German OSCE Chairmanship. Furthermore, the
23rd meeting of the co-ordination group between the Council of Europe and the
OSCE, held on 18 March 2016
in Strasbourg, took stock of co-operation between the
two organisations regarding the protection of the rights of persons belonging
to national minorities and the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination.
The group’s next meeting will take place in Vienna in the second half of 2016
to examine co-operation in the areas of the fight against terrorism and the
fight against trafficking in human beings.
The
committee held its annual exchange of views on human rights issues within the
framework of the United Nations with experts from capitals. The discussion
addressed the developments and main results of the 70th session of the UN
General Assembly, co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United
Nations in the human rights field in 2015, and major themes for the Human
Rights Council in 2016. The Chairman of the UN Human Rights Council
participated in the exchange of views. Several topics of a political nature
continued to be part of the agenda of the Committee of Ministers. Here, I would
like to inform you that, in accordance with one of the priorities of the
Bulgarian chairmanship, namely to bring Belarus closer to the Council of
Europe, in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers I paid an
official visit to Minsk on 11 April 2016. During the visit, I had meetings with
a number of government officials, as well as with representatives of civil
society.
In
particular, I had a very constructive conversation with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Mr Mackey, who expressed willingness to deepen co-operation
with the Council of Europe. The Belarusian side also expressed a wish to
restore its status as special guest to the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe. On my side, I pointed out that the improvement of the human
rights record and, in particular, the establishment of a moratorium as a first
step towards the abolition of the death penalty, will show the genuine
intentions of the Belarusian side and will clear the path for our further
rapprochement. I also announced the Bulgarian contribution to the Council of
Europe Information Point in Minsk, amounting to €10 000 and offered all
possible support, including expertise, for Belarus to continue its efforts to
align itself with Council of Europe standards.
Of
course, the issue of Ukraine was constantly on the agenda. A delegation from
the Rapporteur Group on Democracy of the Ministers’ Deputies visited Ukraine on
3 and 4 March 2016, in
order to meet representatives of the Ukrainian authorities and civil society
and take stock of the current state of implementation of the Council of Europe
Action Plan for Ukraine, its results and the next steps. Following my statement
as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers on 10 March, on 30 March the
Committee adopted a decision on Ms Nadia Savchenko. In particular, the
committee expressed its concern following her sentencing on 22 March by a court
of the Russian Federation and called upon the Russian authorities to
immediately and unconditionally release Ms Savchenko, on humanitarian grounds
and in keeping with the “Package of measures for the implementation of the
Minsk agreements”. On 13 April 2016, the Secretary General presented to the
Ministers’ Deputies the results of the mission sent to Crimea in January in
order to assess the human rights and rule of law situation on the ground.
The
Committee of Ministers reviewed in March the state of implementation of the
commitments, accepted by Armenia, on the basis of a report prepared by the
Secretariat. The committee welcomed the constant progress made by Armenia in
fulfilling statutory obligations and specific commitments as a member of the
Council of Europe, as well as the commitment of the Armenian authorities to
further reforms, aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights,
democracy and the rule of law. It encouraged the Armenian authorities to
implement constitutional reform, and to carry out the ongoing reform of the
electoral code, through an inclusive approach, based on full compliance with
European standards.
Still
in March, the Committee of Ministers approved an action plan to provide
assistance to Georgia for the period 2016-19. I would like to use this
opportunity to inform you that I will make a visit to Georgia, together with
Secretary General Jagland at the beginning of May.
Since
the beginning of the year, the Committee of Ministers has been especially
active with regard to the freedom of media and the freedom of Internet, which
also is in line with one of the priorities of the Bulgarian chairmanship. In
this period, several important documents were adopted. In February, the
Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation on the Internet of Citizens,
calling on member States to recognise digital culture as one of the key issues
for modern cultural policy making and to revisit their cultural policy
approaches with a view to implementing the policy guidelines contained in the
recommendation, so as to serve citizens to the best of their ability. In April,
the Committee adopted a Recommendation on the Protection of Journalism and
Safety of Journalists and other Media Actors, and a Recommendation on Internet
Freedom. On 30 March, the Committee of Ministers approved the Council of Europe
Strategy on Internet Governance 2016-19, which aims to tackle the challenges to
human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the rapidly evolving online
environment. The objective of the strategy is to help member States effectively
protect and respect human rights and the rule of law online, and empower people
to explore the Internet’s potential for education and democratic participation.
