June 2022 part-session highlights:
- ALDE-PACE unanimously supported Iulian Bulai (USR, Romania) to lead the group and thanked outgoing president Jacques Maire for his commitment and leadership since 2020.
- The war in Ukraine remains our main concern in Europe: on 28 June 2022, Damien Cottier led a cross-party delegation to Ukraine: “We saw clear indications that Bucha really was the theatre of cold-blooded murder of civilians on a massive scale. The destruction in Irpin brought home the sheer brutality of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the enormity of the task of reconstruction. During our visit, Ukraine was once again hit by a missile strike on a civilian target, this time a shopping mall in Kremenchuk in central Ukraine. We express our heartfelt condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims.”
- ALDE-PACE continued to draw attention to political repressions in Russia and in Belarus. Ahead of the plenary debate on political prisoners in Russia, ALDE hosted a round table discussion with the participation of Yevgenia Kara-Murza, wife of jailed opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Sergei Davidis, Memorial Human Rights Centre, and tabled a motion for a resolution on “Systematic large-scale persecution against anti-war protesters in the Russian Federation”. ALDE-PACE also met with Tatsiana Khomich, sister of jailed Belarusian opposition leader and 2021 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize laureate Maria Kalesnikava.
- Human Rights and Environment stay high on our agenda with Rik Daems at the head of the Parliamentary network for a healthy environment. ALDE-PACE welcomed the ALDE Party resolution on environment and energy transition and we look forward to the discussion on the rights-based approach to defending climate justice at the upcoming Liberal International Congress in Sofia on 1st July with the participation of Rik Daems.
- ALDE-PACE greatly contributed to reaffirming the Parliamentary Assembly’s role in the preparation of the Council of Europe summit of heads of state and government: Fiona O’Loughlin was appointed rapporteur on “A fourth summit for a renewed, improved and reinforced Council of Europe”, and we continue to promote an inclusive approach. Iulian Bulai, Damien Cottier and Fiona O’Loughlin will represent the ALDE group on the newly established PACE ad hoc committee for the preparation of the summit.
- On 21 June 2022, Iulian Bulai and Jacques Maire met with leader of Belarusian democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who earlier that day addressed the PACE high-level panel on democratic security in Europe. ALDE leaders discussed with Ms Tsikahnouskaya how the Council of Europe could support and enhance cooperation with the democratic community of Belarus.
- Congratulations to the newly appointed rapporteurs: Damien Cottier (Switzerland) on “Emergence of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS)”; Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo (Monaco) on “Preventing and combating violence against women with disabilities”; Fiona O'Loughlin (Ireland) on “A fourth Summit for a renewed, improved and reinforced Council of Europe”, and Lesia Vasylenko (Ukraine) on “The role of the Council of Europe in preventing human suffering resulting from international armed conflicts”.
- Our cooperation makes a difference: on 20 June 2022, Ukraine ratified the Istanbul Convention with the support of ALDE-PACE members!
