Council of Europe – Parliamentary Assembly (CoE – PACE)
Mission/Mandate:
„The parliamentarians who make up PACE come from the national parliaments of the Organisation’s 47 member states. They meet four times a year to discuss topical issues and ask European governments to take initiatives and report back.“ (CoE PACE website, http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?Link=/AboutUs/APCE_history.htm, accessed 10 December 2008)
PACE’s aims are:
· „Protection and strengthening of pluralistic democracy and human rights
· Discussion of topical political, economic and social issues and questions of common concern
The following bodies form part of the Parliamentary Assembly:
- “Bureau (1 President, 20 Vice-Presidents, five chairpersons of the political groups and ten chairpersons of the general committees)
- Standing Committee
- Ten general committees“, including a „Political Affairs Committee“, „Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights“, „Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population“, and a „Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)“. (Ibid.)
Target group:
Governments of Council of Europe member states
Objective:
The Parliamentary Assembly’s activities include „the monitoring of the political development in new member states and applicant countries“ as well as the „monitoring of elections.“
Monitoring reports are „prepared and discussed […] in one of the [General] committees of the Assembly“. The reports „form the basis of resolutions and recommendations to the Committee of Ministers [of the Council of Europe] or member states“ and are debated „[d]uring the sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly“. (Folketing website, Denmark: http://www.folketinget.dk/default.asp?id={5D418931-7CC1-4789-B107-5485D54C1E98}, accessed 16 Cecember 2008)
Funding:
Council of Europe funds
Scope of reporting:
Geographic focus:
Council of Europe member states
Thematic focus:
Reporting methodology:
PACE-Reports based the monitoring of political and human rights situations in member states are produced by one of the Assembly’s General committees, e.g. the Political Affairs Committees or the “Monitoring Committee” after conducting the mission. COI can be found in part B of the reports that contains an account of the recent political/human rights situation by the rapporteur.
Election observation reports are compiled by a committee created on an ad-hoc basis by the Bureau of the Assembly and given the mandate to conduct an election observation mission. The realisation of an observation mission is subject to an invitation issued by the State concerned. The election observation reports cover the political and legal framework of the election, candidate registration, election administration and campains, the situation of the media, election day and the results. The final part contains conclusions and recommendations. (see recent relevant PACE reports as published on the PACE website: http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/DocListing_E.asp, accessed 16 December 2008)
Publication cycle:
No regular publication cycle
Languages:
Reports are published in English and French
Navigation of website:
PACE homepage > Working documents > Working Documents by year
Additional references:
German Bundestag: PACE Facts and Figures:
