Página 1
Quinta-feira, 21 de setembro de 2023 II Série-D — Número 1
XV LEGISLATURA 2.ª SESSÃO LEGISLATIVA (2023-2024)
S U M Á R I O
Delegação da Assembleia da República:
Relatório referente à participação nas Reuniões do Bureau e da Comissão Permanente da Assembleia Parlamentar do Conselho da Europa (APCE), que tiveram lugar em Riga, Letónia, nos dias 25 e 26 de maio de 2023.
Página 2
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1
2
DELEGAÇÃO DA ASSEMBLEIA DA REPÚBLICA
RELATÓRIO REFERENTE À PARTICIPAÇÃO NAS REUNIÕES DO BUREAU E DA COMISSÃO
PERMANENTE DA ASSEMBLEIA PARLAMENTAR DO CONSELHO DA EUROPA (APCE), QUE TIVERAM
LUGAR EM RIGA, LETÓNIA, NOS DIAS 25 E 26 DE MAIO DE 2023
No âmbito da Presidência da Letónia do Comité de Ministros (maio a novembro de 2023), a Assembleia
Parlamentar do Conselho da Europa (APCE) realizou as reuniões do Bureau e da Comissão Permanente, em
Riga, Letónia, nos dias 25 e 26 de maio de 2023.
A Deputada Edite Estrela (PS), Presidente da Delegação da Assembleia da República à Assembleia
Parlamentar do Conselho da Europa (APCE) e Vice-Presidente da APCE, participou em ambas as reuniões.
A sessão de abertura da Comissão Permanente contou com as intervenções do Presidente da Assembleia
Parlamentar do Conselho da Europa, Tiny Kox, e do Presidente do Parlamento da Letónia (Saeima), Edvards
Smiltēns, seguindo-se uma troca de pontos de vista com o Ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Letónia,
Edgars Rinkēvičs, no âmbito da Presidência da Letónia do Comité de Ministros. Houve também uma troca de
pontos de vista com Carlo Monticelli, Governador do Banco de Desenvolvimento do Conselho da Europa.
Da agenda destacam-se os debates de atualidade sobre «A exclusão dos atletas da Rússia e da
Bielorrússia da participação nos Jogos Olímpicos», com uma declaração de Kaspars Cipruss, Secretário-Geral
da Federação Letã de Basquetebol, e sobre «O seguimento da Cimeira de Reiquiavique», com a participação
de Aoife Nolan, Presidente do Comité Europeu dos Direitos Sociais.
Teve ainda lugar uma mesa-redonda sobre «Inteligência artificial, liberdade de expressão e desinformação:
desafios e riscos para a democracia», com intervenções do investigador do Centro de Excelência de
Comunicações Estratégicas da NATO em Riga, Gundars Bergmanis-Korāts, do Vice-Presidente do Comité do
Página 3
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023
3
Conselho da Europa para a Inteligência Artificial (CAI), Gregor Strojin, e do Diretor de Desenvolvimento de
Negócios Internacionais da Tilde, Kaspars Kauliņš. A mesa-redonda teve como objetivo contribuir para o
trabalho em curso da Comissão do Conselho da Europa para a Inteligência Artificial, com vista à elaboração
de uma convenção-quadro sobre o desenvolvimento, a conceção e a aplicação da inteligência artificial.
BUREAU, 25 DE MAIO
A reunião do Bureau teve início sob a presidência do Presidente da APCE, Tiny Kox.
Da ordem de trabalhos (Anexo 1) destacam-se:
As comunicações do Presidente da Assembleia Parlamentar, da Secretária-Geral e do Secretário-Geral
Adjunto do Conselho da Europa, seguidas de uma troca de pontos de vista;
4.ª Cimeira dos Chefes de Estado e de Governo do Conselho da Europa (Reiquiavique, 16-17 de maio
de 2023): O Bureau tomou nota da Declaração adotada e analisou um projeto de declaração sobre o
seguimento da 4.ª Cimeira, tendo em vista a sua adoção pela Comissão Permanente;
Pedidos de debates temas de atualidade — tomou nota dos pedidos dos líderes dos cinco grupos
políticos para realizar debates sobre:
«O seguimento da Cimeira de Reiquiavique», decidiu recomendar à Comissão Permanente a
realização deste debate e designou a Deputada Fiona O'Loughlin (Irlanda, ALDE) como oradora principal;
«Exclusão dos atletas da Rússia e da Bielorrússia da participação nos Jogos Olímpicos»,
recomendou à Comissão Permanente a realização deste debate e designou o Deputado Indrek Saar
(Estónia, SOC) como orador principal;
3.ª Parte da Sessão Plenária de 2023 (Estrasburgo, 19-23 de junho):
Tomou nota dos pedidos de realização de debates de urgência sobre:
«Garantir o acesso livre e seguro através do Corredor de Lachin», apresentado pela Comissão
das Migrações, dos Refugiados e das Pessoas Deslocadas;
«Consequências políticas da agressão da Federação Russa contra a Ucrânia», apresentado pela
Comissão dos Assuntos Políticos e da Democracia;
«Guerra de agressão contra a Ucrânia - Participação de atletas russos e bielorrussos nos Jogos
Olímpicos de Paris 2024?», apresentada pelos líderes dos cinco grupos políticos.
Decidiu organizar os lugares no hemiciclo de acordo com os grupos políticos para a 3.ª Parte da Sessão
Plenária de 2023 (Estrasburgo, 19-23 de junho), abriu a lista de substituições e elaborou o projeto da
ordem de trabalhos;
Observação das eleições
Bulgária: eleições legislativas antecipadas (2 de abril de 2023) — aprovação do Relatório da Missão
de Observação;
Turquia: eleições presidenciais e legislativas (14 de maio de 2023) — tomou nota da Declaração da
Missão de Observação;
Montenegro: eleições legislativas (11 de junho de 2023) — aprovou a lista definitiva dos membros da
Comissão ad hoc e nomeou o Deputado Reinhold Lopatka (Áustria, PPE/CD) Presidente da Delegação.
Página 4
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1
4
COMISSÃO PERMANENTE, 26 DE MAIO
Da ordem de trabalhos(Anexo 3) destaca-se:
Sessão de abertura
Na sua intervenção de abertura o Presidente da APCE, Tiny Kox, referiu que «A #RoadToReykjavik»
chegara ao fim, sublinhando que fora uma viagem emocionante, cheia de acontecimentos e, acima de
tudo, bem-sucedida. Disse ainda que «quando uma estrada termina, começa outra e por esse motivo se
torna necessário implementar as decisões tomadas em Reiquiavique, para que tragam resultados
significativos para todos os europeus e, acima de tudo, ajudem a trazer paz e justiça à Ucrânia».
