ERD, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 13: Tekster vedtaget af Forsamlingen under 3. session 2023

Europarådet 2022-23 (2. samling)
ERD Alm.del Bilag 13
Offentligt

2023 ORDINARY SESSION

Third part

19 – 23 June 2023

TEXTS ADOPTED

BY THE ASSEMBLY

Provisional versions

F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex | Tel: + 33 3 88 41 2000 |

ERD, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 13: Tekster vedtaget af Forsamlingen under 3. session 2023

Table of contents

Opinion

Opinion 301 (2023)

Budgets and priorities of the Council of Europe for the period 2024-2027

(Doc.

15780)

Recommendations

Recommendation 2255 (2023)

Recommendation 2256 (2023)

Recommendation 2257 (2023)

Health and social protection of undocumented workers or those in an

irregular situation (Doc.

15784)

Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor (Doc.

15796)

Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law and human

rights (Doc.

15787)

Resolutions

Resolution 2499 (2023)

Resolution 2500 (2023)

Resolution 2501 (2023)

Resolution 2502 (2023)

Resolution 2503 (2023)

Resolution 2504 (2023)

Resolution 2505 (2023)

Resolution 2506 (2023)

Resolution 2507 (2023)

Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile

(Doc.

15783)

Public health emergency: the need for a holistic approach to multilateralism

and health care (Doc.

15778)

Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2024-2025

(Doc.

15781)

Integration of migrants and refugees: benefits for all parties involved

(Doc.

15785)

Social inclusion of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons

through sport (Doc.

15786)

Health and social protection of undocumented workers or those in an

irregular situation (Doc.

15784)

UK reform of its human rights legislation: consequences for domestic and

European Human Rights protection (Doc.

15782)

Political consequences of the Russian Federation's war of aggression

against Ukraine

(Doc. 15797)

War of aggression against Ukraine – Participation of Russian and

Belarusian athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics?

(Doc.

15795)

Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor (Doc.

15796)

Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law and human

rights (Doc.

15787)

Closing the digital divide: promoting equal access to digital technologies

(Doc.

15776)

Resolution 2508 (2023)

Resolution 2509 (2023)

Resolution 2510 (2023)

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Opinion

301

ERD, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 13: Tekster vedtaget af Forsamlingen under 3. session 2023 ERD, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 13: Tekster vedtaget af Forsamlingen under 3. session 2023

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Opinion 301 (2023)

Provisional version

Budgets and priorities of the Council of Europe for the period

2024-2027

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly’s Opinion on the budget and priorities of the Council of Europe for the

period 2024-2027 has been prepared under unprecedented circumstances. The war of aggression waged by

the Russian Federation against Ukraine, a Council of Europe member State, since 24 February 2022 is a

violation of international law and a grave violation of the Statute of the Council of Europe (ETS No. 1), in

particular of the principles enshrined in Article 3.

As a result of this war, the Russian Federation was expelled from the Council of Europe on 16 March

2022, by a unanimous decision of the Committee of Ministers acting under Article 8 of the Statute and on the

basis of the unanimously adopted

Opinion 300

of the Assembly.

The 2024-2027 programming and budgeting process is thus taking place in the context of political, legal

and international transformations unfolding in Europe and beyond. These transformations require a re-

examination and re-assertion of the place and role of the Council of Europe in today’s European and global

multilateral architecture and a new focus in its political and budget priorities.

In this context, the Assembly welcomed the 4th Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and

Government held in Reykjavik on 16-17 May 2023. It expresses appreciation of the political commitment of

Council of Europe member States, witnessed by the participation, at the highest level, of their political leaders

in the Summit and the adoption of the Reykjavik Declaration.

The Assembly endorses the Reykjavik Declaration and its Appendices which give priority and direction

to the Council of Europe’s work. It welcomes the recommitment by member States to the fundamental values

enshrined in the Council of Europe Statute – democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The Assembly reiterates the importance of the member States’ commitment to the European

Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5) and their respect for the authority of the European Court on Human

Rights, whose judgments they are bound to implement. The implementation of the Court’s judgments must

remain one of the key priorities of the Council of Europe during the next quadrennial programme and budget

period. For its part, the Assembly shall continue to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the

implementation of judgments, in particular through high-level political dialogue and its regular thematic reports.

The Assembly stands together with the leaders of Council of Europe member States in unity for Ukraine

and accountability for the crimes committed against a member State. It welcomes the establishment of an

Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage and calls on all member and observer States, as well

as any other States that are eligible according to the Register’s Statute, to join as a Participant or Associate

Member. At the same time, the Assembly believes that efforts to ensure accountability and prevent impunity

should be further pursued, including through the establishment of an international ad hoc tribunal, as

recommended in

Resolution 2482 (2023).

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15780,

report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure,

Immunities and Institutional Affairs, rapporteur: Ms Ingjerd Schou).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023

(17th sitting).

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Opinion 301 (2023)

Particular attention should be paid to addressing the situation of children of Ukraine, in line with the

Declaration adopted at the 4th Summit, as well as to ensuring release of civilians, in particular children,

forcibly transferred or unlawfully deported to the territory of the Russian Federation or areas under its

temporary occupation or control, in accordance with Assembly

Resolution 2495 (2023)

and

Recommendation

2253 (2023).

Equally, the Assembly supports the Council of Europe’s commitment to provide concrete, tangible and

targeted support to Ukraine through the Action Plan “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023-2026).

For its part, it will continue to support the Verkhovna Rada in fulfilling Ukraine’s statutory obligations, and will

provide relevant expertise and peer-to-peer exchanges for parliamentarians. It calls on governments and

parliaments of member States to support these co-operation activities by providing additional extrabudgetary

resources.

10. The Assembly welcomes the commitment of member States to strengthening democracy and good

governance at all levels, as well as counteracting democratic backsliding. It will support member States in

delivering on the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy. The Assembly believes moreover that among the

political priorities for the next quadrennial cycle, efforts should be continued to provide early warning and rapid

reaction, and to provide relevant and targeted support to member States.

11. In its support for more active engagement with civil society and democracy actors, the Assembly

emphasises the need to further invest into working with human rights defenders, democratic forces,

independent civil society and free media from Belarus and the Russian Federation, who are fighting for the

values and principles of the Organisation, including the territorial integrity of sovereign member States.

Similarly, the Assembly believes that the strengthening of the youth perspective in the Council of Europe

should be given every priority as a means to revitalise democracy and enhance young people’s participation

in democratic and political processes.

12. Addressing new and emerging human rights challenges must be among the Organisation’s priorities

during the 2024-2027 programme and budget cycle. Special attention should be paid to initiatives to uphold a

right to a clean, safe, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right, including through the

strengthening of the relevant legal framework. Equally, it supports the Summit’s commitment to initiate the

Reykjavik process and looks forward to contributing to it. Legal and human rights aspects of the use of

artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies should remain in the focus of the Council of Europe

agenda, including the finalisation of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence.

13. The Assembly is at the disposal of the Committee of Ministers to feed into the vision that will underpin

the establishment of the intergovernmental committee on environment and human rights (Reykjavik

Committee), which the Assembly recommends be established as of 1 January 2024. With a view to

contributing to the realisation of the human right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment at

national, European and international level, the Assembly recommends that the Reykjavik Committee benefit

from multidisciplinary and multisectoral expertise, start with a stock-taking exercise of existing instruments and

mechanisms at European and international level to inspire synergies and avoid duplication of work, and serve

as a platform for the exchange of good practice at all levels.

14. Combating inequalities and discrimination, as well as upholding gender equality, including combating

violence against women and promoting the ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe

Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (CETS No. 210,

“Istanbul Convention”), must remain at the forefront of the Council of Europe agenda. Alongside its work on

this topic, the Assembly is committed to enhancing equality between women and men in its own structures

and working arrangements.

15. The Council of Europe should continue to act as the United Nations Organisation’s regional pilar

supporting the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals, which should continue to be mainstreamed in all

Council of Europe activities. It welcomes the Summit’s commitment to strengthening institutional partnership

with the European Union and calls for a speedy completion of the process of accession of the European

Union to the European Convention on Human Rights.

16. Given the depth and ambition of the priorities set by the leaders of the member States at the 4th

Summit, it is clear that the Council of Europe should be granted resources that are commensurate with the

level of member States’ political ambition for the Organisation. To effectively deliver on the Summit outcomes,

the Organisation’s resources should be increased over and above the zero real growth perspective. The

sustainability of the Council of Europe’s action requires unwavering commitment and investment in the

financial contributions from our member States.

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Opinion 301 (2023)

17. Therefore, the Assembly calls upon the member States to invest sufficient additional resources into the

Organisation to allow it to deliver the results which the Summit has indicated. It is convinced that the need to

match resources to ambition will remain at the forefront of the discussions in the Committee of Ministers

during the 2024-2027 budgetary process.

18. The Assembly welcomes all the work put in over recent years to modernise and reform the working

methods and governance of the Council of Europe, led by the Committee of Ministers, the Secretary General

and the Deputy Secretary General, including the introduction of the Result-based Management Strategy as

well as the implementation of the People Strategy. It welcomes the approval by the Committee of Ministers of

the Capital Master Plan which,

inter alia

provides for the refurbishment and modernisation of the Assembly

Chamber through 2023-2024.

19. The Assembly recalls its own initiatives to modernise the Assembly’s tools and working methods,

including through the pace-apps application, with a view to attain the objective of “paper-less” operation, thus

reducing the Assembly’s – and the Council of Europe’s – costs as well as its carbon footprint in an overall

effort to address the environmental challenge. Digital modernisation will therefore continue to be high on the

Assembly’s own list of priorities during the 2024-2027 programme and budget period, as will the best-practice

management of its staff and budgetary resources in line with the reforms put in place in the whole

Organisation.

Recommendations

2255 to 2257

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Recommendation 2255 (2023)

Provisional version

Health and social protection of undocumented workers or

those in an irregular situation

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its

Resolution 2504 (2023)

“Health and social protection of

undocumented workers or those in an irregular situation” and underlines the responsibility of member States

to prevent human rights violations against undocumented workers. The currently prevailing national policies

and legislation tend to render this category of workers invisible, extremely fragile and exposed to exploitation

or even trafficking in human beings, including for the purpose of forced labour.

The Assembly supports the ongoing national efforts and institutional mobilisation to strengthen socio-

economic rights for all across Europe, notably through the work of the Committee of Ministers

Ad hoc

Working

Party on improving the European Social Charter system (GT-CHARTE), the Rapporteur Group on Social and

Health Questions (GR-SOC) and the European Committee of Social Rights. In this context, the Assembly

stresses the need to remove the restriction of the personal scope of application of the European Social

Charter (ETS No. 35) (that is, the exclusion of persons from countries that have not ratified it, and of those not

lawfully resident or working regularly on the territory of the Party concerned) and suggests adding new

provisions to the Charter on enhanced protection of workers in non-standard forms of employment.

To this end, the Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers to insist that all member States sign,

ratify and fully implement as many provisions of the European Social Charter and its protocols as possible,

and expand the reach of existing rights under the Charter to all persons

de facto

living under their jurisdiction.

Considering the relevance of the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers (ETS

No. 93) with regard to the general conditions for entry and residence of migrant domestic workers and aiming

to ensure treatment no less favourable than that afforded to nationals, the Assembly asks the Committee of

Ministers to encourage among member States the greatest number of signatures to, and ratifications of, this

Convention.

Drawing on the experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Assembly further asks the Committee

of Ministers to recommend to member States to extend the criteria for access to permanent regularisation

mechanisms and/or consider putting in place targeted regularisation programmes which would offer greater

protection of socio-economic rights of undocumented workers, to facilitate their access to justice, which is the

cornerstone of respect for their rights, by setting up procedures to ensure the non-cross-checking of data in

the various services, and to facilitate their access to a universal healthcare system.

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15784,

report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health

and Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Ada Marra; and

Doc. 15794,

opinion of the Committee on Migration,

Refugees and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Ms Arusyak Julhakyan).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023

(17th sitting).

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Recommendation 2256 (2023)

Provisional version

Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor

Parliamentary Assembly

Referring to

Resolution 2508 (2023)

“Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor” and

recognising the Committee of Ministers’ role as the guarantor of the protection of human rights within the

member States of the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly draws the Committee of Ministers’

attention to the humanitarian and human rights crisis affecting the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh,

following Azerbaijan’s unilateral actions at the Lachin corridor in contradiction with the ceasefire agreement

signed on 9 November 2020 by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the

Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, referred to as

the Trilateral Statement.

Regretting that the Assembly Rapporteur was not invited to Azerbaijan and was thus unable to gather

first-hand information on the spot, the Assembly requests that a Council of Europe fact-finding mission be

organised to Azerbaijan as early as possible, with the aim of assessing the situation where Armenians live

and have been affected by the absence of a free and safe access through the Lachin corridor since 12

December 2022.

Acknowledging the feeling of insecurity and threat experienced by the Armenian population living in

Nagorno-Karabakh, the Assembly believes that the Council of Europe may play an important role in fostering

trust and dialogue between its two member States, notably through confidence-building measures. It therefore

encourages the Committee of Ministers to develop new activities within the existing action plans or through a

sui generis

co-operation instrument, which would aim,

inter alia,

to tackle hate speech, in particular

unacceptable language and rhetoric employed by members of the Government of Azerbaijan in relation to

members of the Armenian population, and to contribute to building a climate of tolerance and mutual respect.

Assembly debate

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting) (see

Doc. 15796,

report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees

and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr Paul Gavan).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting).

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Recommendation 2257 (2023)

Provisional version

Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law

and human rights

Parliamentary Assembly

Referring to its

Resolution 2509 (2023)

“Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law

and human rights”, the Parliamentary Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

1.1. review and update the Guidelines on “Eradicating impunity for serious human rights violations”

adopted on 30 March 2011 at the 1110th meeting of the Minister’s Deputies, with a view to including

transnational repression techniques;

1.2. consider drawing up a recommendation to member States on the fight against transnational

repression, taking due account of international human rights law and in particular the case law of the

European Court of Human Rights. Such a recommendation would include a definition of transnational

repression that could be later adopted by member States and other Council of Europe bodies;

1.3. when supervising the execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgments featuring

transnational repression, underline the requirement of individual accountability of perpetrators and call

on the States concerned to adopt general measures to prevent these practices in future and provide

guarantees of non-repetition.

Assembly debate

on 23 June 2023 (19th sitting) (see

Doc. 15787,

report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and

Human Rights, rapporteur: Sir Christopher Chope).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 23 June 2023 (19th sitting).

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Resolutions

2499 to 2510

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Resolution 2499 (2023)

Provisional version

Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in

exile

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly is deeply concerned by the fate of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians

who are in exile because they had no other choice than to flee the repressive regime of Aliaksandr

Lukashenka. If any doubts remained about the nature of the latter, the rigged presidential election of 9 August

2020 haS shown its true character, turning Belarus into an open-air prison where human rights have been

reduced to nothing.

The Assembly recalls

Resolution 2433 (2022)

“Consequences of the Russian Federation's continued

aggression against Ukraine: role and response of the Council of Europe” in which it expressed its resolve “to

intensify its engagement with Belarusian ... civil society, human rights defenders, independent journalists,

academia and democratic forces respecting the values and principles of the Organisation”.

The Assembly is impressed by the resilience, courage and determination of the Belarusians in exile

who are fighting for democracy to prevail in their country. It is conscious that a new obstacle for them has

emerged on 24 February 2022 with the large-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine to

which the Lukashenka regime actively participates. It regrets that the more time that passes since 9 August

2020, the day Lukashenka in reality lost the elections, the further away in time the return of the Belarusians

who find themselves in exile becomes.

The Assembly can only be impressed by the work and initiatives of the Office of Sviatlana

Tsikhanouskaya and the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, which aim at providing their compatriots with

the services the regime deliberately withholds.

Recognising that the Belarusian people cannot be equated with the Lukashenka regime, the Assembly

considers that Belarusians in exile should not be treated in a discriminatory manner because of the

participation of that regime in the war against Ukraine.

The Assembly emphasises that while most of the Belarusians who have been forced to leave their

country in the context of the 2020 presidential election have only one wish: to return to a democratic Belarus,

it is important that their host countries do their utmost to ensure that they can stay legally and are welcomed in

dignified conditions respectful of their fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention on

Human Rights (ETS No. 5) and other relevant Council of Europe instruments, pending the establishment of a

democratic regime in Belarus.

The Assembly deeply deplores that the Lukashenka regime is continuing to exercise pressure on those

who have left the country, notably by refusing to provide consular services to its citizens and by threatening

their security.

While many European countries have opened their borders to Belarusians, the Assembly notes that the

closer those countries find themselves to Belarus, the greater is their understanding of the situation of those

fleeing.

Assembly debate

on 20 June 2023 (16th sitting) (see

Doc. 15783,

report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees

and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr Paul Galles).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 20 June 2023 (16th sitting).

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Resolution 2499 (2023)

Applauding Lithuania’s and Poland’s efforts to find legal and practical solutions to welcome the

Belarusians in exile, the Assembly notes that more can be done.

10. Regretting that too many obstacles and hurdles continue to affect those who have found themselves in

other countries, the Assembly is convinced that better knowledge of the situation in Belarus and political will

are the prerequisites to adopting measures which will alleviate as much as possible the fact of being in exile.

11. It calls upon member States to recognise the unique situation in which the Belarusians in exile find

themselves, requiring out of the box solutions to ensure that they can live their lives as unimpeded as possible

pending their return to a democratic Belarus.

12. The Assembly hails the establishment by the Committee of Ministers of a Contact Group on co-

operation between the Council of Europe and the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society. This

sui

generis

co-operation model, the first established with the Belarus democratic forces by an international

organisation, aims to provide the Organisation’s support and expertise to strengthen Belarusian democratic

society in line with Council of Europe core values. The Assembly is also delighted to welcome representatives

of the Belarus democratic forces in the work of its committees by decision of the Bureau of the Assembly.

13. The Assembly strongly believes that it is high time to translate the political support that the democratic

forces of Belarus enjoy among the member States into concrete actions and that measures taken against the

Lukashenka regime should not affect the people fighting it.

14. The Assembly is convinced that in order to ensure full respect for human rights of the Belarusians while

they are in exile and ultimately to contribute to the democratic transition in their country, the Council of Europe

member States should put in place relatively simple and non-costly measures within their own jurisdiction for

those persons.

Legal entry and stay

15. While respecting visa requirements and ensuring the necessary security checks, member States should

seek to keep their borders open for those fleeing the Lukashenka regime by taking

inter alia

the following

measures:

15.1. issuing humanitarian visas in all embassies and consulates still operating in Minsk and

expanding the eligibility criteria for such visas to relatives of political prisoners;

15.2. opening up and guaranteeing the possibility of granting visas to EU countries in those member

States where a visa is not required for Belarusian citizens, without requiring a residence permit in those

countries;

15.3. issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas for relatives of Belarusians in exile who come to visit them

on a short-term and temporary basis;

15.4. issuing longer duration multiple-entry visas to be used as a back-up option for those who are at

risk of arrest in Belarus. The United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus shall bear the responsibility of

identifying and recognising the individuals who are at risk of arrest in Belarus. The clearly defined

criteria should be jointly developed by the Cabinet with partners from member States.

16. Member States should also facilitate expert-to-expert talks between their relevant migration authorities

and the relevant representatives of the Belarus democratic forces in exile to solve problems as they arise in a

pragmatic way.

17. Member States are encouraged to put in place measures to ensure transparency in the decision-

making process where credentials are issued by non-governmental organisations to support the issuance of

visas or the legalisation process.

18. Those member States which have yet not done so should rapidly develop legal instruments allowing for

the legalisation of the stay of the Belarusians in exile.

19. Recognising the importance of psychological stability and the feeling of safety for those who left their

home involuntarily or forcibly, the Assembly calls upon member States to provide long-term legalisation for the

Belarusians in exile, thus avoiding unnecessary hurdles and stress.

20. In order to support the work of their relevant migration offices, member States are encouraged to

prepare a Belarus country factsheet and provide training for their staff on the actual situation in this country,

so as to enable them to take prompt and sound decisions on individual cases.

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Resolution 2499 (2023)

Freedom of movement

21. Member States are encouraged, in co-operation with the European Commission, to identify adequate

solutions to allow Belarusians in exile to travel within the European Union, notably through systematising the

use of foreigners’ passport and/or continuing to recognise Belarus passports which have expired.

22. The Assembly also invites member States, again in close co-operation with the European Commission

and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to discuss with the relevant representatives of the

Belarus democratic forces in exile the possibility to issue a passport for Belarus citizens in exile which would

be recognised among member States.

Safety and security

23. Underlining that deprivation of nationality should not lead to statelessness and that even if Belarus is

not a State party to the United Nations Statelessness conventions, these are principles of international law

and human rights law, which should be observed by all States; recalling that Belarus has accepted Georgia’s

recommendation under the 3rd cycle of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review; and noting that

Belarus pledged to accede to both United Nations statelessness conventions at the High-Level Segment on

Statelessness in 2019, the Assembly strongly encourages member States to do their utmost to recognise the

importance of establishing statelessness determination procedures, which in turn would provide protection in

host States to those rendered stateless.

24. As addressing a request to a Belarus consulate, such as for certification of a clean criminal record

necessary for the legalisation process, or the prolongation of a passport, can lead to reprisals or threats

against the applicants’ relatives who stayed in Belarus or to the applicants themselves, member States are

strongly encouraged not to require documents obtainable only through Belarus official channels.

25. Member States should abstain from extraditing Belarusian citizens in exile on the basis of Red Notices

issued by Interpol at the request of the Lukashenka regime, given the use of criminal prosecutions for political

purposes. If in doubt, they are encouraged to verify Interpol requests from Belarus through the Law and Order

Restoration Office of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, which includes former law enforcement

officers staff dismissed for political reasons, thus possessing the necessary qualifications, experience, and

access to databases.

26. The Assembly is concerned that information transferred by European banks to Belarus banks has been

used by the Belarus Security Services to target human rights defenders in Belarus. The Assembly calls on

member States to encourage the private sector to pay due heed to human rights issues in their operations

and undertake the necessary due diligence to protect Belarusian human rights defenders who are their clients

from risks of further persecutions as a result of their operations or information exchanges. Furthermore,

member States should do their utmost to prevent the misuse of international criminal co-operation measures

by the Lukashenka regime as an additional tool for repression.

27. More generally, member States should not deem Belarus to be a safe country. They are encouraged to

send referral letters to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court expressing their concern for the

situation in Belarus and asking him to respond to a Communication under Article 15(2) of the Rome Statute of

the International Criminal Court entitled “The Situation in Belarus/Lithuania/Poland/Latvia and Ukraine: Crimes

Against Humanity of Deportation and Persecution” filed by International Partnership for Human Rights,

Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Global Diligence LPP and Truth Hounds on 19 May 2021.

Democratic forces in exile

28. Given the tremendous role that the People’s Consulates can play, notably as communication channels

with national authorities, the Assembly strongly believes that member States should establish working

relationships with them, as representatives of democratic Belarus, and envisage supporting them through the

provision of organisational, information and material assistance, with the aim of developing their competences

and sustainability.

29. The Assembly strongly encourages the parliaments of those member States which have not yet done

so, to establish a parliamentary friendship group to create a network to exchange on the best measures to

support the Belarusians in exile. It is convinced that such a network would also facilitate the dialogue with the

Belarus democratic forces in exile, including the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the United Transition

Cabinet of Belarus and the Coordination Council.

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Resolution 2499 (2023)

30. The Assembly also invites member States to provide funds for and contribute to the activities agreed in

the framework of the Council of Europe Contact Group on Belarus, in particular taking advantage of the

activities proposed by the Secretariat of the Assembly on “Strengthening political dialogue”.

Support to civil society

31. The Assembly is convinced that it is indispensable to create conditions to ensure the sustainability of

Belarusian civil society organisations in exile, in particular by providing them with the tools and means to

mobilise their compatriots in exile, to carry out their activities and to remain visible. This should be particularly

the case for organisations aiming at developing and strengthening the Belarusian language and culture.

32. Underlining the role played by the Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of International Non-

Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe (Conference of INGOs) in supporting freedom of

association in Europe, the Assembly strongly encourages member States to request its opinions on measures

adversely affecting the operation of Belarusians NGOs in exile and to adopt policies accordingly.

33. It also encourages the constituent members of the Conference of INGOs to co-operate and assist

Belarusian NGOs in exile.

Support to lawyers in exile

34. In the light of the repression faced by the legal profession in Belarus and the fact that many lawyers are

in exile abroad, the Assembly calls for the recognition of the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers

as the organisation entrusted with the promotion and protection of the human rights of lawyers deprived of the

right to exercise their profession in Belarus, and with improving provision of legal assistance.

Access to education and culture

35. Recognising that children can be adversely affected by the forced exile of their parents, the Assembly

encourages their prompt integration in the host country while strengthening their national identity and culture.

When integrating recently arrived Belarusian children in ordinary classes, the Assembly recalls the pertinence

of the language education and linguistic integration tools for children developed by the Council of Europe. At

the same time, it also supports the creation of classes in Belarusian in schools where there are sufficient

Belarusian children, open not only to members of the Belarusian national minority but also to those who have

recently arrived.

36. The Assembly, impressed by the renaissance of the interest for Belarusian language and culture,

strongly supports the initiatives by civil society organisations to preserve and strengthen these among the

members of long-lasting diaspora and the more recent arrivals. It therefore strongly encourages member

States to facilitate the creation of publishing houses in Belarusian, the teaching of Belarusian language and

culture in universities, the development of new tools supporting the dissemination of Belarusian language and

culture among those in exile but also within Belarus. It believes that it is crucial for Belarusian statehood that

its culture and language find again their rightful place.

37. The Assembly, aware that academic freedom has been under attack for some years in Belarus, would

welcome the creation of a scientific journal for liberal-minded scholars both in exile and in Belarus to be

included in influential citation databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science or Google Scholar.

38. Recognising the role played by the European Humanities University, the only Belarusian university able

to operate on the basis of academic freedom and adherence to European values, in exile in Vilnius since

2005, the Assembly invites member States, as well as the European Union, to further support this institution

and open up further opportunities so that it continues to develop creative, free and critical thinking among

Belarusian students and is in a position to attract scholars and students from Eastern Partnership countries.

39. Understanding the importance of terminology and adequate transliteration from Belarusian, the

Assembly strongly encourages member States to correctly transliterate all terms relating to Belarus.

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Resolution 2499 (2023)

Access to financial services and the pursuit of economic activities

40. Recognising the difficulties faced by individuals, businesses and civil society organisations to open a

bank account in some member States, the Assembly asks the member States to encourage their banks to

make the distinction between the Lukashenka regime and the people who have fled it, in particular by allowing

the “Know Your Customer” procedure due diligence to be carried out by appropriate and relevant structures

designated by the Belarus democratic forces in exile.

41. The Assembly encourages the Government of Ukraine to co-operate with the Belarusian democratic

forces in exile, particularly with the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, to conduct detailed checks, and in

the case of a positive outcome of such checks with regard to the national security of Ukraine, to proceed with

deblocking of the remaining 50 bank accounts that are currently inaccessible by their owners.

42. The Assembly welcomes the fact that many businesses were able to relocate from Belarus in particular

to Georgia, Lithuania and Poland, but notes that difficulties persist. The Assembly encourages measures to be

taken which will ease processes of transfer, accreditation, acquisition, access to credit, to audit services etc.

In this context, it believes that the Poland Business Harbour could serve as a promising practice to be

emulated by other member States. Ultimately, the Assembly trusts that these businesses, be it in the IT, retail,

logistics, small services or construction sectors, if allowed to operate and pay tax, will contribute to the

economy of their host countries and alleviate the efforts made by them to welcome the Belarusians who found

shelter from repression and violence.

https://pace.coe.int

Resolution 2500 (2023)

Provisional version

Public health emergency: the need for a holistic approach to

multilateralism and health care

Parliamentary Assembly

Long before the outbreak of Covid-19, scientists and public health experts had warned that threats from

infectious diseases would represent one of the primary international health challenges of our times.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic hit a largely-unprepared world and revealed widespread lack of

compliance with the International Health Regulations by States. This has resulted in millions of deaths, a high

disease burden, and severe disruption of the lives of billions of people across all regions of the world, as well

as a major setback to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

It is believed that the world has entered a new pandemic era, where Covid-19 is seen only as a

forerunner of more – and possibly worse – public health emergencies to come. New public health

emergencies linked to the climate crisis, coupled with dwindling biodiversity and the consequences of the

armed conflicts, are waiting to unfold, and will likely hit the world unexpectedly. It is thus urgent that States

learn the lessons from previous health emergencies by strengthening the global health architecture and

developing necessary strategies at national levels, in order to react swiftly to emerging global health risks.

The Parliamentary Assembly considers that a holistic multilateral effort is needed, bringing together the

World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and others in a multi-stakeholder

dialogue to revisit the rules governing the health-care industry in the provision of essential medicines,

vaccines, and health-care services at national and international levels, including a diversification of medical

supply sources. These rules should ensure that both the public and the private sectors in health care anchor

their operations in human rights, notably the right to health, and guarantee equitable access to treatments and

vaccinations of appropriate quality for all as public goods.

The Assembly welcomes the processes taking place at the international level to transform global health

governance, including to ensure sustainable financing of WHO, to reform the 2005 International Health

Regulations, and to draft a legally binding instrument on pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response.

Moreover, the Assembly supports the reform of international trade agreements to correct and to prevent

inequities in accessing public goods critical to preventing and controlling public health emergencies,

contributing towards a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

The Assembly strongly believes that the processes taking place to transform global health governance

must build on the principle of equity and should explicitly refer to the relevant obligations of States to protect

human rights and fundamental freedoms during public health emergencies. In this regard, the Assembly

supports calls from United Nations experts that the new instrument on pandemic preparedness should draw

on Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and on Article 4 of the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It must be recognised that the right to health is indivisible

from all other rights, and as such the new instrument must also impose clear obligations on States to protect

Assembly debate

on 20 June 2023 (16th sitting) (see

Doc. 15778,

report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health

and Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Selin Sayek Böke).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 20 June 2023

(16th sitting).

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Resolution 2500 (2023)

the full range of human rights, especially economic, social, and environmental rights, such as the right to

housing, to social protection, to adequate nutrition, and to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable

environment, which are essential to the enjoyment of the right to health.

The Assembly welcomes the participation of parliamentarians in the drafting process of this instrument

but regrets that it has not included genuine and meaningful participation by marginalised groups, civil society

and non-governmental organisations working to promote public health and human rights, and urges WHO

member States to reconsider this process, so as to enable transparent and accessible opportunities for all

relevant stakeholders to contribute to the development of this crucial new instrument.

Public health authorities must implement timely and appropriate measures to curb the effects of public

health emergencies, now and in the future. Member States are invited to draw inspiration from the toolkit

issued by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, on respecting human rights, democracy and the

rule of law during the Covid-19 crisis, as well as the relevant resolutions and recommendations adopted by

Assembly, in particular

Resolution 2329 (2020) “Lessons for the future from an effective and rights-based

response to the Covid-19 pandemic”, Resolution 2337 (2020) “Democracies facing the Covid-19 pandemic”

and

Resolution 2424 (2022) “Beating Covid-19 with public health measures”.

The Assembly regrets that the current system of global health security is not fit for purpose. It is too

fragmented, overly dependent on discretionary bilateral aid, and dangerously underfunded. The Assembly

thus believes this critical moment provides an opportunity to combat not just emerging threats, the Covid-19

pandemic, and the devastating effects it has had on the global economy, but also pre-existing fault-lines and

inequities, including in access to health care, which have been brought to light by the pandemic. It urges

governments to embrace the “One Health” approach, which embraces the interactions between animals,

humans and the environment, and which contributes to health and protects against disease.

The Assembly thus calls on governments in Council of Europe member States and worldwide, to:

9.1.

with respect to ongoing processes at WHO:

9.1.1. commit to ensuring sustainable financing of WHO and make it independent of voluntary

contributions so it can fulfil its essential functions;

9.1.2. actively participate in the World Health Assembly with a view to ensuring good

governance of the WHO;

9.1.3. ensure inclusive decision making and full and equal participation of developing

countries in the negotiating processes of the International Health Regulations and the

Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other

international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (“WHO CA+”);

9.1.4. ensure that the aforementioned WHO CA+ is developed through a transparent and

meaningfully consultative process, involving, and taking into account the proposals of, civil

society, non governmental organisations and human rights organisations, and define an active

role for parliamentarians to oversee the transparency and effectiveness of the much needed

consultative processes;

9.1.5. mainstream human rights in potential amendments to the International Health

Regulations and in the drafting process of WHO CA+, and ensure in particular that such

instruments are in line with the Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Public Health

Emergencies (PHE Principles);

9.1.6. recognise that human rights are indivisible and impose clear obligations to protect

human rights in the prevention of, during, and in the aftermath of public health emergencies, in

line with the PHE Principles, paying particular attention to social, economic and environmental

rights, such as the right to housing, social protection, adequate nutrition, and a safe, clean,

healthy and sustainable environment, which are essential to the enjoyment of the right to health;

9.1.7. impose clear obligations on States to regulate, monitor and protect against abuses by

non-state actors and companies operating within their jurisdiction and transnationally;

9.1.8. prohibit the undermining of other nations’ access to health goods, facilities, services

and technologies, including through stockpiling of scarce resources and entering into bilateral

agreements by outbidding other nations;

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Resolution 2500 (2023)

9.1.9. commit to supporting a “One Health” approach, which embraces the interactions

between animals, humans and the environment, and which contributes to health and protects

against disease, including through enhanced collaboration of the WHO with other relevant

international organisations;

9.1.10. facilitate timely access to scientific knowledge and information to all stakeholders,

including an open data-sharing and benefit-sharing system for epidemiological, genomic, clinical

and anthropological evidence, from academia to the front line, as recommended in

Resolution

2114 (2016)

“The handling of international public-health emergencies”;

9.2.

with respect to the WTO and international trade:

9.2.1. interpret the Doha Declaration in the context of international legal obligations to ensure

access to public goods, including medicines, diagnostics, treatments and technologies, and

recognise the need to limit intellectual property rights in public health emergencies;

9.2.2. make full use of the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)

flexibilities whenever possible to ensure equitable access to public goods;

9.2.3.

commit to keeping supply chains open during public health emergencies;

9.2.4. initiate a process of reform of international trade agreements, with the aim of correcting

and preventing inequities in accessing health goods, facilities, services and technologies critical

to preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies;

9.3. with respect to building stronger and more resilient health systems and responding to public

health emergencies at national levels:

9.3.1. invest in primary health care and scale up the health workforce, ensuring decent pay

and working conditions;

9.3.2. develop human-rights compliant strategies to prevent and handle major public-health

hazards, including early detection, accurate data collection, availability of diagnostic and

treatment tools, and real-time continuous monitoring to improve results in accordance with

international recommendations;

9.3.3. provide universal health coverage to everyone within their territory, regardless of legal

status, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, including mental

disability, health status, socio-economic background, or any other relevant status;

9.3.4. develop national prioritisation strategies to ensure equitable allocation of goods, such

as vaccines, medicines and protective equipment, in situations of scarce resources. In doing so,

member States should be guided by Article 3 of the Convention for the protection of Human

Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine:

Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (ETS No. 164, Oviedo Convention), and are

invited to consult

Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)1 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council

of Europe on “Equitable access to medicinal products and medical equipment in a situation of

shortage”, Resolution 2361 (2021) “Covid-19 vaccines: ethical, legal and practical

considerations”

and the statement adopted by the

Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) entitled

“Covid-19 and vaccines: ensuring equitable access to vaccination during the current and future

pandemics”;

9.3.5. identify vulnerabilities in medical supply chains and develop strategies for

strengthening and diversifying supply sources, taking into consideration the recommendations

set out in

Resolution 2474 (2022) “Securing safe medical supply chains”;

9.3.6. enhance public investment in research and development and share results of publicly

financed research between countries;

9.3.7. identify vulnerabilities in medical supply chains and strengthen manufacturing

capacities and competence to produce in accordance with standards of Good Manufacturing

Practice;

9.3.8. develop and maintain strong, efficient, transparent and sustainable regulatory systems

for the evaluation and control of medicines throughout their lifecycle, and promote reliance on

recognised global expertise to harmonise and streamline the different steps of the process –

from regulatory evaluation and approval, to batch acceptance;

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Resolution 2500 (2023)

9.3.9. promote community engagement and mobilisation as essential elements of any action

plan to deal with public health emergencies;

9.3.10. build up health literacy amongst all population groups and work with trusted non-

governmental organisations and/or local initiatives to reach out to marginalised groups;

9.3.11. regulate activities of non-state actors and companies within their jurisdiction, in line with

the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,

Recommendation CM/

Rec(2016)3 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (2016) on “Business and

human rights”

and Principle 5 of the PHE Principles on human rights duties of States relating to

non-state actors;

9.3.12. in the event of a public health emergency, carefully design and implement public health

measures that would mitigate transmission, and ensure they are compatible with human rights,

taking into account the recommendations in

Resolution 2424 (2022)

“Beating Covid-19 with

public health measures”;

9.3.13. continuously review public health measures put in place to ensure they are human-

rights compliant, relevant, proportionate, evidence-based and effective at all times, and enable

parliamentary and judicial oversight;

9.3.14. recognise the need to reach zero carbon emissions and to accelerate the transition to

clean renewable sources of energy as a public health priority and take measures at national and

multilateral levels to reach these goals.

