PACE autumn session kicks off today
The autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) kicks off in Strasbourg on Monday, 30 September.
French President Emmanuel Macron will address PACE and answer questions from parliamentarians on Tuesday, 1 October, the PACE official website revealed.
French Secretary of State for European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin will present the communication from the Committee of Ministers and Marija Pejčinović Burić, newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe, will address the assembly as well.
The winner of the 2019 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – chosen from a shortlist of three nominees – will be announced today. The prize will be awarded at a special ceremony in the plenary.
During the session, the assembly will focus on the protection of whistleblowers, common standards for ombudsman institutions, and the protection of victims of terrorism, as well as the preservation of Jewish cultural heritage. PACE will also discuss reports on climate refugees and labor migration in Eastern Europe, and on obstetrical and gynaecological violence.