Deputies to attend PACE plenary

The members of the Cypriot delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Nicos Tornaritis, George Loucaides, Christiana Erotokritou and Kostis Efstathiou, will travel to Strasbourg to participate in the deliberations of the first part of the PACE 2024 session, between 21-25 January 2024, which will also be addressed by President Nikos Christodoulides.

According to a press release from the House, President Christodoulides will address the plenary session on 23 January, and will have a meeting with the members of the Cypriot delegation. The Permanent Delegation of the Republic and the Cypriot delegation to PACE will host a reception in honour of the President of the Republic in the presence of members of the Assembly and officials of the Council of Europe.

MP Efstathiou, in his capacity as Rapporteur on the issue of allegations of systemic torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in places of detention in Europe, will present a relevant resolution and report to the Plenary as well as his Opinion on the issue of the exploitation of minors in Europe.

Other issues that will be addressed at the session include recent developments in the Middle East following the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, the instrumentalisation of the migration issue during election campaigns and ensuring the freedom of the press and journalists in Europe.

Elections will also be held to elect the new President of the Convention and the new Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. Dunja Mijatović, the outgoing Commissioner for Human Rights, will address the Assembly on Monday 22 January.

President Christodoulides and the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, as well as the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Daniel Risch, will address the parliamentarians. Liechtenstein’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education, and Sport, Dominique Hasler, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, and Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić will present their communications to the Assembly and will take questions from members. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of Belarusian democratic opposition, will address the Assembly during the debate “A democratic future for Belarus”.