O Presidente Kox sublinhou, que na Islândia, «foi elaborado um roteiro ambicioso com o objetivo de
restabelecer a paz na Europa, com base na justiça, na cooperação multilateral e no respeito pelos
valores fundamentais que a organização representa. A Assembleia Parlamentar tem todos os motivos
para estar muito satisfeita com os resultados da 4.ª Cimeira». Acrescentou ainda que «Os Chefes de
Estado e de Governo não ignoraram o apelo da Assembleia Parlamentar para que seja criado, o mais
rapidamente possível, um sistema global de responsabilização, a fim de garantir que todas as infrações
cometidas pela Rússia na Ucrânia e contra a Ucrânia sejam devidamente investigadas, processadas e
punidas, e que seja efetivamente feita justiça».
Ao concluir, referiu estar «particularmente satisfeito com o facto de a Letónia, que preside ao Comité
de Ministros, dar o pontapé de saída para a implementação da decisão da Cimeira, na qualidade de país
que tem demonstrado repetidamente o seu firme empenho em enfrentar eficazmente os complexos
desafios que o a Europa enfrenta atualmente, ao mesmo tempo que prossegue uma agenda inovadora
e virada para o futuro».
Intervenção do Presidente da Saeima, Edgards Smiltēns
O Presidente da Saeima, Edvards Smiltēns, ao dirigir-se aos membros da Comissão Permanente,
referiu que «é necessário demonstrar de forma inequívoca e poderosa que a abordagem “a força está
certa” da Rússia falha e que a justiça é totalmente restabelecida. Temos de garantir que, após a sua
derrota na Ucrânia, a Rússia nunca mais recorra à agressão como instrumento de política externa».
O Presidente do Parlamento da Letónia disse ainda «Vejo numerosas iniciativas a nível nacional e
internacional a tomar forma e a ganhar ímpeto que irão inevitavelmente assegurar a plena
responsabilização da Rússia: pelo crime de liderança da agressão, pela brutalidade e pelas atrocidades
cometidas contra os ucranianos e pela destruição das infraestruturas da Ucrânia».
O Presidente da Saeima afirmou «Ainda não estamos perto de atingir os nossos objetivos no que se
refere a estas tarefas difíceis. Mas, à medida que avançamos, não podemos permitir que qualquer
desafio seja considerado demasiado complexo ou pesado, ou politicamente difícil de enfrentar. Temos
de nos guiar exclusivamente pelos nossos interesses estratégicos. Temos de estar conscientes de que
cada decisão que tomamos é um contributo para o futuro ambiente de segurança europeu».
Intervenção do Ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Letónia, Edgars Rinkēvičs
Na sua intervenção perante os membros da Comissão Permanente, o Ministro dos Negócios
Estrangeiros da Letónia, Edvars Rinkēvičs, declarou que «A Presidência letã será orientada pelas
decisões tomadas na Cimeira. Estamos empenhados em fazer avançar a sua implementação. Dada a
importância da dimensão parlamentar no trabalho do Conselho da Europa, contamos com a vossa
contribuição para este processo».
O Ministro disse ainda que queria expressar a sua gratidão à Assembleia Parlamentar por ter
explorado formas de responsabilizar a Rússia pelos crimes cometidos na Ucrânia e contra a Ucrânia e
Página 5
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023
5
que, enquanto Presidente do Comité de Ministros, irá manter esta questão no topo da agenda. Saudou
calorosamente a decisão da Cimeira, de criar um registo dos danos causados pela agressão da Rússia
contra a Ucrânia e acrescentou «Trata-se de um primeiro passo prático para um futuro mecanismo
internacional de indemnização. A Letónia é um dos membros fundadores do registo e a nossa
Presidência apoiará o seu lançamento operacional».
O Ministro Rinkēvičs resumiu as prioridades da Presidência letã, enumerou o reforço da democracia
e do Estado de direito na Europa, incluindo a promoção da execução dos acórdãos do Tribunal Europeu
dos Direitos Humanos, bem como a promoção da liberdade de expressão, o trabalho para garantir a
segurança dos jornalistas, o trabalho na agenda digital do Conselho da Europa e o avanço do seu
processo de reforma.
Debates de atualidade
«O seguimento da Cimeira de Reiquiavique»
Na abertura de um debate de atualidade sobre «O seguimento da Cimeira de Reiquiavique», a
Deputada Fiona O'Loughlin (Irlanda, ALDE), afirmou que «Com a Declaração de Reiquiavique, os
Chefes de Estado e de Governo deram uma nova orientação ao Conselho da Europa para os próximos
anos, reconhecendo o seu impacto na promoção de uma maior unidade entre os seus Estados-
Membros e o seu papel central na arquitetura multicultural europeia em evolução. Trata-se de um
reconhecimento do papel da Organização na promoção da segurança democrática como alicerce da paz
e da prosperidade».
A Deputada acrescentou «Agora, todos nós temos um trabalho a fazer para traduzir a visão da
Cimeira em resultados concretos. A Assembleia deve desempenhar o seu papel através das suas
deliberações parlamentares, do seu processo de acompanhamento, das suas atividades e redes de
cooperação interparlamentar e da sua interação com o Comité de Ministros».
Como conclusão, a Deputada referiu que a APCE, no seu conjunto, tem um «papel crucial a
desempenhar na promoção e garantia da proteção efetiva dos direitos da Carta a nível internacional. Ao
mesmo tempo, os Deputados têm um papel essencial a desempenhar a nível nacional como defensores
da Carta e dos direitos sociais nos seus países». Ao instar os Governos a aplicarem as conclusões e
decisões do Comité, «os Deputados podem contribuir diretamente para a concretização dos direitos
sociais na Europa».
No final do debate, os membros da Comissão Permanente adotaram a declaração «A Cimeira de
Reiquiavique: uma mensagem forte de unidade, de objetivo comum e de determinação inabalável que
deve ser seguida de ação», adotada pelos Chefes de Estado e de Governo na 4.ª Cimeira do Conselho
da Europa (Reiquiavique, 16 e 17 de maio de 2023), como uma forte mensagem de unidade, de objetivo
comum e de determinação inabalável que deve ser seguida de ação. A Declaração reflete as principais
preocupações e propostas estabelecidas na Recomendação 2245 (2023) da Assembleia Parlamentar
«A Cimeira de Reiquiavique do Conselho da Europa – Unidos em torno de valores face a desafios
extraordinários».