The
committee also adopted guidelines on the protection and promotion of human
rights in culturally diverse societies, which provide practical advice on how
to ensure better protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the
context of culturally diverse societies, based on respect for the inherent and
equal dignity of every human being. The committee agreed to examine the
follow-up given by member States to the present guidelines five years after
their adoption.
The
Committee of Ministers approved in March a Thematic Action Plan on the
Inclusion of Roma and Travellers, again for 2016-19. Following the committee’s
agreement in principle in September last year to establish a European Roma
Institute for Arts and Culture, it was informed in March that the German
Government is willing to host the ERIAC in Berlin.
During
the reporting period, the Committee of Ministers adopted several declarations
and statements on the death penalty in respect of the United States, Belarus
and Japan.
One
of the main topics that you are debating during this session is the different
aspects of the migration and refugees crises and I cannot refrain from saying a
few words in this regard. The refugee flow is an unprecedented challenge to all
of us. It is the international community that has the overall responsibility
for improving the difficult humanitarian situation. We have a responsibility to
define a clear path forward guided by international refugee law, human rights
and humanitarian law.
It
is necessary to pay more attention to the national legislation applicable to
immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and Governments and political leaders
should refrain from using xenophobic rhetoric linking migrants to social
problems or security risks, thereby making the integration of the few migrants
staying in the country even more problematic. We also need to define clearly
what exactly it is that constitutes a threat to our democracies, but
intolerance and hatred undoubtedly do represent such a threat. Our common
objective must be to combat terrorism and to protect the human rights of
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Lastly,
I would like to present for your attention the exhibition “The Roofs of Sofia”
by the Bulgarian photographer, Bistra Boshnakova, which you can find outside,
in the foyer of the Hemicycle. It has been presented on the occasion of this
Parliamentary Assembly session by the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Committee
of Ministers and I warmly invite you to visit it.
Thank
you for your attention.
The
PRESIDENT – Thank you very much, Mr Mitov. We will now proceed to questions. I
remind colleagues that questions are limited to 30 seconds and should be
questions, not speeches. I call Mr Billström.
Mr
BILLSTRÖM (Sweden,
Spokesperson for the Group of the European People’s Party) – Mr Minister, in the last year and a
half the EPP has, on several occasions, tabled written questions on the case of
Ms Nadia Savchenko, who might be about to be released. In particular, my
colleague Mr Omtzigt has twice tabled urgent written questions on the
situation. Both questions were tabled more than a year ago. Despite letters and
reminders, we never got a reply. The questions are still very relevant and if
they go unanswered we might think that you are not doing any work. Could you
please provide answers to those questions within three weeks?
Mr
MITOV – First, the case of Nadia Savchenko has been raised on a number of
occasions in the Committee of Ministers, and I share your concern. Last year,
the committee expressed its concern about Ms Savchenko’s state of health and
called on the Russian authorities to release her without delay on humanitarian
grounds. That appeal was reiterated first by me last February, as I mentioned,
and again by the committee in March.
Until
Ms Savchenko is released, the guarantees provided by the European Convention on
Human Rights and the other Council of Europe instruments apply to her, as they
do to any other person under the jurisdiction of a member State. I hope that
the developments of the last 24 hours can be taken as a positive step towards a
solution and the return of Ms Savchenko to Ukraine. We will continue to follow
the case and react at any suitable moment.
Ms
RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS (Spain,
Spokesperson for the Socialist Group)* –
The recently signed agreement between the European Union and Turkey in the wake
of the grave refugee crisis in Europe gives rise to many doubts about the
legality of this agreement and its implementation. Different humanitarian
organisations have been working in places that have been turned into detention camps.
How has the Committee of Ministers assessed the situation with regard to the
respect of human rights and the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees?
Mr
MITOV – I would like to address this question from the perspective of the
Council of Europe, but I will extend my answer in a national capacity, as the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria – a European Union member State.
All
treatment of refugees and asylum seekers must comply fully with the European
Convention on Human Rights and other relevant international instruments: you
are absolutely right. Assurances have already been given that every application
for asylum will be treated individually and that there will be no blanket
returns or refoulement. It is foreseen that decisions to detain asylum seekers
or irregular migrants, and the conditions of the reception facilities where
they are accommodated – whether they are open or closed – will comply with the
relevant international instruments. It is crucial that those principles are respected
without exception. The Committee of Ministers will continue to follow that
closely.
I
would like to add something in my national capacity. The European Union was
forced to deal with quite an unprecedented situation and to take measures in very
difficult conditions. The agreement between the European Union and Turkey is a
good first step towards the return of the control of the external borders of
the Union and, of course, the creation of a mechanism for resettlement that has
clear rules. Otherwise, as you know very well, the uncontrolled inflow of
people was giving a lot of ground to populist and nationalist movements. The
European citizens wanted, and continue to demand from us, control of the
situation.
We
have also insisted that the agreement includes the idea that Turkey will not
only co-operate in closing the eastern Mediterranean route – let us call it the
Balkan route – but that it will participate and assist preventing the creation
of new alternative routes throughout the length of its border with the European
Union, which includes the Black Sea, the Bulgarian-Turkish border, the
Greek-Turkish land border and so on. Of course, other engagements are taken
there and we have all the assurances by the European institutions that, whatever
measures are taken and whatever steps are taken to implement the agreement, it
will be done in compliance with all the international norms. I reassure you
that we will continue following this and will remain in dialogue with our
colleagues from the European institutions to be sure that those standards are
implemented.
Ms
MATEU (Andorra, Spokesperson
for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)* – When you began your chairmanship,
you said that you wanted to promote the values and standards of unity and
co-operation in the field of human rights, and the respect of rights, law and
democracy. However, some frozen conflicts have unfrozen and have caused
explosions that are difficult with some of our borders. Will you say something
about concrete measures to defuse a number of frozen conflicts in our
territories?
Mr
MITOV – That is quite a vast topic, and I am afraid that we will not have the
time to exhaust it in its full length and dimension. The mandate of the Council
of Europe is not to resolve conflicts, whether they are frozen or not. That is
a matter for other international organisations. However, the Council of Europe
has its role when it comes to conflicts that we might characterise as frozen
and to conflicts in general. That being so, we must ensure that all people
living in Europe can benefit from the protection granted by the Council of
Europe’s instruments, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights.
We
know well that whatever the conflict is, we need somehow to think outside the
box. The situation of frozen conflicts and other conflicts is quite unusual.
Our main purpose is to ensure access to the existing instruments of the Council
of Europe for the territories that we can qualify as frozen conflicts. We can use
those instruments to assess the situation on the ground and to be sure that the
citizens there benefit from the standards on which the Council of Europe
stands. The topic will be addressed at the ministerial session in Sofia next
month. I urge all my colleagues to take part in the discussion because we need
to think about the instruments that the Council of Europe has and the ones that
we might eventually invent to ensure access to those territories, and to be
sure that we know who is responsible for what and that the citizens in those
territories have guaranteed human rights.
This
might sound revolutionary to you but I believe that human rights stand above
any other claims. Whatever the claim – territorial or whatever it may be –
human rights come first and they must be safeguarded. You are right to ask
about instruments and about certain actions. I hope that we can get into those
topics in depth in the ministerial meeting in Sofia, because we need solutions
to a lot of those open wounds in the heart of Europe.