10. The Assembly recalls the critical role parliaments play in moving the global public health agenda

forward by enacting legislation, approving budgets, mobilising resources, and providing democratic oversight.

It calls on national parliaments to continue to play a key role in transforming global health governance,

including through parliamentary representation at multi-stakeholder events leading up to the United Nations

High Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in September 2023 and open

meetings of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO CA+.

11. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed gross inequities in access to essential public goods, including

medicines, vaccines, and personal protective equipment. It revealed that the global health is only as strong as

its weakest link. The Assembly thus calls on all stakeholders, in particular the European Union and the United

States of America, to support the proposals by developing countries to ensure equitable access to health

products, technologies and know-how, the strengthening of health systems and an access and benefit sharing

mechanism for genetic material.

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https://pace.coe.int

Resolution 2501 (2023)

Provisional version

Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium

2024-2025

Parliamentary Assembly

In accordance with Committee of Ministers Resolution (53) 38 on the budgetary system of the

Consultative Assembly and in line with Article 20 of the Financial Regulations, the Parliamentary Assembly

issues an opinion on its expenditure on a bi-annual basis. The sums allocated to the Assembly from the

ordinary budget of the Council of Europe cover staff and operating costs, including those of the political

groups. Since 2010, the Assembly has presented its opinion concerning its own expenses in the form of a

resolution. The present resolution has been drafted within the framework of the 2024-2027 programme and

quadrennial budget cycle and covers the Assembly priorities and expenditure needs during the period

2024-2025.

The 24 February 2022 war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine lead to the

expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe on the grounds of serious violation of the

Organisation’s Statute (ETS No. 1). This has had an impact on the activities of the Council of Europe,

including the Assembly.

In terms of budgetary consequences, the expulsion of a major contributor member State required the

remaining 46 member States to fill the gap in the 2022-2023 budget, as well as to reallocate available funding

to priority activities, in particular in support of Ukraine, including within the framework of the Action Plan

“Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.

In terms of political consequences, the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of

Europe highlighted in the Reykjavik Declaration and its Appendices the readjusted political direction and

priorities for the Council of Europe’s work. The Assembly expressed support to these in

Opinion 301 (2023)

“Budget and priorities of the Council of Europe for the period 2024-2027”.

Building upon the outcomes of the 4th Summit, during the 2024-2025 biennium, the Assembly will

continue to play its role of the largest European multilateral political parliamentary platform for debating

current challenges and emerging issues regarding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These values

and principles are facing challenges on the European continent and beyond, not least in relation with the war

of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The Assembly will continue to provide support to

Ukraine, including through interparliamentary co-operation, and to address the political, legal and human

rights consequences of the war, as well as to secure accountability.

Moreover, the Assembly will focus on parliamentary co-operation and provision of support to member

States and their parliaments in delivering on a number of key priorities identified in the Reykjavik Declaration.

Notably, its priorities will include the support to the implementation of judgments of the European Court on

Human Rights, securing accountability and preventing impunity for the crime of aggression and war crimes,

crimes against humanity and grave human rights violations committed during the Russian Federation’s war

against Ukraine, counteracting democratic backsliding and providing early warning and rapid reaction, as well

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15781,

report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure,

Immunities and Institutional Affairs, rapporteur: Ms Ingjerd Schou).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023

(17th sitting).

https://pace.coe.int

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Resolution 2501 (2023)

as addressing the new generation of rights, including regarding the environment and the use of artificial

intelligence and emerging digital technologies. The Assembly’s specific contribution to delivering the 4th

Summit’s agenda is outlined in the Appendix to the present draft resolution.

Furthermore, during the 2024-2025 biennium, the Assembly will continue to promote the ratification and

domestic implementation of Council of Europe key legal instruments by Council of Europe member States and

within the Organisation’s neighbourhood and political proximity. Notably, it will contribute to the

implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through parliamentary involvement and

co-operation.

Fulfilling its statutory role, the Assembly will ensure election of judges to the European Court of Human

Rights and of Council of Europe high officials in accordance with the election schedule, as well as look into the

membership application transmitted by the Committee of Ministers.

The Assembly’s contribution to the implementation of the 4th Summit’s outcomes as well as provision of

enhanced support to Council of Europe member States, in particular Ukraine, in addressing the

consequences of the ongoing war, would require structural reinforcement of the Assembly’s Secretariat, as

described in the Appendix to the present draft resolution. The Assembly expects due consideration to be

given to these proposals.

10. At the same time, during the 2024-2025 period, the Assembly will continue its modernisation efforts,

with a view to

inter alia

simplifying and improving accessibility of its working tools as well as optimising

expenditure regarding in particular document production and printing, with the aim of transitioning to a full

“paper-less” operation, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the Assembly and contributing to the

Organisation’s overall environmental effort.

11. Similarly, the Assembly welcomes the launch, in February 2023, of the long-awaited renovation of the

Assembly Chamber, scheduled to be completed in 2024. The renovation works are expected to modernise the

Chamber’s equipment (including IT, multimedia and voting systems) as well as upgrade it to modern safety,

security and accessibility standards. The Assembly looks forward to the timely completion of the works.

12. During 2024-2025, the Assembly budget should continue to contribute to the viability of the functioning

of political groups. The political groups are facing an increased financial pressure, especially relating to

growing staff costs due to inflation as well as increase in travel costs. This affects the entire Organisation, not

least because of the current economic situation and the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

While the Assembly shall continue to cover the interpretation costs of the political groups’ statutory meetings

during part-sessions, it believes that it would be timely and appropriate to increase the overall allocations to

the groups, so as to give them more flexibility to organise their activities.

13. Lastly, the Assembly reiterates its view that the sustainability of the Council of Europe’s activities, as

well as the full and effective implementation of the outcomes of the 4th Summit of Council of Europe Heads of

State and Government requires strengthening the Council of Europe’s financial basis. It believes that member

States’ financial effort towards the Organisation should match their political ambition, as expressed in the

Reykjavik Declaration. In this context, the Assembly shall work closely with the Committee of Ministers and

the Secretary General to achieving this goal, relying on the support of the parliaments of the Council of

Europe 46 member States.

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Resolution 2501 (2023)

Appendix – Expenditure needs of the Parliamentary Assembly

1. Staff expenditure

The budget of the Parliamentary Assembly covers basic salaries, allowances (both non-recurrent and

periodical) and social insurance for staff of the secretariat of the Assembly. The information given is based on

the present structure of the Assembly composed of nine committees.

The entry into force, on 1 January 2023, of the new Staff regulations of the Council of Europe has given

the possibility to stabilise jobs for staff currently employed on short-term, precarious, contracts, thus optimising

the Assembly’s structures and staff resources. Ongoing processes of selection and appointment of staff will

be finalised on 1 July 2023.

Thus, on 1 July 2023, the Assembly Secretariat will count 84 posts (including 3 A-grade national

secondments) as well as 1 specially appointed official (Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly).

Overall, there will be 49 A-grade jobs and 35 B-grade jobs.

The Secretariat is organised around two Directorates, respectively responsible for Democracy and the

Rule Law (Directorate 1) and Human Dignity and Sustainable Development (Directorate 2), the Table Office,

Information Technologies and Events Department, as well as the Administration and Central Services

Department.

Directorate 1 provides secretariat services to 5 general committees and the Election observation

Division. Directorate 2 incorporates secretariats of 4 general committees and the Inter-parliamentary co-

operation Division.

The President’s Private Office, the Secretary General’s Office (also providing secretariat services to the

Bureau of the Assembly and the Joint Committee) as well as the Communication Division are directly

subordinated to the Secretary General of the Assembly.

The existing structures and staff composition allow the Assembly Secretariat to provide required

services to its bodies and members as well as to carry out its regular activities. However, the implementation

of additional priorities relating to,

inter alia,

addressing the consequences of the Russian Federation’s war of

aggression against Ukraine, delivering the outcomes of the 4th Summit, as well as fulfilling the Assembly’s

statutory responsibilities (namely consideration of a membership application transmitted by the Committee of

Ministers), would require structural reinforcements. Indeed, 3 jobs of committee secretaries (A2/A3 level) and

1 job of committee assistant (B1/B2 level) would be required. These additional staff resources would be

assigned flexibly to priority sectors through a horizontal “task-force” approach in line with the People Strategy.

2. Operational expenditure

Thanks to the modernisation efforts, the Assembly has made savings in recent years by rationalising its

work to reduce operational expenditure, notably by putting in place remote preparation of verbatim records

and by introducing digital tools (Pace-Apps) with the aim of transitioning to a full “paper-less” operation.

That being said, the Secretariat is facing increasing operational costs, notably relating to travel and

accommodation of parliamentarians and staff traveling on Assembly business, as well as increased use of

interpretation services during the growing number of members’ fact-finding visits. Moreover, additional

priorities relating to the 4th Summit's deliverables as well as the activities relating to the consequences of the

war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine would increase the Assembly’s operational

expenditure.

10. In this context, a zero real growth budgetary perspective is only the minimum requirement for the

Assembly’s financial stability and viability. An increase of the Assembly’s overall budgetary envelope for

operational activities would be required in order to ensure the sustainability of the Assembly’s activities.