A «Exclusão dos atletas da Rússia e da Bielorrússia da participação nos Jogos Olímpicos»
O Deputado Indrek Saar (Estónia, SOC), ao intervir na abertura de um debate de atualidade sobre a
exclusão dos atletas da Rússia e da Bielorrússia da participação nos Jogos Olímpicos, afirmou que «A
Carta Olímpica afirma claramente que o objetivo do olimpismo é colocar o desporto ao serviço do
desenvolvimento harmonioso da humanidade, com vista a promover uma sociedade pacífica
preocupada com a preservação da dignidade humana. A guerra de agressão russa é uma violação
incontestável deste princípio, constituindo um crime contra a humanidade. Os responsáveis por estes
crimes devem ser levados à justiça e não devem poder esconder-se atrás da bandeira olímpica». O
Deputado acrescentou «Temos de recordar que a Rússia utilizou indevidamente a trégua olímpica em
2008 (Jogos Olímpicos de Pequim), quando atacou a Geórgia, e em 2014 (Jogos Olímpicos de Sochi),
Página 6
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1
6
quando atacou a Ucrânia. Este facto prova a ignorância sistemática e deliberada da Rússia em relação
a todos os valores e princípios que o Olimpismo representa. Para pôr termo a esta situação, temos de
agir agora e garantir que os agressores não têm lugar no movimento olímpico».
No âmbito deste debate, o Secretário-Geral da Federação Letã de Basquetebol, Kaspars Cipruss,
afirmou aos membros da Comissão que «A utilização do desporto e dos atletas para fins políticos, tanto
na estratégia interna como externa, é uma ocorrência diária na Rússia e na Bielorrússia, tal como
aconteceu durante quase todo o Século XX, na União Soviética totalitária». «A maioria absoluta das
organizações desportivas e dos atletas depende do financiamento do Estado. Não é segredo que as
estrelas do desporto são figuras de autoridade para muitos, especialmente para os jovens. Na Rússia,
este recurso é utilizado para continuar a "zombificar" a geração mais jovem». E acrescentou que
«apenas um número muito reduzido de personalidades desportivas russas condenou publicamente as
ações do Governo do seu país».
Concluiu afirmando que, «Para travar a guerra, é muito importante não só apoiar financeiramente e
materialmente a Ucrânia e as suas forças armadas, mas também enviar um sinal claro da comunidade
internacional de que a agressão militar brutal é absolutamente inaceitável no Século XXI. Um sinal que
deve ser enviado não só aos Governos, mas também à sociedade e aos desportistas».
Após numerosas intervenções dos membros da Comissão Permanente, o Presidente da APCE
informou que a Assembleia realizará um debate de urgência sobre o assunto na próxima Sessão
Plenária em Estrasburgo (19-23 de junho de 2023), no final da qual será adotada uma resolução.
Mesa-Redonda: «Inteligência artificial, liberdade de expressão e desinformação: desafios e riscos
para a democracia»
Organizada pela Divisão de Cooperação Interparlamentar e Apoio a Projetos da APCE, em
cooperação com a Delegação da Letónia à APCE, realizou-se, após a reunião da Comissão
Permanente, uma mesa-redonda sobre «Inteligência artificial, liberdade de expressão e desinformação:
desafios e riscos para a democracia».
A mesa-redonda teve como objetivo aumentar a visibilidade dos trabalhos do Conselho da Europa e
da APCE sobre as normas de inteligência artificial, a liberdade de expressão e a desinformação,
contribuir para os trabalhos em curso do Comité do Conselho da Europa para a Inteligência Artificial
(CAI), com vista à elaboração de uma convenção-quadro sobre o desenvolvimento, a conceção e a
aplicação da inteligência artificial, facilitar os debates e a criação de redes com as partes interessadas e
definir ações a realizar para progredir neste domínio.
Os oradores incluíram o Presidente da APCE, Tiny Kox, a Presidente da Delegação da Letónia à
APCE, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, e Vice-Presidente da Saeima, Gundars Bergmanis-Korāts, cientista
principal do Centro de Excelência de Comunicações Estratégicas da NATO em Riga, o Vice-Presidente
do CAI, Gregor Strojin, o Diretor de Desenvolvimento de Negócios Internacionais, Kaspars Kauliņš,
Tilde, o Representante Permanente da Letónia junto do Conselho da Europa, Embaixador Jānis
Kārkliņš, e Louise Barton, Diretora da Dignidade Humana e Desenvolvimento Sustentável.
No decorrer do debate, a Deputada Edite Estrela colocou a seguinte questão:
Thank you Chair and thank you very much for the information
and the remarks. I must say that I am deeply concerned about the
risks of AI and there are many experts raising their voices and
urging conscious on this issue.
The former Executive Director of Google, Eric Schmidt,
considers that there be an existential risk as it is a technology that
can injure and kill endangering human life.
And the Israeli writer, Yuval Noah Harari, author of the best seller
Sapiens said that AI can treason democracy and human mind itself.
As you mentioned, we can have much more transparency and much
more regulation, but it will be enough? And what should we do, for
Página 7
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023
7
instance, maybe stop deploying AI in the public sector until its safety is confirmed. That is my question.
Like, for instance, when a pharmaceutical company develops a new drug cannot market it without going
through a process of investigating its effects. Maybe we can do the same for the AI. And for the Vice-
Chair of the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence, I would like to ask: do you think it will
be enough more transparency and more regulation?
Thank you very much.
Vídeo do debate
Women@PACE
O grupo Women@PACE realizou uma
troca de pontos de vista com a antiga
Presidente da Letónia, Vaira Vīķe-
Freiberga, Presidente do país entre 1999 e
2007 e a primeira mulher a ocupar o
cargo.
Dirigindo-se aos participantes, a antiga
Presidente da Letónia afirmou que a
oposição que encontrou enquanto mulher
foi estimulante e salientou que «O que as
mulheres conquistaram como verdadeiros
direitos humanos (e não apenas direitos específicos das mulheres), conquistaram-no à custa de grande
sofrimento e esforço».
A antiga Presidente sublinhou que «O facto de ser alvo de preconceitos pelo que se é e não pelo que se
fez torna as mulheres mais sensíveis às injustiças». Acrescentou ainda que «Quando as mulheres são eleitas,
espera-se que não só se comprometam com uma causa ou defendam os valores de um partido, mas também
que carreguem automaticamente a bandeira dos direitos das mulheres, o que é um fardo para algumas e uma
motivação inicial para outras se envolverem na vida pública».
