Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to debate key issues including protecting women and girls from domestic violence

In a packed agenda, PACE will examine the issue of what protection exists for the environment in times of armed conflict.  The Leader of the UK Delegation, John Howell MP, has produced a paper to be debated which sets out the need for a new treaty or convention to fill the gaps and provide solid protection.

John Howell commented:

“The protections for the environment in times of armed conflict are quite diverse and slender in nature. We see a huge amount of devastation being done to the Ukrainian environment by Russia.

“But there is very little with which to be able to hold Russia to account.  It is time that a new treaty or convention was considered to cover this sort of situation.”

PACE will also examine progress on the Istanbul Convention which seeks to protect women and girls from domestic abuse.  The UK was the 37th State to ratify the Convention.

Other members of the UK delegation who are presenting papers include Duncan Baker MP who is leading a debate on contact tracing applications.

There will also be debates on topics including:

• Daesh
• Conflict-related sexual violence
• The May 2023 summit on charting a way forward for the Council of Europe
• Legal and human rights aspects of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
   

PACE will also have the chance to question the Prime Minister of Iceland, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany.

The UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, had visited the Council of Europe earlier in the month to discuss the importance of the Council of Europe in the geopolitical situation and the ongoing relevance of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Leader of the UK Delegation, John Howell MP, had been invited to visit the Turkish human rights prisoner, Osman Kavala, in prison just outside Istanbul and to pursue the cases heard before the European Court of Human Rights.

John Howell said:

“This session of PACE will show how much work the UK Delegation carries out and the ideas it is bringing forward. 

“It provides a brilliant opportunity to pursue diplomacy at a parliamentary level and it achieves so much more than many other organisations including the EU.”