Council of Europe: Parliamentary Assembly, plenary session to discuss the situation of Ukrainian civilians and children transferred to Russia

The “situation of Ukrainian civilians, including children, forcibly displaced or transferred to the Russian Federation or to Ukrainian territories under de facto control of the Russian Federation” will be the focus of the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg from 23 to 28 April. The Ukrainian First Lady, Olena Zelenska, will give an online speech. This has been reported in a notice by the Council of Europe. The Assembly will discuss a report on political strategies to “prevent, prepare for, and face the consequences of natural disasters”, such as the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. In addition, a debate will be held on the fourth Council of Europe Summit, RoadToReykjavik, of 16 and 17 May 2023, with an address by Síofra O’Leary, President of the European Court for Human Rights. The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, will give a speech too. The Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, will present the Communication of the Committee of Ministers, which is chaired by Iceland. The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (CoE), Dunja Mijatović, will illustrate the annual report for 2022. The secretary general of the CoE, Marija Pejčinović Burić, will have question time with members. Other items on the agenda will include: the enforcement of rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and national constitutions, young people and the media.
Irene Giuntella