Concluiu referindo que «O que nós queremos para o futuro é que as mulheres possam usufruir plenamente
daquilo que são por natureza, por biologia, por história, e que não precisem de fingir que são masculinizadas
para conseguirem aquilo que conseguem».
A próxima reunião da Comissão Permanente terá lugar em Vaduz, Liechtenstein, no dia 28 de novembro
2023.
Palácio de São Bento, 20 de setembro de 2023.
A assessora parlamentar, Ana Maria Guapo.
ANEXOS
Anexo 1 - Agenda da reunião do Bureau;
Anexo 2 - Ata da reunião do Bureau;
Anexo 3 - Agenda da reunião da Comissão Permanente;
Anexo 4 - Ata da reunião da Comissão Permanente;
Anexo 5 - Programa da mesa-redonda.
Página 8
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1
8
ANEXOS
Anexo 1 - Agenda da reunião do Bureau;
Anexo 2 - Ata da reunião do Bureau;
Anexo 3 - Agenda da reunião da Comissão Permanente;
Anexo 4 - Ata da reunião da Comissão Permanente;
Anexo 5 - Programa da mesa-redonda.
A DIVISÃO DE REDAÇÃO.
Página 9
AS/Bur (2023) OJ 06 REV 22 May 2023
Bureau of the Assembly
Draft agenda
This draft agenda, addressed to members of the Bureau of the Assembly, is the convocation to the meeting
Copy to secretaries of delegations and political groups, and Heads of Secretariats of the Assembly’s general committees
Meeting documents will be published on PACE Apps (restricted access)
Date: 25 May 2023 –3 pm to 6 pm
Venue: Riga (The Small Guild / Mazā Ģilde, Amatu Street 5, Riga )
Meeting room: Great Hall
1. Communication by the President[AS/Bur (2023) 24]
2. Agenda[AS/Bur (2023) OJ 06 REV]
Draft decision: to adopt the draft agenda
3. Minutes[AS/Bur (2023) PV 04; AS/Bur (2023) PV 05]
Draft decision: to approve the draft minutes of the meetings held on 24 and 28 April 2023
4. Communication by the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council ofEurope[Written communication]
Draft decision:to take note of the communication by the Secretary General and the Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the Council of Europe
5. 4th Council of Europe Heads of State and Government Summit (16-17 May 2023)[Declaration; draft declaration]
Draft decision: to take note of the Declaration adopted at the 4th Summit by the Heads of State andGovernment and to consider a draft Declaration on the follow-up to the 4th Summit with a view to itsadoption by the Standing Committee
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9
Página 10
6. Meeting of the Standing Committee in Riga (25-26 May 2023)
6.1. Requests for current affairs debates
At its meeting on 28 April 2023, the Bureau took note of the requests by the leaders of the five politicalgroups that the Standing Committee holds current affairs debates on “The follow-up to the ReykjavikSummit” and on “Excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in the Olympics”
Draft decision: to decide whether to recommend to the Standing Committee to hold these debates and,if so, to appoint the first speakers
6.2. Consideration of the draft agenda [AS/Per (2023) OJ 03]
Draft decision: to take note of the draft agenda
6.3. [Possibly] Draft declaration on Excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in the Olympics
Draft decision: [Possibly] consideration of a draft Declaration with a view to its adoption by the Standing Committee
7. Third part-session of 2023 (Strasbourg, 19-23 June)[AS/Bur (2023) 25; letters]
Draft decision: to draw up the draft agenda for the third part-session of 2023
8. Application for membership set out in the letter of 12 May 2022 addressed to the Secretary Generalof the Council of Europe, in line with Statutory Resolution (51) 30[Letter; CM/Del/Dec(2023)1464bis/2.4 ; DD(2022)200]
Draft decision: upon proposals by the President, to appoint two eminent lawyers who, according toestablished practice, will draw up a report for the attention of the Bureau assessing the conformity of theapplicant's legal system with Council of Europe standards
9. References and transmissions to committees[AS/Bur (2023) 22; letter]
Draft decision: to approve the proposals contained in the document, to be ratified by the StandingCommittee
10. Election observation
10.1. Bulgaria: early parliamentary elections (2 April 2023)
[Doc. 15774]
Draft decision: to approve the report by the observation mission
10.2. Türkiye: Presidential and parliamentary elections (14 May 2023) [Statement]
Draft decision: to take note of the statement by the observation mission
10.3. Montenegro: Parliamentary elections (11 June 2023) [List]
Draft decision: to approve the final list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10
Página 11
11. Issues raised by committees
11.1. Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy [Letters]
Draft decisions: to decide whether to authorise
- the rapporteur on “The Parliamentary Assembly should support Kazakhstan to continue itsdemocratic reforms”, to carry out a fact-finding visit to Kazakhstan, in the framework of thepreparation of his report
- the rapporteur on “Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America”, tocarry out fact-finding visits to Parlatino (Panama), and to Colombia and Mexico (at no cost to theAssembly), in the course of 2023, in the framework of the preparation of his report
12. Other business
Items possibly to be dealt without debate:
13. [Possibly] Composition of the Monitoring Committee, the Committee on Rules of Procedure,Immunities and Institutional Affairs and the Committee on the Election of Judges to the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights[Lists of members]
Draft decision: to approve the lists of members
14. 2023 World Forum for Democracy (Strasbourg, 6-8 November)[Concept paper]
Draft decision: to take note of the concept paper and decide to set up an ad hoc committee of theBureau to participate in the Forum
15. Dates and places of next meetings
Monday 19 June 2023, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)Friday 23 June 2023, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)Thursday 14 September 2023, 9.30 am, Paris
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11
Página 12
SECRETARIAT
AS/Bur (2023) CB 06 26 May 2023
To the Members of the Bureau of the Assembly
Synopsis
of the meeting held in Riga on 25 May 2023
The Bureau of the Assembly, meeting on Thursday 25 May 2023, in Riga, with Mr Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, in the Chair, as regards:
− Communications: took note of the communications by the President of the Assembly, the SecretaryGeneral and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and held an exchange of viewswith the Secretary General;
− 4th Council of Europe Heads of State and Government Summit (Reykjavik, 16-17 May 2023): tooknote of the Declaration adopted at the 4th Summit by the Heads of State and Government andconsidered a draft Declaration on the follow-up to the 4th Summit with a view to its adoption by theStanding Committee;
− Standing Committee in Riga (26 May 2023):
o requests for current affairs debates: took note of the requests by the leaders of the five politicalgroups to hold debates on:▪ “The follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit”, decided to recommend to the Standing Committe to
hold this debate and appointed Ms Fiona O’Loughlin (Ireland, ALDE) as the first speaker;▪ “Excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in the Olympics”, decided to
recommend to the Standing Committee to hold this debate and appointed M. Indrek Saar(Estonia, SOC) as the first speaker;
o updated the draft agenda;
− Third part-session of 2023 (Strasbourg, 19-23 June):
o took note of the requests to hold debates under urgent procedure on:▪ “Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor” tabled by the Committee on
Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons;▪ “Political consequences of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine” tabled by
the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy;▪ “War of aggression against Ukraine – Participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the
Paris 2024 Olympics?” tabled by the leaders of the five political groups;o decided, for the third part-session of 2023 (Strasbourg, 19-23 June), to organise the seating in
the hemicycle according to political groups, and to open the notification of substitutions by debate;o drew-up the draft agenda;
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12
Página 13
