PACE - what is it? Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - PACE

Nowadays the whole world is divided into certain zones, in which various bodies function, helping to establish relations between countries and providing them with their support. This is exactly what the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) refers to. This is one of the main bodies, consisting of a multitude of member states, as well as providing advisory services. It significantly affects the life of modern society and regulates international relations.

Foundation period

PACE was founded in 1949 and has since successfully operated within Europe. This is one of the oldest bodies of interparliamentary cooperation. Unfortunately, not many know why this organization was created, and often people are interested in information about PACE: what it is and what it does. In fact, this is a well-established body that has been operating for more than sixty years and elects its president. At the beginning of 2014, the head of the advisory body was Anne Brasser - Member of the Luxembourg Parliament.

Structure of PACE

I would like to note that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) annually elects a new chairman. As for the order of work, this post is transferred from one political faction to another every three years. In addition, deputy chairmen are selected by the participants. In general, their number does not exceed twenty people.

Political groups function in the Assembly, in total there are five of them: socialist, European democrats, the alliance of liberals and democrats, the European People's Party, and also the united European left.

PACE also has special commissions, which are formed depending on the direction of activity. All participants of the organization are united in a single Bureau of the Assembly. It is also the guiding link that solves serious problems and controls the activities of the statutory body of the Council of Europe.

Activities of PACE

Answering the question "What is PACE?", It can be noted that the organization primarily cares about the interests of political parties that exist directly in the member states. Secondly, the body worries about the fruitful and positive relations between the parliamentary structures of different countries that are members of the Council of Europe.

Parliaments of the states that make up the organization appoint PACE members. From one country can be allocated two or more members of the advisory body. Thus, the top five states are represented by eighteen members. Among them there should be representatives of all political parties of the country. In addition, the PACE - an organization with a huge influence - focuses on balancing the number of men and women participants. In general, the advisory body has 318 members, each of whom has a deputy.

We can not fail to mention that the Assembly solves the problems of modern society, considering and discussing them at the sessions. Also, flaws and shortcomings in international politics are being studied, which are relevant today.

The result of the PACE's activities is the further full-fledged work of many ministries and agencies. As a member of the organization, Member States can influence their governments. This is mainly manifested in the form of recommendations, which the participants send to their country on behalf of the PACE.

PACE participants

PACE, the transcript of which, we recall, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - includes representatives from 47 countries. Among them, the most influential are Russia, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland and Ireland. But, in addition, here you can find Italy, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and other states.

There is an event that can not be missed by the participants or their deputies - the PACE session. At such a meeting, observers (representatives of parliaments of countries that are not members of the organization) are necessarily present. As a rule, they come from Canada, Mexico or Israel. These people are following the honesty of the session.

Authority of the organization

Asking the question "PACE - what is this?", Of course, it is necessary to find out what the organization does and what powers it has. Thus, the deputies prepare special reports, on the basis of which the Assembly adopts various kinds of recommendations and resolutions. One of the most important powers of PACE is the choice of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, as well as his deputy. In addition, the organization accepts opinions on new candidatures of member states. PACE took upon itself the responsibility to elect executors for the European Court of Human Rights. It should be noted that the PACE drafts on the drafts of conventions being developed in the CE are also adopted by the PACE.

In its turn, the CE Committee of Ministers submits to the PACE a report on its activities and undertakes to implement the recommendations of the body or to provide answers to them.

"Dedication"

At one of the sessions, PACE members are considering possible candidates for joining the organization. After the decision is made to enter the statutory body of a certain state, the government of the country is notified accordingly. After a while, the PACE President and all of his participants check how the member state fulfills its obligations. For this purpose, the Monitoring Committee specially functions, it monitors the situation as a whole and annually submits a full report on the work done to all participants of the organization.

The PACE Assembly, in turn, reviews the reports and decides on the future of the member state. It can have only two options: the member state remains in the organization or leaves it.

Work of the organization

Exactly four times a year, PACE sessions are held (the abbreviation stands for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe). The organization at this time is working for a week. In addition to these important meetings, there are so-called mini-sessions, which also discuss serious or urgent problems, decisions are made and recommendations are given.

There are periods when meetings are not planned, but it is necessary to convene a session. They can be held twice a year and they are called "Standing Commissions". They can take decisions and act on behalf of the Assembly. Such kind of sessions are held in different countries, by invitation. The main meetings are organized at the headquarters of the Council of Europe - Strasbourg. Commissions can hold sessions several times a year. Mostly they take place in Paris.

The resolution can be prepared or recommendations adopted as follows: a member of the Assembly has the right to collect the required number of signatures and submit his or her developed proposal, which will be considered for a certain period of time. If the Bureau agrees that a report is necessary and this idea should be developed further, then the matter passes to the authority of the relevant Commission. Her job is to appoint a person in charge who will gather information about the report within a few months or years. After all the necessary stages, the deputy organizes a hearing at which the final version is presented. As a result of the adoption of the positive decision by the Commission, the report is submitted to the Plenary. To the information can be attached various additions and developments. After presentation of the report to the members of the commission, a vote takes place, the outcome of which decides the future fate of the participant's idea.

The PACE meeting for a final decision requires more than two thirds of the votes. Thus, each participant can organize an "urgent debate", at which his proposals will be presented in the form of a report.

The statuses of the PACE participants

Member States are considered to be full participants of the Assembly. But in addition, people who have the status of "observer" and "special guest" can attend PACE sessions. The first group has already been mentioned earlier, these are representatives of Canada, Israel and Mexico. The second is special guests, which may be invited by the organization's chairman or participants. Unfortunately, in 1997, for some unknown reason, the status of this status was suspended for Belarus. In 2010, the government tried to regain the right to be invited to the PACE meeting, but it remained unclassified. Nevertheless, nothing has changed - Belarus has not renewed its status.

Initiatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

PACE as an organization began to exist on May 5, 1949. Since that time, the statutory body has tried to make its activity as efficient as possible. For example, since 1989, the Assembly has devoted a great deal of its efforts to fighting the global crisis and resolving various problems of the countries of Europe. In addition, all meetings are based on the development, research, travel and implementation of missions by PACE participants.

It should be noted that the Assembly made a lot of efforts to ensure that the Council of Europe strengthened its political role. PACE gives a significant role to conferences, colloquiums, open parliamentary hearings, which deal with the eradication of violence, drugs, immigration, intolerance. The organization is trying to improve the state of the environment, improve and make the media fair.

Discussion of important issues

Asking himself: "PACE - what is this?", Each person becomes more enlightened in matters that relate to European and international events. At each session of the organization, topical problems of modern society are considered. Also at the meeting, much attention is paid to the upcoming European and international events. Representatives of various organizations and non-governmental bodies take part in discussions on this topic.

The Assembly is particularly active in areas related to the protection of human rights. She has various resolutions on crime issues, effective and fair justice, the fight against AIDS, the elimination of trafficking in children and drug addiction, among others. The Assembly also approved provisions on lesbians and homosexuals, exploitation of people under the age of sixteen, sects and religious beliefs.

PACE today

Most recently, one of the most powerful and large participants of the Assembly - Russia - refused some contracts that significantly influenced the activities of the PACE. Thus, the Russian Federation has shown that it to some extent suspends, terminates cooperation with the organization, although it is not very profitable for it. The President of the Assembly took the first step and contacted the government of the state, as, in her opinion, PACE can not do without such a powerful participant as Russia. If the Russian Federation refuses, the organization expects the formatting and the transition to a new level of international cooperation.