11.

–

The functioning of the Assembly includes the following tasks:

the holding of the ordinary session, divided into four part-sessions (held in January, April, June and

September/October each year);

the meetings of the Standing Committee, held three times a year between the part-sessions of the

Assembly;

meetings held outside the four part-sessions of the Assembly by each of the nine general committees,

sub-committees and

ad hoc

committees of the Assembly or the Bureau;

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Resolution 2501 (2023)

–

committee and sub-committee meetings held elsewhere than in Strasbourg or Paris;

conferences, symposiums, seminars and parliamentary hearings;

activities connected with the Assembly’s interparliamentary co-operation programme;

visits by rapporteurs to prepare reports, including visits to countries under the monitoring procedure or

for post-monitoring dialogue;

election observation;

modernisation and digitalisation of the Assembly’s working methods.

12. Within the framework of its work programme, during 2024-2025, the Assembly will prioritise the

following activities:

–

supporting Ukraine’s resilience against the Russian Federation’s war of aggression, strengthening co-

operation with the Verkhovna Rada and raising awareness on the consequences of the war amongst

national parliaments;

ensuring accountability of the Russian Federation and addressing the legal, human rights and

humanitarian consequences of the war of aggression against Ukraine, including the issue of forcibly

deported Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation or temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories;

contributing to delivering the outcomes of the 4th Summit, notably:

upholding democracy and counteracting backsliding, including by promoting the implementation

of the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy, fostering the participation of young people in

democratic processes, and mainstreaming the youth dimension in its work;

ensuring parliamentary contribution to the implementation of judgments of the European Court of

Human Rights and continuing parliamentary efforts to promote ratification and domestic

implementation of Council of Europe key conventions, within the Council of Europe geographic

area as well as the Organisation’s neighbourhood and political proximity;

fostering exchange of good practices and developing legal standards and policy guidelines on

the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment;

raising awareness amongst national legislators and informing national policies on the impact of

new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, on human rights and the integrity of

democratic processes;

combating inequalities and discrimination, as well as further enhancing equality between women

and men and promoting women’s empowerment;

strengthening co-operation with the European parliament, including in the context of the

European Union enlargement process, as well as continuing active interaction with international

partner organisations, in particular the United Nations Organisation, including regarding the

implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals;

continuing and further strengthening dialogue with democratic forces and civil society from

Belarus and Russian Federation, who respect the values and principles of the Organisation,

including the territorial integrity of sovereign member States.

–

13. Where interparliamentary co-operation is concerned, the Assembly will continue to implement the

different assistance and co-operation programmes adapted to the needs of the parliamentary institutions, in

close collaboration with its committee secretariats. It is worth noting here that it is currently engaged in a joint

co-operation programme with the European Union specifically concerning the Parliament of Morocco (an

Assembly partner for democracy), whose aim is to strengthen its role as a guarantor of parliamentary

democracy.

14. During the 2024-2025 period, the Assembly will continue the implementation of its ongoing co-operation

projects, notably with the aim of further integrating the parliamentary dimension into the overall co-operation

activities of the Council of Europe, including within thematic and horizontal actions plans. Priority projects will

focus

inter alia

on strengthening relations and co-operation with the Ukrainian Parliament, strengthening

political dialogue with democratic forces from Belarus, supporting parliamentary networks on “Women Free

from Violence”, “Contact Parliamentarians for a healthy environment”, “No Hate Parliamentary Alliance”, and

the parliamentary platform for the rights of LGBTI People in Europe, as well as the rights of the child and

social rights.

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Resolution 2501 (2023)

15. The Assembly will continue to observe parliamentary and presidential elections in countries under its

monitoring procedure, in close collaboration with the European Commission for Democracy through Law

(Venice Commission) as well as the Assembly’s international partners (Office for Democratic Institutions and

Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), OSCE

Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the

European Parliament) within the framework of International Election Observation Missions.

16. Lastly, the Assembly will continue to support its political groups through their budgetary allowance,

calculated on a lump-sum basis for each group for administrative assistance plus an additional per capita

allowance which varies depending on the membership of the group. In the face of increasing costs notably

due to inflation and growing travel costs, the Assembly should consider increasing the overall allocation to

political groups within its budget, so as to give political groups more flexibility to organise activities.

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Resolution 2502 (2023)

Provisional version

Integration of migrants and refugees: benefits for all parties

involved

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly is alarmed by the fact that migration into Europe in the last decade

triggered numerous negative reactions, fuelled by a public discourse inducing fear and resentment towards

people arriving from other countries. The term “integration” identifies a dynamic process of mutual adaptation

where both migrants and host societies bear some responsibilities in its fulfilment. Integration is a long-term

investment in human capital. The ultimate aim is inclusion or an inclusive participation from both sides, which

implies that all members of the society have the opportunity to participate in social, cultural and political life,

encouraging a sense of togetherness.

The process of integration may demand special enabling measures to develop the ability of immigrants

to achieve the same social and economic outcomes as natives, taking into account their characteristics. The

Assembly notes that host countries benefit from the successful integration of migrants and refugees.

Successful integration benefits the whole society, maximising the advantages for all parties involved in that

process. Although the State has to invest money in integration, when the migrants arrive and a few years

after, their macro-economic impact becomes positive as they become permanent residents, are integrated in

the labour market and pay taxes. Migrants and refugees boost the working-age population, arrive with skills,

and therefore contribute to human capital development and to technological progress. Furthermore, local

communities can benefit greatly from the richness offered by the diversity of cultures, commitment to work

hard to build a future for oneself and one’s family, and the new social contract that clarifies the rights and

responsibilities of all actors in society.

Integration programmes can have positive outcomes only if, and when, they are well prepared and

implemented in co-operation with all the relevant stakeholders. To improve the benefits for all the parties

involved in the process of refugees’ and migrants’ integration, integration policies should be designed in a way

that takes into account the needs of all key actors. This means that democratic processes allowing for

consultations of relevant stakeholders should take place. In addition to that, States should pursue an

evidence-based approach to inclusion planning, through expanding the collection and analysis of socio-

economic data, building upon existing tools and programmes by national and sub-national authorities.

Through this they will obtain a detailed overview on refugees’ and migrants’ profiles and practical, legal and

administrative barriers impeding the full enjoyment of their economic and social rights.

It is important to engage in effective consultations with stakeholders in national judicial, legislative and

human rights bodies, academia and civil society actors, including migrants’ organisations, in the development,

adoption, implementation and review of integration measures. The experiences of migrants and refugees

should be taken into account in devising future integration policies and programmes. Civil society and non-

governmental organisations play a crucial role in the integration of migrants and refugees. A long-term and

independent funding of civil society organisations is, therefore, particularly important for successful integration

of migrants and refugees.

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15785,

report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees

and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr Domagoj Hajduković).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023

(17th sitting).

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Resolution 2502 (2023)

The Assembly calls upon the Council of Europe member States to take positive measures to enhance

the integration of migrants and refugees aiming at their full inclusion in the host society. Integration can be put

in practice using a great variety of methods. The exchange of best practices at local, national and European

levels needs to be supported. The following approaches can be promoted:

5.1.

Establish a new social contract:

public authorities, when confronted with major changes in

society, are often prompted to make significant changes. Such changes may need to be better

prepared. Integration of migrants and refugees may benefit from a new social contract which sets out

rights and responsibilities of all parties involved in refugees’ and migrants’ integration. Acceptance of

such a new social contract depends on democratic processes in place that build social support.

Highlighting the rights and responsibilities for the newly arrived groups of populations allows to clarify

things from the start and build trust and respectful co-operation between local communities and the

beneficiaries of resettlement programmes. As regards the integration of refugees, member States

should base their actions on the goals stipulated in the United Nations global compacts for migrants

and refugees, as underscored in Resolution 2379 (2021) “Role of parliaments in implementing the

United Nations global compacts for migrants and refugees” and Resolution 2408 (2021) “70th

anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention: the Council of Europe and the international protection of

refugees”.

5.2.

Support mentor programmes and integration guides:

one solution that proved to improve the

integration of migrants are mentor programmes with the participation of so-called “integration guides”.

Through these programmes, local mentors accompany and support migrants and refugees when they

first arrive in the host countries, support them in their cultural and social orientation, practice the

language of the host country with them, and support them with personal relationships and networking in

the new community. It is important to raise employers’ awareness of the refugees’ and migrants’

potential, which can be done through the networks of chambers of commerce. Public-private

partnerships should be developed to support integration.

5.3.

Develop nationwide interpretation services:

another crucial factor for the successful integration

of migrants and refugees is the availability of interpretation services during the entire integration

process. The possibility to understand and actively participate is especially important in the fields of

health, justice, asylum and issues in the municipalities.

5.4.

Enhance education – from language training to democratic citizenship and human rights

education:

Language training is crucial for being able to live in a new country, including for getting

access to employment. The better the training, the higher the likelihood that the person will become

less dependent on support services and more autonomous in his/her daily life. Language training

should take into account and caters for different education levels, fluency levels, time commitments

(accelerated or reduced hours), modalities (in person or remote) and care responsibilities. In addition,

specific programmes designed to educate about societal developments in the host country, including

programmes promoting democratic citizenship and human rights education, would benefit both the

newly arrived persons and host communities.

5.5.