Mr
GONCHARENKO (Ukraine,
Spokesperson for the European Conservatives Group) – I had two questions. The first was
about Nadia Savchenko and you have already answered it. The second is about the
rapid deterioration of human rights and democratic freedoms in Crimea, which is
illegally occupied by the Russian Federation. We consider the recent decision
of the Russian occupation authorities to suspend the activities of the Mejlis
of the Crimean Tatar people as the beginning of genocide. What practical steps
will you take to protect the Mejlis and the Crimean Tatar people in general?
Mr
MITOV – This is an extremely important question, which relates to the previous
question. As we all know, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe recently
took the initiative, in response to a decision adopted by the Committee of
Ministers last April, to send a human rights mission to Crimea. The purpose of
the mission was to assess the situation on the ground, not to carry out a
fully-fledged monitoring visit. The assessment was done from 25 to 31 January
through meetings with numerous interlocutors. The report of the mission was
presented to the Committee of Ministers last week. It does not deal with any
issue relating to the status of Crimea – we need to be very clear about that.
A
very large number of delegates on the Committee of Ministers expressed their
support for the Secretary General’s initiative. The strong hope is that this
first step will lead to the re-opening of access to Crimea for the Council of
Europe monitoring structures. Viable solutions must now be found to that end
and I hope that such solutions can be worked out with the constructive
engagement of all concerned parties. The Secretary General of course has my
full support in any further dialogue with his counterparts. We all need to
contribute to this dialogue. We all need to be involved and to ensure that
first we have access – the mission was a good first step towards that – and
then that we guarantee the protection of the human rights of the citizens on the
ground, or that if there are any violations we are able to assess them,
document them and take appropriate measures later on.
Ms
CHRISTODOULOPOULOU (Greece,
Spokesperson for the Group of the Unified European Left) – Do you believe that protecting borders
is more important than the protection of refugees, their families and their
children? Is it compatible with human rights protection to tolerate the actions
of so-called headhunter teams who are operating on the Bulgarian-Turkish
border?
Mr
MITOV – Migration is a common concern. A long-term working solution can be
found only through common efforts in the spirit of understanding among all
those affected, including endangered countries. As long as there is conflict in
Syria and in the region, the refugee crisis will not go away. The efforts of
the entire international community should be focused on ending hostilities in
conflict zones, supporting institution-building, the rule of law and respect
for human rights.
We
cannot prioritise between the protection of human rights and the protection of
borders, but the protection of borders is indeed an important task for any
sovereign state and/or union of sovereign states. We therefore cannot allow
ourselves not to protect our borders, but we also need to be very firm on the
protection of the rights of refugees. Let me make this distinction: among the
influx of people there are refugees to whom we have an obligation – that is
clear. We have a very different approach for others who are economic migrants.
This distinction needs to be clear. We also need to be very vigilant in how we
deal with those two separate categories of people.
On
the situation in Bulgaria, I reassure you that having vigilantes guarding the
borders and so on is completely intolerable. That has not been, and never will
be, tolerated by the Bulgarian authorities. Those groups have already been put
under surveillance and called to face the consequences of their actions in
accordance with Bulgarian law. That has been expressed by many high-level
Bulgarian authorities and we will of course stay there. I repeat that we are in
a very difficult and unprecedented situation that might lead to the creation of
phenomena that could be considered undesirable. We know there are similar situations
throughout the whole European continent – maybe not exactly the same, but there
are others. We need to be sure that we act in a way that does not feed populist
or nationalist movements, which are waiting for such moments in order to profit
from them politically.
Ms
BLONDIN (France)* – On 1 April this year, in a district
in Sofia where a number of refugees live, a banner was tied to a scaffold at
the entrance of a house. It said, “Refugees not welcome here”. Apparently the
authorities did not intervene, stating that it had been placed at the entrance
of a private property. I wonder whether you are able to provide us with more
information on this incident, the context of which is worrying to all member
States of the Council of Europe.