− Application for membership set out in the letter of 12 May 2022 addressed to the SecretaryGeneral of the Council of Europe, in line with Statutory Resolution (51) 30: upon proposals by thePresident, appointed Ms Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark and Mr Thomas Markert, as the eminent lawyerswho, according to established practice, will draw up a report for the attention of the Bureau assessingthe conformity of the applicant's legal system with Council of Europe standards;
− References and transmissions to committees: approved the references and transmissions as set outin Appendix 1, subject to ratification by the Standing Committee;
− Elections observation:
o Bulgaria: early parliamentary elections (2 April 2023): approved the report by the observationmission;
o Türkiye: Presidential and parliamentary elections (14 May 2023): took note of the statement by theobservation mission;
o Montenegro: parliamentary elections (11 June 2023): approved the final list of members of the adhoc committee (appendix 2) and appointed Mr Reinhold LOPATKA (Austria, EPP/CD) asChairperson;
− Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy:authorised
o the rapporteur on “The Parliamentary Assembly should support Kazakhstan to continue itsdemocratic reforms”, to carry out a fact-finding visit to Kazakhstan, in the framework of thepreparation of his report;
o the rapporteur on “Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America”, tocarry out fact-finding visits to Parlatino (Panama), and to Colombia and Mexico (at no cost to theAssembly), in the course of 2023, in the framework of the preparation of his report;
− Composition of the Monitoring Committee: on the basis of a proposal by the EC/DA group,nominated Ms Sheryll MURRAY (United Kingdom) as a member;
− 2023 World Forum for Democracy (Strasbourg, 6-8 November): took note of the concept paper anddecide to set up an ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in the Forum;
− Date and place of next meetings:
− Monday 19 June 2023, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)
− Friday 23 June 2023, 8 am, Strasbourg (part-session)
− Thursday 14 September 2023, 9.30 am, Paris
Isild Heurtin
Copy to:
Secretary General of the Assembly Directors and all staff of the Secretariat of the Assembly Secretaries of National Delegations and of Political Groups of the Assembly Secretaries of observer and partner for democracy delegations Secretary General of the Congress Secretary to the Committee of Ministers Directors General Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Director of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights Director of Communication Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13
Página 14
Appendix 1– References and transmissions to committees
A. REFERENCES TO COMMITTEES
− The need to designate the Russian “Wagner Group” as a terrorist organisation, Doc. 15720:transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to be taken into account in the frameworkof the report on “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine”and to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for information
− Strengthening the protection of biodiversity in Europe through sustainable and fair financing of theBern Convention, Doc. 15727: transmission to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and SustainableDevelopment for consultation
− Commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine, Doc. 15728:transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report, and to the Committee onPolitical Affairs and Democracy and to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media forinformation
− Promoting universal health coverage, Doc. 15729: reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Healthand Sustainable Development for report
− Support for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Doc. 15732: transmission to the Committee on Political Affairsand Democracy for report and to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to be taken into accountin the framework of the report on “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’s aggressionagainst Ukraine”
− Overcoming age-based discrimination against older persons, Doc. 15735: reference to the Committeeon Equality and Non-Discrimination for report
− Call for a change on rules relating to gender quota, Doc. 15749: transmission to the Committee onRules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to be taken into account in the framework of thereport on “Modification of various provisions of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure” and to the Committeeon Equality and Non-Discrimination for information
− Protecting human rights in and through sport: obligations and shared responsibilities, Doc. 15750:reference to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report
− Investigation into the illegal surveillance of foreign leaders, political opponents and activists inPoland, Doc. 15751: transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to be taken intoaccount in the framework of the report on “Pegasus and similar spyware and secret state surveillance” andto the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council ofEurope (Monitoring Committee) for information
− Budgets and priorities of the Council of Europe for the period 2024-2027, Terms of reference:reference to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report
− Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2024-2025, Terms of reference of thecommittee: reference to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs forreport
B. REPLY AFTER CONSULTATION
− The foreseeable wealth gap in the automated future, Doc. 15701: reference to the Committee on SocialAffairs, Health and Sustainable Development for taking into account within the framework of the preparationof its report on “Safeguarding future rights for future generations”
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14
Página 15
Appendix 2 – List of members of the ad hoc committee for the observation of the parliamentary elections in Montenegro (11 June 2023)
Chairperson / Président.e: Mr Reinhold LOPATKA (Austria / Autriche, EPP/CD)
Socialists , Democrats and Greens Group / Groupe des socialistes, démocrates et verts (SOC) Ms / Mme Cécile HEMMEN, Luxembourg Mr / M. Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus / Chypre Mr / M. Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ, Croatia / Croatie Ms / Mme Edite ESTRELA, Portugal Mr / M. Adnan DIBRANI, Sweden / Suède Mr / M. Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria / Autriche
Substitutes / suppléant.e.s Mr / M. Didier MARIE, France Mr / M. André VALLINI, France Mr / M. Yunus EMRE, Türkiye Mr / M. Saša MAGAZINOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bosnie-Herzégovine* Ms / Mme Daniela OTEŞANU, Romania / Roumanie
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD) / Groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE/DC) Mr / M. Corneliu-Mugurel COZMANCIUC*, Romania, Roumanie Mr / M. Reinhold LOPATKA, Austria / Autriche Mr / M. Joe O’REILLY, Ireland / Irlande Mr / M. Aleksander POCIEJ, Poland / Pologne Ms / Mme Jorida TABAKU, Albania / Albanie
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) / Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l’Europe (ADLE) Mr / M. Jacques LE NAY, France Ms / Mme Fiona O'LOUGHLIN, Ireland / Irlande Mr / M. Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia / Estonie Mr / M. Andrii LOPUSHANSKYI, Ukraine
Substitutes / suppléant.e.s Ms / Mme Liliana TANGUY, France Mr / M. Jean-Pierre GRIN, Switzerland / Suisse Mr / M. Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania / Lituanie Ms / Mme Valentina GRIPPO, Italy / Italie Ms / Mme Ms Yuliia OVCHYNNYKOVA, Ukraine Ms / Mme Diana STOICA, Romania / Roumanie
European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance (EC-DA) / Groupe des Conservateurs européens et Alliance démocratique (CE-AD) Mr / M. Harald WEYEL, Germany / Allemagne Mr / M. Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine Mr / M. José Maria SANCHEZ GARCIA, Spain / Espagne
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL) / Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne (GUE) Ms / Mme Nina KASIMATI, Greece / Grèce
Substitutes / suppléant.e.s Mr / M. Andrej HUNKO, Germany / Allemagne
Co-rapporteur.e.s AS/MON (ex officio) Mr / M. Damien COTTIER, Switzerland / Suisse Mr / M. Nicos TORNARITIS, Cyprus / Chypre
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15
Página 16
AS/Per (2023) OJ 03 rev2 25 May 2023
Standing Committee
Revised draft agenda
of the meeting to be held
in Riga on Friday 26 May 2023 from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 16:30
(Venue: The Small Guild / Mazā Ģilde, Amatu Street 5, Riga, Latvia)