Improve recognition of skills obtained abroad:

to ensure a successful integration into the labour

market and to enable migrants and refugees to participate, subsequently, in social security and pension

systems, the recognition of qualifications and prior learning is of fundamental importance. Whether

partial or full, recognition opens up further education or employment opportunities and allows refugees

and migrants to make more efficient use of their knowledge, skills and competences. In that regard,

member States should promote the implementation of the European Qualifications Passport for

Refugees, an international project grounded in the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications

concerning Higher Education in the European Region (CETS No. 165, the “Lisbon Convention”). The

Passport can improve access to employment or give the possibility to continue education, helping

refugees integrate in the host societies.

5.6.

Take into consideration the special needs of vulnerable groups:

vulnerable groups like women,

(unaccompanied) children, elderly people, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQI+

community, stateless persons and others need specific support in order to successfully integrate into

the host country. Increasing the possibility for migrant children to attend kindergartens and other day-

care facilities would allow women to continue education and have access to employment. Involvement

of healthcare professionals with a migrant background in elderly homes and communal living can help

improve the integration of elderly migrants and refugees into the society and allow them to age in

dignity. Empowering refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities and/or long-term illnesses would

give them the tools they need to assert their human rights.

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Resolution 2502 (2023)

5.7.

Create spaces to bring migrants, refugees, and the local community together:

states should do

their utmost to avoid building new retention camps. This is contrary to the goal of integration and full

inclusion of refugees and migrants in their host country. Even without camps, segregation of refugees

and migrants in certain urban areas is detrimental to societal progress. Supporting the refugees’ and

migrants’ diaspora to meet and share their experiences and form mutual support networks can be

beneficial short-term in terms of local job opportunities, resilience, and social networks, but it can

become problematic, as it prevents certain groups of people from accessing the opportunities and

services that would allow them to fully participate in economic and social development of the host

country. It is essential for successful integration to create spaces in the public sphere that bring the

local community, migrants, and refugees together. This allows to reduce tensions and strengthen social

cohesion, building bridges between various groups in society.

5.8.

Improve financial settings:

there is a need for a person-centred approach to integration support

and adaptation of national services to take into account specific needs and circumstances. Refugees

and migrants require housing as well as support for other fundamental necessities, such as health care,

and access to education for their children. Significant upfront investments are needed to cover the costs

of both immediate assistance for asylum seekers and education. Funding therefore is an important tool

for managing integration processes in a country and works as a strong leverage for co-ordination in this

area. More efficient and effective funding mechanisms should be designed and implemented based on

dialogue between policy makers and the local authorities and actors in charge of finding solutions

(mayors, municipal authorities, local civil society organisations, and service providers). Refugees’ and

migrants’ financial inclusion should also be strengthened, including access to basic services such as

bank accounts, through awareness-raising and information provision, as well as support to refugee and

migrant entrepreneurs through effective access to finance and business development services.

5.9.

Develop targeted housing policies:

an affordable and decent accommodation is a prerequisite

for a successful integration of migrants, a smooth access to the job market as well as to basic services,

such as healthcare and education. In addition, there is a need for targeted settlement policies, aiming to

distribute the migrant population in a fair and balanced way on the national territory, facilitate the

connection between the newly arrived and the local population, prevent the development of ghettos or

parallel societies thus reducing the likelihood for migrants to be involved in illegal activities.

5.10.

Invest in social cohesion:

Social Impact Bonds are a possible solution for efficient funding. They

offer funding to solve societal issues and support preventative measures and connect financial success

with achieving quantified social outcomes. Partnerships can be built between private investors, the

government, and civil society organisations.

5.11.

Match migrant skills with job opportunities:

access to the labour market is key to integration and

refugees’ and migrants’ economic contribution to the host nation. Integration policies should ideally take

into account the unique profiles of immigrants and their chances of integrating into local communities.

Newly arrived migrants can be advised of job opportunities in meetings with the state employment office

after receiving their residence permit, where their placements are governed by agreements between

municipalities and the central government.

5.12.

Develop effective communication strategies:

the public's impression of immigrants' actual

outcomes may not match the facts. Integration policies must have a communication component that

encourages a fair and fact-based approach while identifying and addressing the benefits and

challenges that migration can have for the host nation. New media channels offer a variety of

opportunities due to their ability to connect with audiences that traditional media do not reach. But there

are other difficulties, like the spread of misleading information and unfavourable stereotypes.

5.13.

Ensure respect for refugees’ and migrants’ dignity in media:

member States should take steps to

encourage accurate and non-discriminatory portraying of migrants and refugees, help media gather and

share accurate and non-discriminatory information about migration and the human rights implications of

migrants’ and refugees’ integration, while avoiding messages that are stigmatising, xenophobic, racist,

alarmist or inaccurate.

5.14.

Fight against xenophobia and discrimination:

specific programmes should be put in place for

improving knowledge and addressing negative perceptions of migrants and refugees with the aim of

protecting them from xenophobia, violence and discrimination. States can undertake information

campaigns in co-operation with civil society organisations, the media and other relevant actors to,

inter

alia,

shed light on the situation of migrants and refugees and raise awareness of the risks and dangers

of trafficking and transnational organised crime.

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Resolution 2502 (2023)

5.15.

Develop welcoming programmes:

various cities in Europe have welcoming programmes in

place, as well as related communication campaigns that make use of photos, posters, press releases,

and social media. Communication emphasizes diversity as an advantage.

5.16.

Enhance public health support for vulnerable refugees and migrants:

availability of public health

support is an important issue. Refugees, especially children, that fled high intensity conflict areas may

need psychological support. While the protection of the health of migrants and refugees has so far been

linked solely to the guarantee of basic physical care, it is essential to recognise that mental health and

psychological support are equally essential. The World Health Organization's “Strategy and Action Plan

for Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region” (2016) places improving the mental

health of refugees and migrants on the political agenda.

States should take measures at European level to promote integration of refugees and migrants based

on the respect for the rights and dignity of every individual. The Assembly calls upon member States to take

into consideration, when devising public policies for refugees and migrants’ integration, the recommendations

put forward by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in the issue paper “Time for Europe to

get migrant integration right” (2016).

Bearing in mind the importance of best practice exchange at European level, the Assembly

recommends enhancing international co-operation to promote integration of refugees and migrants at local,

national and European levels.

Participation in programmes aimed at managing diverse societies, such as the Council of Europe’s

Intercultural Cities programme, is highly recommended. The programme supports cities and regions in

reviewing and adapting their policies through an intercultural lens and developing comprehensive intercultural

strategies to manage diversity as an advantage for the whole society.

The Assembly welcomes co-operation with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the

Council of Europe in the implementation by the Congress of the Cities4Cities initiative – a new matchmaking

platform launched to support Ukrainian local and regional authorities.

10. Finally, the Assembly underscores the importance of enhancing reception capacities and integration

facilities for refugees and migrants. Social projects responding to emergency situations can be financed with

the support of financial instruments available through the Council of Europe Development Bank – a major

instrument of the solidarity policy in Europe.

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Resolution 2503 (2023)

Provisional version

Social inclusion of migrants, refugees and internally displaced

persons through sport

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the universality of sport. It notes that it can be a fantastic

catalyst for empowerment and physical and psychological well-being. Sport can heal and bring the best out of

people, it contributes to reinforcing self-esteem. Sport can help in developing a positive and fresh outlook on

life, bringing communities together, as well as helping to build them. Practising sport can build mutual respect

and encourage team spirit.

The Assembly notes that generating important positive values, sport has many advantages and can

play an instrumental role in the integration of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons in their host

country or society. Sport can also provide a sense of safety to persons on the move who faced numerous

challenges during their migration journey.

The Assembly notes that sport is often considered as an effective social policy tool which reduces anti-

social behaviour and increases community cohesion. In this context, it underlines the importance of the active

involvement of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as of host authorities at central,

regional, local and community levels, in building policies and mechanisms fostering the inclusion of these

vulnerable groups through sport.

The Assembly is well aware of the existing efforts at national and international levels in this respect

notably in the context of the Global Compact on Refugees and its invitation to the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), States and sport entities to sign partnerships to foster access to

sporting facilities, including in refugee-hosting areas. It hails the efforts of the International Olympic Committee

(IOC) to promote sport activities for refugees and to support the participation of refugee athletes at the Paris

Olympics 2024 thanks to the Refugee Olympic Team. It also welcomes the launch of the Olympic Refuge

Foundation by UNHCR and the IOC.

Last but not least, the Assembly underlines the Council of Europe’s active role in promoting sport as a

means of inclusion and peace through the adoption of legal instruments such as the

European Sports Charter

and relevant recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to member States such as Recommendation

Rec(2001)6

on the prevention of racism, xenophobia and racial intolerance in sport,

Recommendation

Rec(2003)6

on improving physical education and sport for children and young people in all

European countries, Recommendation

CM/Rec(2015)2

on gender mainstreaming in sport, as well as

Recommendation

CM/Rec(2012)10

on the protection of child and young athletes from dangers associated

with migration.

While the establishment of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) by the Committee of

Ministers in 2007 has been another paramount milestone in promoting sport within Council of Europe member

States and beyond, the Assembly welcomes the outcome of the Council of Europe’s Conference of Ministers

responsible for Sport held in Antalya on 26 October 2022, where the Ministers called upon EPAS,

inter alia,

“use sport as a tool for social integration of disadvantaged groups, such as migrants, refugees, persons with

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15786,

report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees

and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Ms Nigar Arpadarai).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting).