Ms
GÜNAY (Turkey) – Lyutvi Mestan, who headed the Movement for Rights and
Freedoms, the third-biggest political group in the Bulgarian Parliament, said
that Russia’s violation of Turkish airspace amounted to a violation of the
sovereignty of NATO territory. Because of that, Mr Mestan was ousted from his
post and expelled from the party. Do you think that that decision complies with
the principles of democracy and freedom of speech?
Mr
MITOV – I shall be very quick on both questions.
The
first question is a cause for concern. I need to inform myself a little bit
better on that specific case. I undertake to send a written reply on the
measures taken in that case.
On
the second question about the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Mr Mestan and
his political declarations, and the fact that he was expelled from the party –
he is forming another party right now – this is an internal party political
matter, with bickering and processes, in Bulgaria. To be fair, I am not here to
comment on internal party issues, especially parties that are not my own.
Whatever Mr Mestan has said, he has said it. That is his political position.
If his party did not like what
he said, it has internal party mechanisms to deal with that. To be fair, this
matter should probably not be a concern for the Council of Europe at all.
The
PRESIDENT – That brings to an end questions to Mr Mitov.
Thank
you once again, Mr Mitov, for all your efforts. I am sure that we will continue
to co-operate closely both during the rest of your chairmanship and afterwards.
Фасадата на общината в Страсбург с българското знаме |
Трамваят в Страсбург с логото на Българското председателство на Комитета на Министрите и Председателят на Комитета на Министрите г-н Митов |
Текст на изказването на д-р Джема Грозданова по доклада на Борис Чилевич от Латвия за борбата срещу антисемитизма в Европа :
Debate:
Renewed commitment in the fight against antisemitism in Europe
Link:
2016 ORDINARY SESSION
________________________
(Second part)
REPORT
Fourteenth sitting
Wednesday, 20
April 2016 at 10 a .m.
(…)
Ms GROZDANOVA (Bulgaria) – I would like to take this opportunity to commend the
report presented by Mr Cilevičs and its draft resolution on the
fight against antisemitism. However, I would also share his deep concern about
the rise in all sorts of intolerance, defamation, xenophobia and hate speech
that have most worryingly re-emerged over the course of the last few years.
Not only as head
of the Bulgarian delegation to the Assembly but also as an individual, I have
always believed that one of the key tasks and real contributions of the Council
of Europe hаs been the promotion, spreading and protection of fundamental human
and civil rights. Therefore, we all have aresponsibility, whenever we see the
potential for their violation or ignorance of them, to sound the alarm and act
decisively.
It is my
particular conviction that antisemitism is one of the ugliest and most
abhorrent forms of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Moreover, a little more
than 70 years ago, here, in large parts of Europe, antisemitism triumphed and
led to the annihilation of millions of Jews across the continent. I should also
like to highlight the importance of teaching young people of the malignant
effect and destruction that the Holocaust has brought about.
However, speaking
about remembering and teaching, I could not possibly miss the opportunity to
juxtapose the Shoah story with the not-that-often-told story about the rescue
of over 48 000 Bulgarian Jews in the darkest days of the Holocaust.
It is
a particular source of pride and hope to me that a country like Bulgaria,
allied with the Nazis, stood against them by not allowing a single Bulgarian
Jew to be deported from the territories under Bulgarian jurisdiction.
Moreover, not only around 48 000 Bulgarian Jews were defended by the Bulgarian
people, but, under the auspices of the Bulgarian monarch Boris III, a few
thousand of the so-called “visas-to-life” were also issued by the
Bulgarian authorities.
This
specific act, which I will not describe as heroic but would rather qualify as
“act of normality”, was made possible by three factors: the role of the
monarch; the role of the 43 MPs from the then majority in the Parliament, a
group headed by the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Dimitar Peshev; and, most
importantly, the role played by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
All these three
elements would not have brought any results if there had not been the
indispensable role of the ordinary Bulgarian men and women who found it most
inhumane to judge their Jewish fellow compatriots on ethnic or religious grounds.
