Everyone who is not indifferent to world and European politics has repeatedly seen these four capital letters - PACE - in print and electronic media. The abbreviation is usually offered to the reader as "Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe". This is true. But there are some points that need clarification.
From European history
The beginning of this structure is to be found in post-war Europe. The idea of interstate integration of European countries was declared at the beginning of the twentieth century. It appeared on the pages of political journalism as the "United States of Europe", but the matter never came to its practical implementation. Integration processes became especially relevant in the post-war period of development. It was necessary to take measures to counter the possible rehabilitation and revival of Nazism, to ensure the restoration of industry and the sustainable development of all countries of the continent. One of the most famous supporters of the ideas of European integration was Winston Churchill. In 1949, the Council of Europe was founded, one of the most important structural components of which was PACE. The abbreviation of the name of this body, translated from English, means "Parliamentary AssemblyCouncil of Europe". The Russian phonetic transcription of this abbreviation coincides with its English spelling: RACE.
On the goals and objectives of the international organization
The activities of many international structures are indicated in their official names. PACE is no exception to this rule. Deciphering the abbreviation of this name can say a lot about the goals and objectives that this political organization sets for itself. This is an advisory body. It brings together representatives of the parliaments of various countries that are members of the Council of Europe. It should be understood that this organization does not have real political power. Its functions include monitoring the situation and monitoring the fulfillment of domestic and international obligations that countries voluntarily assumed when joining the Council of Europe. What is PACE is well known to all top administrators of international European structures. Without the approval of this organization, they could not have been in their posts. PACE controls the election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights and the development of all international conventions submitted for approval to the Council of Europe.
How the assembly works
The PACE organization, the decoding of the abbreviation of which indicates that this is nothing more than an international assembly of parliamentarians from various countries, operates in a sessional mode. National delegations to the assembly are appointedparliaments of states on the basis of approved quotas. The size of each parliamentary delegation is directly proportional to the population of the country it represents. In addition to sessional meetings of the Assembly, a number of standing committees work in its composition. They are responsible for the preparation of the discussed documents and ensure the continuity of the functioning of the organization.
Regulations
The head of the assembly is the Chairman, who is elected for a one-year term. In practice, there is a situation where the chairmanship on a non- alternative basis is extended for three years. In the order of rotation, the position of chairman passes from one political faction to another after a three-year period. In addition to the chairman, the assembly also elects a whole group of his deputies. Their number reaches twenty. What the word "PACE" means, their listeners and viewers are periodically reminded by the media. This happens, as a rule, four times a year, when the plenary sessions of the Assembly open in the city of Strasbourg. Their work usually lasts for one week.
Russia and PACE
The Russian State Duma and the Federation Council are represented in the Parliamentary Assembly by no means from the day of its foundation. The answer to the question of what the abbreviation PACE means became relevant for Russian parliamentarians only in 1996, when the Russian Federation received full representation in the Council of Europe and assumed all obligations,corresponding to this status. Since then, the Russian parliamentarians, as part of a delegation of eighteen people, have been very pleased to go four times a year to the ancient French city of Strasbourg for the next plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. It should be noted that relations between the Russian Federation and this international organization are by no means smooth sailing. PACE has repeatedly adopted declarative statements condemning Russia's domestic and foreign policy on this or that issue. Suffice it to recall the military operations in Chechnya in the mid-nineties.
European Court of Human Rights
Not every resident of the Russian Federation is able to confidently answer the question of how PACE stands for. But the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights is much better known. This legal structure, which is under the auspices of PACE, is the last hope for many Russians in their quest for justice. The jurisdiction of this court extends to the territory of the Russian Federation. A person can apply to this international court only after he has failed to achieve justice within the country.
