2 DE ABRIL DE 2025

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Defending democracy and international law is defending civilian that are exposed to any kind of abuse or

violence.

The military response that was used to react cannot forget that thousands of people in an under-siege

territory were unable to escape or defend themself.

Today we have an agreement and a roadmap for the immediate implementation of a cease fire which is a

first good signal to everybody.

This report properly signals that in Gaza more than 46 000 people lost their lives.

Homes, schools, hospitals, medical facilities, critical daily life institutions, water supply, energy supply, all

was lost in this year and a half of war.

This massive destruction urges a speedy and proper international help.

We have good news about first convoys of food and water and basic medical supllies.

Even though to ensure a proper answer we need to increase the work on the ground.

We need to, as Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, to use our influence to monitor the cease

fire and properly insure a good support to civilians.

We must also not forget the loss.

That’s why this report properly claims for an urgent psychological support to all families, women and

children that faced loss during this process.

We must be there to ensure peace, to heal and provide grounds that allows peace to stay and gain. We

must not fail this time.

Thank you.

• Debate: Abordar os riscos para os direitos humanos e o Estado de direito colocados por mercenários e empresas militares e de segurança privadas empresas militares e de segurança privadas: um apelo a uma regulamentação abrangente

A Deputada Regina Bastos (PSD) estava inscrita no debate, mas devido ao elevado número de oradores inscritos não teve oportunidade de apresentar a sua intervenção, que ficou registada na ata da sessão:

Mister President,

Colleagues,

A first word to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr. Andrea Orlando, for this important and realistic report.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal sixteen (16) promotes peace, justice and strong

institutions.

However, mercenaries and private military and security companies (PMSC) pose significant challenges to

this objective.

Their actions destabilize conflict regions, violate human rights, and operate with limited accountability.

A key example is the Wagner Group, as we all know, a Russian paramilitary organization accused of war

crimes in Ukraine, Syria, and Central Africa.

Wagner operates with strong links to the Russian state, which uses PMSC to advance its geopolitical goals

while avoiding direct responsibility.

This highlights the urgent need for effective regulation.

The lack of uniform national legislation and the self-regulation mechanisms used by some PMSC are

insufficient to prevent abuses.

Sanctions are often absent, enabling these entities to act with impunity, particularly in multilateral

interventions and conflict zones.

While this kind of entities are bound by international law, including the Geneva Conventions, evidence

shows widespread non-compliance.

We strongly believe efforts to regulate PMSC must continue, particularly through the United Nations open-

ended intergovernmental working group, which is tasked with developing an international regulatory framework.

It is essential for the Council of Europe to be represented in this process to avoid duplication of efforts and

ensure robust oversight.

Finally, violations of SDG 16 persist even within the Council of Europe, with examples such as conflict

involvement, suppression of freedoms, and the erosion of judicial independence.