Russia's war of aggression with Ukraine on the agenda at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe summer session
Published:
On 24–28 June, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE, held its summer session, in which five members of the Riksdag participated. Discussions at the Assembly included Russia’s war of aggression with Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.
At the summer session, the Assembly elected a new Secretary General to the Council of Europe. Alain Berset, formerly President of Switzerland, was the winner after two rounds of voting, and will begin his five-year term of office in September. Several debates were held during the week, including a debate on how Armenia meets its obligations and commitments as a member of the Council of Europe, in which the member of the Riksdag Boriana Åberg (Moderate Party) was one of the two rapporteurs.
Russia’s war of aggression with Ukraine in focus in several debates
The Assembly discussed the role of the sanctions against Russia, as well as how dismantling the Ukrainian identity is being used as a pawn in Russia's war of aggression with Ukraine. Discussions also included the importance of putting in place long-term support for displaced persons from Ukraine.
There were debates on how the Council of Europe can combat threats against the freedom of expression and on the situation in Gaza focusing on the importance of the release of the hostages, that an immediate ceasefire takes place and that humanitarian aid can be provided. The Assembly also discussed the challenges to democracy in Georgia. The Chair of the delegation, Markus Wiechel (Sweden Democrats), made a contribution to this debate as did several others.
The Assembly debated protection for women human rights defenders in Europe and the importance of maintaining human rights in asylum processes. There was also discussion on how efforts can be made to achieve reconciliation following former conflicts and how the ghost town Varosha in Cyprus can be returned to its legal inhabitants. Furthermore, the importance of a strong youth perspective in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was also highlighted.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, participated in the summer session as a guest lecturer and the Lithuanian Minister for Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis participated in his capacity as the current Chair of the Council of Europe.
The Vigdís Prize awarded for the first time
During the session, the Vigdís Prize was awarded for efforts to promote women’s empowerment to the “Inda” Women’s Centre in Greece. The Prize was established in Iceland in 2023 in the presence of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the world’s first democratically elected woman president. The current Icelandic President, Guðni Thorlacius Jòhannesson, participated in the award ceremony.
Members
The Swedish MPs participating in the summer session were:
Markus Wiechel (Sweden Democrats), Chair
Mattias Jonsson (Social Democratic Party), Deputy Chair
Boriana Åberg (Moderate Party)
Annika Strandhäll (Social Democratic Party)
Kristoffer Lindberg (Social Democratic Party)
All members of the delegation:
Members of the Swedish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
More information
The Council of Europe works to create common European values based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Sweden was one of the founding members of the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly in 1949. The Council of Europe currently has 46 member states.
About the session on the PACE website
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Contact person for the media
Eva Östlund, Senior International Adviser, International Department of the Riksdag, telephone: +46 70 609 67 39, email: eva.ostlund@riksdagen.se