PACE - what is it? Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - PACE

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

In our time, the whole world is divided into certain zones, in which various bodies operate to help improve relations between countries and provide them with their support. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is one of these. It is one of the main bodies, consisting of many member states, and also providing advisory services. It significantly influences the life of modern society and regulates international relations.

Founding Period

PACE was founded in 1949 and has since been successfully operating within Europe. It is one of the oldest bodies of inter-parliamentary cooperation. Unfortunately, not many people know what this organization was created for, and often people are interested in information about PACE: what it is and what it does. In fact, it is a well-established body that has been operating for more than sixty years and elects its own president. At the beginning of 2014, Anne Brasser, a member of the Luxembourg Parliament, became the head of the advisory body.

PACE structure

I would like to note that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) annually elects a new chairman. As for the orderwork, this position is transferred from one political faction to another every three years. In addition, vice-chairmen are elected by the participants. Basically, their number does not exceed twenty people.

There are five political groups in the Assembly: the Socialist, the European Democrats, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the European People's Party, and the United European Left.

PACE also has special commissions, which are formed depending on the direction of activity. All members of the organization are united in a single Bureau of the Assembly. It is the leading link that solves serious problems and controls the activities of the CE statutory body.

PACE activities

Answering the question "PACE - what is it?", you can see that the organization primarily cares about the interests of political parties that exist directly in the member states. Secondly, the body worries about fruitful and positive relations between the parliamentary structures of different countries that are members of the Council of Europe.

PACE members are appointed by the Parliaments of the member states. Two or more members of the advisory body may be nominated from one country. Thus, the five largest states are represented by eighteen members. Among them should be representatives of all political parties of the country. In addition, PACE, an organization with great influence, focuses on balancing the number of men andfemale participants. In total, the advisory body has 318 members, each of whom has a deputy.

It is impossible not to mention that the Assembly solves the problems of modern society, considering and discussing them at sessions. It also examines the shortcomings and shortcomings in international politics that are relevant today.

The further full-fledged work of many ministries and bodies depends on the result of PACE activities. As a member of the organization, member states can influence their governments. This is mainly manifested in the form of recommendations that participants on behalf of PACE send to their country.

PACE participants

PACE, the decoding of which, we recall, - the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - includes representatives from 47 countries. Among them, Russia, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland and Ireland are considered the most influential. But besides this, here you can find Italy, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and other states.

There is an event that participants or their deputies cannot miss - the PACE session. Observers (representatives of the parliaments of countries that are not members of the organization) are necessarily present at such a meeting. As a rule, they come from Canada, Mexico or Israel. These people monitor the integrity of the session.

Powers of the organization

When asking the question "PACE - what is it?", of course, one should also find out what the organization does, what powers it has. Thus, deputies prepare special reports, on the basis of which the Assembly adoptsvarious recommendations and resolutions. One of the most important powers of PACE is the election of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, as well as his deputy. In addition, the organization adopts opinions on new nominations of member states. PACE has assumed the responsibility to elect executors for the European Court of Human Rights. It should be noted that the opinions on draft conventions developed in the CE are also adopted by PACE.

In turn, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe provides PACE with a report on its activities and undertakes to comply with the recommendations of the body or give answers to them.

Dedication

At one of the sessions, PACE participants are considering possible applicants for joining the organization. After a decision is made to join the statutory body of a certain state, the government of the country is notified by a corresponding notification. After some time, the PACE chairman and all its participants check how the member state fulfills the obligations assigned to it. For this purpose, the Monitoring Commission functions specifically, it monitors the situation as a whole and annually submits a full report on the work done to all participants in the organization.

The PACE Assembly, in turn, reviews the reports and decides on the future of the member state. It can have only two options: the participating country remains in the organization or leaves it.

Work of the organization

PACE sessions are held exactly four times a year (the abbreviation stands forParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe). The organization at this time works for a whole week. In addition to these important meetings, there are so-called mini-sessions, where serious or urgent problems are also discussed, decisions are made and recommendations are made.

There are times when meetings are not scheduled, but a session needs to be called. They can be held twice a year and they are called "Permanent Commissions". They may make decisions and act on behalf of the Assembly. Such sessions are held in different countries, by invitation. The main meetings are organized at the headquarters of the Council of Europe - Strasbourg. Commissions may meet several times a year. Mostly they take place in Paris.

You can prepare a resolution or adopt recommendations as follows: a member of the Assembly has the right to collect the required number of signatures and submit his developed proposal, which will be considered for a certain period of time. If the Bureau agrees that a report is needed and the idea should be developed further, then the case will be taken over by the relevant Commission. It is her responsibility to appoint a responsible person who, over the course of several months or years, will collect information related to the report. After all the necessary stages, the deputy organizes a hearing at which the final version is presented. As a result of a positive decision by the Commission, the report is submitted to the Plenary session. Various additions and developments may be attached to the information. After presentation to the committee membersreport, a vote takes place, the outcome of which decides the further fate of the idea presented by the participant.

PACE meeting to make a final decision requires more than two-thirds of the votes. Thus, each participant can organize an "urgent debate" in which his proposals will be presented in the form of a report.

Statuses of PACE participants

Member States are considered full members of the Assembly. But besides this, people with the status of "observer" and "special guest" can attend PACE sessions. The first group has already been mentioned earlier, these are representatives of Canada, Israel and Mexico. The second is special guests who can be invited by the chairman of the organization or participants. Unfortunately, in 1997, for unknown reasons for Belarus, this status was suspended. In 2010, the country's government tried to return the right to be invited to the PACE meeting, but it remained undisclosed. However, nothing has changed – Belarus has not renewed its status.

Initiatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

PACE as an organization began to exist on May 5, 1949. Since then, the statutory body has tried to make its activities as efficient as possible. For example, since 1989, the Assembly has directed many of its efforts in order to fight the global crisis and resolve the various problems of the countries of Europe. In addition, all meetings are based on developments, research, travel and missions by PACE participants.

It is worth noting that the Assembly has made a lot of efforts to ensure that the Council of Europe strengthens its political role. PACE devotes a significant role to conferences, colloquia, open parliamentary hearings that deal with the eradication of violence, drugs, immigration, and intolerance. The organization is trying to improve the environment, improve and make the media more honest.

Discussion of important issues

Asking oneself: "PACE - what is it?", each person becomes more enlightened in matters that relate to European and international events. At each session of the organization, topical problems of modern society are considered. Also at the meeting, much attention is paid to upcoming European and international events. Representatives of various organizations, non-governmental bodies take part in the discussions of this topic.

The Assembly is especially active in areas related to the protection of human rights. It has a variety of resolutions on its account that relate to issues of crime, the organization of effective and fair justice, the fight against AIDS, the eradication of child trafficking and drug addiction, and other things. The Assembly also approved provisions on lesbians and homosexuals, exploitation of people under the age of sixteen, sects and religious beliefs.

PACE today

Most recently, one of the most powerful and major participants in the Assembly - Russia - refused some contracts that had a significant impact on the activities of PACE. TemBy itself, the Russian Federation has shown that to some extent it suspends, terminates cooperation with the organization, although it is not very beneficial for it either. The Chairman of the Assembly took the first step and contacted the government of the state, since, in her opinion, PACE cannot do without such a powerful participant as Russia. If the Russian Federation refuses, then the organization will be formatted and move to a new level of international cooperation.