Българското знаме пред общината в Страсбург |
21.04.2016
ПАСЕ прие резолюция за въвеждане на санкционен „списък Савченко“
/КРОСС/ С
мнозинство на гласовете Парламентарната
асамблея на Съвета на Европа (ПАСЕ) прие
резолюция, в която предлага въвеждане
на санкционен „списък Савченко“,
предаде РИА Новости.
В него се предлага да бъдат
включени участвалите в задържането и
произнасянето на присъдата на Надежда
Савченко. В резолюцията се посочва още,
че списъкът трябва да влезе в сила, ако
„тя не бъде освободена незабавно“.
ПАСЕ приветства приетия от
Литва „списък Савченко“, в които са
включени 46 души.
Такъв списък е създаден и в
Украйна. Там обаче се споменават имената
на 84 души, сред които са председателят
на Следствената комисия на Русия
Александър Бастрикин, ръководителят
на ФСБ Александър Бортников, прокурорът
на Крим Наталия Поклонская, лидерът на
ЛНР Игор Плотницки, както и редица съдии
и други лица.
Украинският президент Петро
Порошенко призова САЩ и европейските
страни да се присъединят към този списък.
По-рано стана известно, че в Естония
вече съставят такъв.
Прочети цялата статия тук: http://www.cross.bg/savchenko-spisuk-pase-1505747.html#ixzz46e1QHWfT
Оригиналния документ вижте тук :
Resolution
2112 (2016)
The humanitarian concerns with regard to people captured during the war in Ukraine
Author(s): Parliamentary AssemblyOrigin - Assembly debate on 21 April 2016 (17th Sitting) (see Doc. 14015 and addendum, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Ms Nellija Kleinberga). Text adopted by the Assembly on 21 April 2016 (17th Sitting).See also Recommendation 2090 (2016).
Link
:
http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=22750&lang=en
(…)
- The Assembly calls on all member States of the Council of Europe to adopt targeted sanctions (in particular travel bans and freezing of accounts) against individuals involved in the kidnapping, unlawful detention, unfair trial and conviction of Ms Savchenko, whilst respecting the principles laid down by the Assembly in its Resolution 1966 (2014) on refusing impunity for the killers of Sergei Magnitsky (in particular to allow individuals concerned to use appropriate representations in their defence), unless Ms Savchenko is released without further delay. It welcomes, in this connection, the recent adoption, by Lithuania, of a “Savchenko list” blacklisting 46 people for their role in her trial. Similar measures should be considered with regard to the cases of 10 other Ukrainian prisoners reportedly detained by the Russian authorities on fabricated charges.(…)9.3. respect international humanitarian law and the rights and obligations of the parties in respect of prisoners of war and the protection of civilians, which are provided for in the Third and Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols of 1977 (on international and non-international armed conflicts);
- grant international humanitarian organisations access to all detainees, without any conditions.
- The Assembly further urges the authorities of the Russian Federation to:
10.1. release all
Ukrainian prisoners captured and imprisoned in the Russian Federation
and in illegally annexed Crimea on politically motivated charges,
including, but not limited to, Mr Ahtem Çiygöz;
10.2. conduct
effective investigations and prosecute perpetrators in cases of
abduction, enforced disappearances, torture and politically motivated
killings of Ukrainian and Crimean-Tatar activists in Crimea;
10.3. use its
influence over the separatist groups which control the occupied
territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to urge them to
release all Ukrainian captives;
10.4. immediately
provide unimpeded access to Crimea for conventional and monitoring
mechanisms of international human rights organisations;
10.5. immediately
release Ms Savchenko, who enjoys European parliamentary immunity
under the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the
Council of Europe, and other illegally detained Ukrainian
prisoners, and allow their return to Ukraine.