1. Opening of the meeting by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly
2. Welcome address by Mr Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima
3. Exchange of views with Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of LatviaCM/Inf (2023) 10
4. Examination of new credentials Doc. 15775
5. Modifications in the composition of committees Commissions (2023) 05 Commissions (2023) 05 Add.
6. (Possibly) Requests for a current affairs debate (under Rule 53 of the Rules of Procedure)
The follow-up to the Reykjavík Summit
Excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in the Olympics
7. Agenda
Adoption of the revised draft agenda
AS/Per (2023) OJ 03 rev2
8. Third part-session of the Parliamentary Assembly (19-23 June 2023)
Consideration of the draft agenda
AS/Bur (2023) 25 rev
This document is the convocation to the meeting for the members of the Standing Committee
Copy for information to the Secretaries of delegations and political groups
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16
Página 17
9. References to committees
Consideration of the proposals submitted by the Bureau of the Assembly
AS/Per (2023) 09
10. (Possibly) Current affairs debate
The follow-up to the Reykjavík Summit
Statement by Ms Aoife Nolan, President of the European Committee of SocialRights
Consideration of a draft declaration for adoption
Reykjavík Declaration
AS/Per (2023) 10
11. Observation of elections
Observation of the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria (2 April 2023)
Chairperson of the Ad hoc Committee of the Bureau:Mr Andrej Hunko (Germany, UEL)
Doc. 15774
At 14:30
12. Exchange of views with Mr Carlo Monticelli, Governor of the Council of EuropeDevelopment Bank
13. (Possibly) Current affairs debate
Excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in the Olympics
Statement by Mr Kaspars Cipruss, Secretary General of the Latvian BasketballFederation
14. Other business
15. Next meeting
Vaduz (Liechtenstein), 28 November 2023
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
17
Página 18
SECRETARIAT
AS/Per (2023) CB 03 26 May 2023
To the members of the Standing Committee
Synopsis of the meeting held in Riga, Latvia on 26 May 2023
The Standing Committee, meeting on 26 May 2023 in Riga, Latvia, with Mr Tiny Kox, President of the Assembly, in the Chair:
- heard the welcome address by Mr Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima;
- held an exchange of views with Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia;
- ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly submitted by the delegations of Austria,Georgia, Germany and the Republic of Moldova ;
- approved changes in the composition of Assembly committees;
- took note of the draft agenda of the third part-session of the Assembly (19-23 June 2023);
- ratified the references proposed by the Bureau (see Appendix 1);
- held a current affairs debate on “The follow-up to the Reykjavík Summit”, heard a statement by Ms AoifeNolan, President of the European Committee of Social Rights, and adopted a declaration as amended(see Appendix 2) ;
- took note of the report of the Ad hoc Committee of the Bureau on the Observation of the earlyparliamentary elections in Bulgaria (2 April 2023);
- held an exchange of views with Mr Carlo Monticelli, Governor of the Council of Europe DevelopmentBank;
- held a current affairs debate on “Excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in theOlympics” and heard a statement by Mr Kaspars Cipruss, Secretary General of the Latvian BasketballFederation;
- decided to hold its next meeting in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, on 28 November 2023.
Valérie Clamer, Ayşegül Elveriş
cc. Secretary General of the AssemblyDirectors and all staff of the Secretariat of the AssemblySecretaries of National Delegations and of Political Groups of the AssemblySecretaries of observer and partner for democracy delegationsSecretary General of the CongressSecretary to the Committee of MinistersDirectors GeneralDirector of the Private Office of the Secretary General of the Council of EuropeDirector of the Office of the Commissioner for Human RightsDirector of CommunicationPermanent Representations to the Council of Europe
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
18
Página 19
APPENDIX 1
References and transmissions to committees
1. The need to designate the Russian “Wagner Group” as a terrorist organisation
Doc. 15720Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Markus Wiechel and other members of the Assembly
Transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to be taken into account in the framework of the report on “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine” and to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for information
2. Strengthening the protection of biodiversity in Europe through sustainable and fair financing
of the Bern ConventionDoc. 15727Motion for a resolution tabled by Ms Liliana Tanguy and other members of the Assembly
Transmission to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for consultation
3. Commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine
Doc. 15728Motion for a resolution tabled by Ms Mariia Mezentseva and other members of the Assembly
Reference to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report and transmission to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for information
4. Promoting universal health coverage
Doc. 15729Motion for a resolution tabled by the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and SustainableDevelopment
Reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for report
5. Support for the reconstruction of Ukraine
Doc. 15732Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Lulzim Basha and other members of the Assembly
Reference to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report and to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to be taken into account in the framework of the report on “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine”
6. Overcoming age-based discrimination against older persons
Doc. 15735Motion for a resolution tabled by the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination
Reference to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for report
7. Call for a change on rules relating to gender quota
Doc. 15749Motion for a resolution tabled by Ms Nicole Höchst and other members of the Assembly
Transmission to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to be taken into account in the framework of the report on “Modification of various provisions of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure” and to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for information
8. Protecting human rights in and through sport: obligations and shared responsibilities
Doc. 15750Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Kim Valentin and other members of the Assembly
Reference to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
19
Página 20
9. Investigation into the illegal surveillance of foreign leaders, political opponents and activists in
PolandDoc. 15751Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Krzysztof Śmiszek and other members of the Assembly
Transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to be taken into account in the framework of the report on “Pegasus and similar spyware and secret state surveillance” and to the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) for information
10. Budgets and priorities of the Council of Europe for the period 2024-2027
Terms of reference of the committee
Reference to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report
11. Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2024-2025
Terms of reference of the committee
Reference to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report
B. REPLY AFTER CONSULTATION
1. The foreseeable wealth gap in the automated future
Doc. 15701Motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Björn Leví Gunnarsson and other members of the Assembly
Reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for taking into account within the framework of the preparation of its report on “Safeguarding future rights for future generations
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
20
Página 21
APPENDIX 2
Declaration on The Reykjavik Summit: a strong message of unity, common purpose and unwavering resolve to be followed up by action
1. Meeting today in Riga as the Standing Committee, the Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the ReykjavikDeclaration “United around our values” adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the 4th Council ofEurope Summit (Reykjavik, 16 - 17 May 2023), as a strong message of unity, common purpose andunwavering resolve. The Declaration reflects the key concerns and proposals set out in Assemblyrecommendation 2245 (2023) “The Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe – United around values in theface of extraordinary challenges”.
2. With the Reykjavik Declaration, the Heads of State and Government have provided a new direction forthe Council of Europe in the years to come. As a statutory organ of the Council of Europe, the Assembly standsready to translate the Summit vision into concrete results, through its parliamentary deliberations, its monitoringprocedure, its inter-parliamentary co-operation activities and networks, and its interaction with the Committeeof Ministers and the Secretary General.
3. Standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes, the Assembly will spare no effort to support thereconstruction and democratic resilience of Ukraine, being convinced that well-functioning democraticinstitutions, respect for the rule of law and compliance with democratic standards together with strongerEuropean integration are the best guarantees for the democratic security of Ukraine and Europe.
4. Recalling that there cannot be lasting peace without accountability, the Assembly welcomes theestablishment of an Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of theRussian Federation Against Ukraine, as a first component of a future international compensation mechanism,and encourages other countries to add their names to those of the 45 member and observer states, and theEuropean Union, which have already joined it or declared their intention to do so.
5. At the same time, the Assembly will resolutely pursue its efforts to ensure that the political and militaryleadership of the Russian Federation is held to account for its war of aggression against Ukraine, supportingthe urgent establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression and calling for the Council of Europeto be a part of relevant consultations and negotiations, providing its expert and technical support. It calls forjustice for the victims of war crimes, human rights and humanitarian law violations and for the creation of viablemechanisms to ensure the return of abducted persons, including children, back home.
6. Following up the Reykjavik Declaration, the Assembly will strive to preserve the role of the Council ofEurope as a beacon of human rights protection, by promoting compliance with the European Convention onHuman Rights, protecting the authority of the Court, and ensuring the swift and satisfactory execution of itsjudgements; and by promoting the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on HumanRights without any further delay.
7. Welcoming the Reykjavík Process, and reaffirming once more its belief that the right to a safe, clean,healthy and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right which should be enshrined in domestic andinternational law, the Assembly will contribute actively to the standard-setting work of the Council of Europe inthe environmental field. It will also continue to support the Organisation’s work to shape human rights protectionin the digital age and to address other emerging societal challenges from a human rights perspective.
8. Convinced of the urgent need to prevent and resist democratic backsliding, the Assembly will continueto support member states in tackling its root causes, placing greater emphasis on promoting equality andprotecting social rights. It will endorse, promote and further develop the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy.The Assembly will strengthen its initiatives to prevent and counter foreign interference with democraticprocesses, to enhance the integrity of elections, and to promote media freedom and freedom of expression. Itwill also step up its engagement with civil society and mainstream a youth perspective in its work, as well ascontinue promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.
9. As the body representing the national parliaments of all member States, the Assembly stands ready toengage in the Council of Europe High-level Dialogue with member States and partners on the ReykjavikPrinciples of Democracy. It will also play its part beyond Council of Europe membership, strengtheningrelations with parliamentary bodies and other international organisations, further consolidating dialogue andco-operation with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, and identifying channels and means tostrengthen dialogue with Russian democratic forces and civil society who share Council of Europe values.
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
21
Página 22
10. The Assembly calls on all its members, representing national parliaments of the 46 member States, tocommit to ensuring that the Reykjavik Declaration finds its expression in action at the national level, throughholding governments to account on the commitments made at the Summit, supporting the necessary legislativechanges and ratifications, and ensuring and mobilizing the level of budgetary resources commensurate withthe mandate and tasks given to the Organisation in Reykjavik.
11. Finally, the Assembly expresses its appreciation for the climate of constructive dialogue with which itco-operated with the Committee of Ministers, the Secretary General and other Council of Europe bodies in thelead-up to the Summit and looks forward to pursuing this approach in its follow-up, including through the JointCommittee. It also supports holding regular Summits of Heads of State and Government of the Council ofEurope to provide overarching direction and political momentum to the Organisation.
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
22
Página 23
AS/Per (2023) 10 26 May 2023
Standing Committee
Declaration
The Reykjavik Summit: a strong message of unity, common purpose and unwavering resolve to be followed up by action
adopted by the Standing Committee at its meeting on 26 May 2023
1. Meeting today in Riga as the Standing Committee, the Parliamentary Assembly welcomes theReykjavik Declaration “United around our values” adopted by the Heads of State and Government atthe 4th Council of Europe Summit (Reykjavik, 16 - 17 May 2023), as a strong message of unity, commonpurpose and unwavering resolve. The Declaration reflects the key concerns and proposals set out in Assemblyrecommendation 2245 (2023) “The Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe – United around values in theface of extraordinary challenges”.
2. With the Reykjavik Declaration, the Heads of State and Government have provided a new directionfor the Council of Europe in the years to come. As a statutory organ of the Council of Europe, the Assemblystands ready to translate the Summit vision into concrete results, through its parliamentary deliberations, itsmonitoring procedure, its inter-parliamentary co-operation activities and networks, and its interaction with theCommittee of Ministers and the Secretary General.
3. Standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes, the Assembly will spare no effort to support thereconstruction and democratic resilience of Ukraine, being convinced that well-functioning democraticinstitutions, respect for the rule of law and compliance with democratic standards together with strongerEuropean integration are the best guarantees for the democratic security of Ukraine and Europe.