Личната страница в ПАСЕ на Надя Савченко, като депутат и член на делегацията на Украйна |
Демонстрация "Free Savchenko" в пленарната зала на ПАСЕ на групата на либералите начело с Председателя Жорди Хукла (Испания) - най-ляво на снимката |
Демонстрация в Съвета на Европа на членовете на Комисията на ПАСЕ по равнопоставеност и недискриминация в подкрепа на освобождаването на депутатката в ПАСЕ Надя Савченко |
Свързани теми :
В София : Конференция на Председателите на парламентарните Комисии по външна политика на страните-членки на Съвета на Европа
http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2016/02/blog-post_8.html
Писмен
въпрос към Председателя на Комитета на
Министрите на Съвета на Европа
Written
question
Sofia
Declaration of 27 November 2015 adopted by the Standing Committee of
the Parliamentary Assembly
Question
écrite
Déclaration
de Sofia du 27 novembre 2015 adoptée par la Commission permanente de
l’Assemblée parlementaire
Зимната
сесия на ПАСЕ 25-29 януари 2016г.
http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2016/01/25-29-2016.html
От
моята колекция
Русия без депутати в ПАСЕ от 25 януари 2016
http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2016/01/256-2016.html
ЗАСЕДАНИЕ
НА БЮРОТО, ПРЕЗИДЕНТСКАТА И ПОСТОЯННАТА
КОМИСИЯ НА ПАСЕ В СОФИЯ
26-27 НОЕМВРИ 2015г.
26-27 НОЕМВРИ 2015г.
Европейски
консенсус по българско предложение
ОТ
СОФИЯ ПАСЕ СВИКА ДЪРЖАВНИТЕ ГЛАВИ И
ПРЕМИЕРИТЕ НА 47-ТЕ СТРАНИ-ЧЛЕНКИ НА
СЪВЕТА НА ЕВРОПА - ПО БЪЛГАРСКО ПРЕДЛОЖЕНИЕ
"Съединението
прави силата" – лозунг и на Голяма
Европа
От
блога на Аспарух Панов : България в
Съвета на Европа. Предизвикани размисли
Л.
Тошев: Мултикултурният модел не е
достатъчен за интеграцията на мигрантските
общности в Европа
Важно
е, че в този момент подарихме на Европа
"Съединението прави силата"
Европа
срещу терора с хан Кубрат начело
"Съединението прави силата" вече
е девиз и на обединена Европа
Автор:
Вера К. Александрова
В
навечерието на българското председателство
на Комитета на Министрите на Съвета на
Европа
Рубрика:
Българското председателство на Комитета
на Министрите на Съвета на Европа 10
ноември 2015-18 май 2016г.
По БНР, 29 октомври 2015г. : Важно е да припомним първото председателство на Комитета на министрите на Съвета на Европа в навечерието на второто
Плюене
срещу тавана : Проф. Иван Шишманов (1862 –
1928г.) оплют в статия на руски език
http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2015/09/1862-1928.html
ФОРУМ ЗА БЪДЕЩЕТО
Ръководители
на българската делегация в ПАСЕ :
Аспарух
Панов 1992-1994 (СДС)
Филип
Боков 1995-1996 (БСП)
Лъчезар
Тошев 1997-2001 (СДС)
Юнал
Лютфи 2001-2009 (ДПС)
Живко
Тодоров 2009-2011 (ГЕРБ)
Джема
Грозданова 2011-2013 (ГЕРБ)
Янаки
Стоилов 2013-2014 (БСП)
Джема
Грозданова 2014 - (ГЕРБ)
Докладчици
на ПАСЕ–по азбучен ред на имената :
NB
(Доклад в ПАСЕ е проект за решение
– резолюция и/или препоръка и
мотиви или становище по доклад на
друга комисия – т.е. втори доклад.
Становище е и доклад по искане на
Комитета на Министрите за приемане на
страна за член на организацията.