4. Recalling that there cannot be lasting peace without accountability, the Assembly welcomes theestablishment of an Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of theRussian Federation Against Ukraine, as a first component of a future international compensation mechanism,and encourages other countries to add their names to those of the 45 member and observer states, and theEuropean Union, which have already joined it or declared their intention to do so.
5. At the same time, the Assembly will resolutely pursue its efforts to ensure that the political and militaryleadership of the Russian Federation is held to account for its war of aggression against Ukraine, supportingthe urgent establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression and calling for the Council of Europeto be a part of relevant consultations and negotiations, providing its expert and technical support. It calls forjustice for the victims of war crimes, human rights and humanitarian law violations and for the creation of viablemechanisms to ensure the return of abducted persons, including children, back home.
6. Following up the Reykjavik Declaration, the Assembly will strive to preserve the role of the Council ofEurope as a beacon of human rights protection, by promoting compliance with the European Convention onHuman Rights, protecting the authority of the Court, and ensuring the swift and satisfactory execution of itsjudgements; and by promoting the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on HumanRights without any further delay.
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
23
Página 24
7. Welcoming the Reykjavík Process, and reaffirming once more its belief that the right to a safe, clean,healthy and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right which should be enshrined in domestic andinternational law, the Assembly will contribute actively to the standard-setting work of the Council of Europe inthe environmental field. It will also continue to support the Organisation’s work to shape human rightsprotection in the digital age and to address other emerging societal challenges from a human rightsperspective.
8. Convinced of the urgent need to prevent and resist democratic backsliding, the Assembly will continueto support member states in tackling its root causes, placing greater emphasis on promoting equality andprotecting social rights. It will endorse, promote and further develop the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy.The Assembly will strengthen its initiatives to prevent and counter foreign interference with democraticprocesses, to enhance the integrity of elections, and to promote media freedom and freedom of expression. Itwill also step up its engagement with civil society and mainstream a youth perspective in its work, as well ascontinue promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.
9. As the body representing the national parliaments of all member States, the Assembly stands readyto engage in the Council of Europe High-level Dialogue with member States and partners on the ReykjavikPrinciples of Democracy. It will also play its part beyond Council of Europe membership, strengtheningrelations with parliamentary bodies and other international organisations, further consolidating dialogue andco-operation with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, and identifying channels and means tostrengthen dialogue with Russian democratic forces and civil society who share Council of Europe values.
10. The Assembly calls on all its members, representing national parliaments of the 46 member States, tocommit to ensuring that the Reykjavik Declaration finds its expression in action at the national level, throughholding governments to account on the commitments made at the Summit, supporting the necessary legislativechanges and ratifications, and ensuring and mobilizing the level of budgetary resources commensurate withthe mandate and tasks given to the Organisation in Reykjavik.
11. Finally, the Assembly expresses its appreciation for the climate of constructive dialogue with which itco-operated with the Committee of Ministers, the Secretary General and other Council of Europe bodies in thelead-up to the Summit and looks forward to pursuing this approach in its follow-up, including through the JointCommittee. It also supports holding regular Summits of Heads of State and Government of the Council ofEurope to provide overarching direction and political momentum to the Organisation.
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24
Página 25
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND DISINFORMATION: CHALLENGES AND RISKS FOR DEMOCRACYROUND TABLEOrganised by the PACE Interparliamentary Cooperation and Project Support Division in cooperation with the Latvian Delegation to the PACE
Date/time: Friday 26 May 2023 from 16 h 30-18 h 00
Venue: The Small Guild/Mazā Ģilde, Amatu Street 5, Riga, Latvia (Meeting room: Great Hall)
Background: ■ Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a determining factor for the future of humanity. It offers bothopportunities and challenges including with regard to information and disinformation. AI generated disinformation and fake news, present serious risks and challenges for human rights, democracy andsecurity. It is therefore of utmost importance to strike the right balance between mitigating the risks and making full use of the advantages offered by AI.■ The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe strongly advocated for a regulatoryframework for AI, based on the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law and called for the Council of Europe to take the lead to draft a legally binding instrument which would ensurethat AI-based technologies are used to enhance, and not to damage, democracy. ■ The Round Table will aim to:► raise visibility of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly work and standards
on artificial intelligence, freedom of expression and disinformation; ► contribute to the on-going work by the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelli-
gence to elaborate a framework Convention on the development, design and application of artificial intelligence;
► facilitate discussions and networking with stakeholders and define take-away actions to make progress in this regard.
Speakers: Opening session:► Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)► Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chairperson of Latvian delegation to PACE
Thematic interventions:► Gundars Bergmanis-Korāts, Principal Scientist, NATO Strategic Communications Centre
of Excellence in Riga ► Gregor Strojin, Vice-Chair, Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)► Kaspars Kauliņš, International Business Development Director, Tilde
Discussion Conclusions: Louise Barton, Director, Human Dignity and Sustainable Development, PACEModerator: Jānis Kārkliņš, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the Council of Europe
21 DE SETEMBRO DE 2023 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
25
Página 26
Artificial Intelligence: Ensuring respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law■ In October 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted a set of resolutions andrecommendations,examining the opportunities and risks of AI for democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
■ These were:
► The need for democratic governance of artificial intelligence Resolution 2341 (2020) and Recommendation 2181 (2020)
► Preventing discrimination caused by the use of artificial intelligence Resolution 2343(2020) and Recommendation 2183 (2020)
► Justice by algorithm – the role of artificial intelligence in policing and criminal justice systems Resolution 2342 (2020) and Recommendation 2182 (2020)
► Artificial intelligence in health care: medical, legal and ethical challenges ahead Recom-mendation 2185 (2020)
► Artificial intelligence and labour markets: friend or foe? Resolution 2345 (2020) andRecommendation 2186 (2020)
► Legal aspects of ‘autonomous’ vehicles Resolution 2346 (2020) and Recommenda-tion 2187 (2020)
► The brain-computer interface: new rights or new threats to fundamental freedoms?Resolution 2344 (2020) and Recommendation 2184 (2020)
■ The Parliamentary Assembly will continue working on AI through follow-up to theseresolutions and recommendations, further reports, its Sub-committee on Artificial Intel-ligence and Human Rights and its observer status with the Ad hoc Committee on ArtificialIntelligence (CAHAI)
■ For more information:
► Artificial Intelligence: Parliamentary Assembly calls for ensuring respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law (https://assembly.coe.int/LifeRay/APCE/pdf/Communication/LeafletAI-EN.pdf)
► PACE Website on AI (https://pace.coe.int/en/pages/artificial-intelligence).
II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
26