Информационен доклад е обзор по даден
въпрос, без предложен документ за
решение)
Alexander
ARABADJIEV
- Human rights of members of the armed forces, Report, 2006 - Second part-session
- Role of the public prosecutor in a democratic society governed by the rule of law, Report, 2003 - Spring meeting
Ivan
Nikolaev IVANOV
- Environmentally induced migration and displacement: a 21st-century challenge, Committee Opinion , 2009 - First part-session
- Peril of using energy supply as an instrument of political pressure, Committee Opinion, 2007 - First part-session
- Technological strategies for the reconstruction and economic development of south-eastern Europe, Report, 2001 - First part-session
- Economic reconstruction and renewal in South-Eastern Europe following the Kosovo conflict, Committee Opinion, 1999 - Fourth part-session
- Sustainable development in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins, Committee Opinion , 1998 - First part-session
Valeri
JABLIANOV
- Draft Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events, 2015
Evguenia
JIVKOVA
- The functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan, Report , Evguenia Jivkova- Andres HERKEL, 2008 - Third part-session
Evgeni
KIRILOV
- The Third Summit, Committee Opinion , 2005 - First part-session
- Honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia, Report , Mátyás EÖRSI- Evgeni KIRILOV,2005 - First part-session
- Strengthening of democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Report , 2004 - Third part-session
- Functioning of democratic institutions in Georgia, Report, Mátyás EÖRSI- Evgeni KIRILOV, 2004 - First part-session
- Implementation of the economic aspects of the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe, Report, 2001 - First part-session
- Economic reconstruction and renewal in south-eastern Europe following the Kosovo conflict, Report , Nikola OBULJEN- Evgeni KIRILOV, 1999 - Fourth part-session,
- Need for intensified economic co-operation among the countries of South-Eastern Europe, Report, Michael LIAPIS - Evgeni KIRILOV, 1999 - Second part-session
Milena
MILOTINOVA
- Challenges facing the European audiovisual sector, Report , 2004 - September Standing Committee
- Family mediation and equality of the sexes, Committee Opinion , 2003 - November Standing Committee
Asparoukh
PANOV
- Vietnamese migrants and asylum-seekers in Hong Kong ("boat people"), Committee Opinion, 1993 - 44th Session - Fifth part
Gueorgui
PIRINSKI
- Economic consequences and problems for neighbouring countries arising from the implementation of United Nations sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Report , 1994 - First part-session
Elena
POPTODOROVA
- Cultural situation in Kosovo, Report, 2001 - Second part-session
- Cultural situation in Kosovo, Information report, 2001 - First part-session
- Action plan for the children of Kosovo, Report, 2000 - Second part-session
Maria
STOYANOVA
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the state of transition in central and eastern Europe, Report, 2001 - Third part-session
- Honouring of obligations and commitments by Croatia, Report , 2000 - Fourth part-session
- Honouring of obligations and commitments by Croatia, Report , 1999 - Second part-session
Latchezar
TOSHEV
- A new parliamentary effort to create a stability pact in the South Caucasus, Information report, 18-02-2013
- Living together in 21st-century Europe: follow-up to the report of the Group of Eminent Persons of the Council of Europe, Report , 2011 - Third part-session
- The religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, Committee Opinion, 2011 - Second part-session
- Military waste and the environment, Report , 2010 - November Standing Committee
- Parliamentary contribution to the implementation of the Stability Pact in South-East Europe, Report, 2004 - November Standing Committee
- Transboundary water basins in Europe, Report , 2004 - Third part-session
- Bio-terrorism: a serious threat for citizens’ health, Committee Opinion , 2004 - March Standing Committee
- Preferential treatment of national minorities by the kin-state: the case of the Hungarian law of 19 June 2001 on Hungarians living in neighbouring countries ("Magyars"), Committee Opinion , 2003 - Third part-session
- Parliamentary scrutiny of international institutions, Report , 2002 - Third part-session
- Interparliamentary co-operation in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins (6th Conference on Mediterranean and Black Sea basins – Varna, Bulgaria, 19-21 October 2000), Report, 2001 - First part-session
- Amelioration of disadvantaged urban areas, Report, 2000 - Fourth part-session
- Application by Latvia for membership of the Council of Europe, Opinion on the request by the Committee of Ministers, 1995 - First part-session
Borislav
VELIKOV
- Management of water resources in Europe, Report, 2004 - Third part-session