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Resolution 2503 (2023)

disabilities and senior citizens; develop a toolbox based on best practices for inclusion of disadvantaged

groups in all aspects of sport and devise a communication plan to promote it widely” (Resolution No. 1). The

Assembly also hails the decision of the Governing Board to organise the EPAS 2023 Diversity Conference on

the topic of the inclusion of migrant and refugee children through sport.

Conscious of the existing barriers challenging the success of inclusive programmes for migrants

through sport, the Assembly calls the Council of Europe member States to:

7.1.

have due regard to the values and principles laid down in the European Sports Charter;

7.2. access to the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport, for those which have not yet done so, so as

to ensure a better implementation of the European Sports Charter and benefit from a more effective

international co-operation;

7.3. adopt and ensure the application of legislation prohibiting any discrimination in sports due to

nationality, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language or disability, or any other form of

discrimination;

7.4. facilitate travel to international sports events for refugee athletes, on the same basis as non-

refugee athletes through legal and practical measures;

7.5. ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to practice sports and undertake specific action to

guarantee that the most vulnerable people, including migrants, refugees and internally displaced

persons, have proper access to sporting facilities and activities, actively considering the financial costs

required, but also the age, gender, ability and other diversity needs;

7.6. ensure that coaches are trained to be able to detect migrants’, refugees’ and displaced persons’

vulnerabilities and overcome them, and put in place assistance services to allow them to feel safe and

protected in sports centres;

7.7. contribute, through the organisation of language courses, to ensuring that language differences

are no longer a barrier to inclusion.

In line with the Global Compact on Refugees, the Assembly encourages States, sport entities, the

UNHCR and the IOC to sign further partnerships to foster access to sporting facilities, including in refugee-

hosting areas, to promote sport activities for refugees, to support the participation of refugee athletes at the

Paris Olympics 2024 and to harness the Olympic Refuge Foundation launched by UNHCR and the IOC.

Aware that structural and cultural barriers are harsher where vulnerable migrants, refugees and

displaced persons, such as women, children, members of the LGBTQI+ community or disabled persons are

concerned, the Assembly urges Council of Europe member States to develop specific targeted actions to

promote their social inclusion in the receiving societies with the involvement of these target groups in the

decision-making processes.

10. As women can be prevented from practicing sports because of prejudices and also for logistical

reasons, the Assembly recommends:

10.1. the organisation of wide media campaigns and coverage of women sports with the aim of

reaching a larger number of young girls who are reluctant to enrol in sports due to cultural or

psychological barriers and reducing stereotypes and discriminatory narratives;

10.2. the setting-up of child-minding services within sports organisations in order to enable women

athletes to have their own time for sports practice.

11. In order to fight against discrimination notably against members of the LGBTQI+ community and

persons with disabilities, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States and sports organisations to

develop awareness-raising campaigns spreading messages of tolerance and inclusion while deconstructing

stereotypes and in particular to join the Council of Europe's Combating Hate Speech in Sport project.

12. The Assembly reckons that the wider migration flows in European countries require a strategic vision

for the social inclusion of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons. For this purpose, it considers

that Council of Europe member States should privilege long-term and sustainable projects, investing in cross-

sectoral initiatives leading to the further inclusion of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons into

the receiving societies, such as undertaking sport-based activities in parallel with educational programmes. To

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Resolution 2503 (2023)

achieve this, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States to earmark greater funds to develop

effective policies of social inclusion in order to avoid that the costs be borne by sports organisations, as their

excessive amount could push them to limit sport-based operations. As a result:

12.1. migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons should be granted free access to sport

facilities and sport-based activities, including the supply of sport uniforms when required;

12.2. given the healing effects of sporting activities, sport organisations should be properly equipped

with psychological and social assistance available to all enrolled individuals, in particular for migrants;

12.3. equal access to sports facilities, including for people with disabilities, should be ensured.

13. Further funds should be ring-fenced for the promotion of collaboration among sport and non-sport

organisations with the aim to setting up co-operative mechanisms and cross-sectoral societal actions.

14. The Assembly is convinced that public awareness of the benefits of sport as a means of promoting the

social inclusion of migrants should be pursued. For this purpose, it calls on member States together with

sports organisations to:

14.1. develop effective awareness-raising campaigns to highlight the importance of including migrants

in societies, thus reducing cases of racism, discrimination and hate speech;

14.2. organise communication campaigns targeting migrants, refugees and internally displaced

persons so that they are aware of specific projects aimed at their social inclusion.

15. Given the importance of exchanging knowledge and experience, the Assembly calls on Council of

Europe member States to allocate adequate financial resources to maintaining the sustainability of the

Council of Europe sport migrant integration platform. Furthermore, it encourages them to upload their projects

on the platform; so that they can benefit from a wider visibility at the international level but also create

emulation among other local, regional, national and international sport organisations for the development of a

larger number of sport-based programmes for the inclusion of migrants, refugees and internally displaced

persons.

16. In accordance with the UNHCR’s overall participatory and community-based approaches to refugee

protection and assistance, the Assembly encourages all stakeholders to work together with refugee athletes

and refugee-led organisations in the field of sport and to financially support refugee-led organisations.

Furthermore, the Assembly strongly calls for national sports organisations, Olympic and Paralympic

Committees to be fully funded to support refugee athletes.

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Resolution 2504 (2023)

Provisional version

Health and social protection of undocumented workers or

those in an irregular situation

Parliamentary Assembly

Europe is home to about 4-5 million undocumented persons. However, this figure may be a gross

underestimation because reliable data is lacking. Many such persons

de facto

participate in the labour market

as “invisible workers”, including as migrant seasonal workers and migrant domestic workers, but remain very

fragile socio-economically – with poor or no access to socio-economic rights. Their vulnerability was

highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic, when this category of workers was exposed to a double hazard:

high socio-economic precarity and haphazard, if any, access to basic health care.

By accepting the marginalisation of undocumented workers, member States tolerate inequality of

treatment, discrimination and vulnerability which carry the potential for abuse and exploitation of persons.

Such situation also breeds precarity, trafficking in human beings and the risk of crime, harms safety at work,

fuels the underground economy, reduces State revenue from social contributions and undermines fair

competition. Entire sectors of the national and international economy are based on an economic model that

violates the fundamental rights of workers in general and more pronouncedly for people without residence

permits. We cannot intervene effectively in the protection of undocumented workers without changing the

economic philosophy – lowering production costs by mistreating workers to increase the profit of a few – that

leads to this situation.

The Parliamentary Assembly notes that the problem of labour exploitation affects both migration and

labour law. The tightening by member States of the legal channels for third-country nationals to come and

work in Europe exacerbates the precarity of the labour and residence rights of persons who have sometimes

been living in our States for many years. The Assembly recalls that asylum and migration policies themselves

sometimes create situations of illegality for migrant persons. One of the main reasons for the abuse and

exploitation of undocumented migrants in particular and workers in general is a labour market without

sufficient controls, a situation further exacerbated in the case of migrant domestic workers for whom

inspections are difficult, another being the dehumanisation of migrants, particularly in certain political

discourses.

The Assembly strongly supports dialogue between the key stakeholders (the State authorities,

employers, associations, and trade unions) as the way of developing programmes to restore rights to invisible

workers in national labour markets and society in general. It considers that the “offence of solidarity”, whether

aimed at civil society organisations or private individuals in their efforts to help these vulnerable people on

their arrival and during their stay in our countries, must be abolished where it still exists.

In this context, the Assembly refers to its Resolution 1568 (2007) and Recommendation 1807 (2007)

calling for regularisation programmes to be set up for irregular migrants. It also recalls its Resolution 1922

(2013) "Trafficking of migrant workers for forced labour" and its Resolution 2323 (2020) "Concerted action

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15784,

report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health

and Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Ada Marra; and

Doc. 15794,

opinion of the Committee on Migration,

Refugees and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Ms Arusyak Julhakyan).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023

(17th sitting).

See also

Recommendation 2255 (2023).

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Resolution 2504 (2023)

against human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants". It notes that some European countries have taken

measures aimed at improving the situation of undocumented workers or those in an irregular situation. Partial

regularisation programmes or other administrative facilities thereby put in place have enabled better access of

such workers to health and social welfare programmes, or at least temporarily extended the health coverage

for these vulnerable workers sometimes without going through the regularisation process, in particular since

the Covid-19 crisis. Nonetheless, the phenomenon of exploitation in economic sectors persists, especially for

undocumented workers, and further bold human rights based measures are necessary to consolidate access

to socio-economic rights for all across the Council of Europe member States in line with the standards set out

in the European Social Charter (ETS No. 35) and the conventions of the International Labour Organization

(ILO), as well as recommendations put forward by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance

(ECRI) in 2016.

The Assembly notes that invisible workers are at high risk of exploitation by employers who do not

declare them or only partially declare them, pay them inadequately low wages, and often do not offer decent

working conditions. These workers do not have the means to defend themselves against abuses in several

areas (notably at work, regarding housing and access to basic medical care), because they feel that having

recourse to the justice system would put them at risk of deportation and/or employer retaliation. The violation

of fundamental rights, including social rights, of invisible workers must stop, and States can do that by

changing their policies in several ways.

The Assembly is concerned that many member States’ regulatory frameworks are too strict or not

transparent regarding the conditions to be met, and that they make access to regularisation procedures for

invisible workers excessively difficult, burdensome, opaque, or unpredictable. In addition, overly complex,

costly, and slow administrative procedures often delay the issuance or prolongation of residence and work

permits. This not only blocks the regularisation of the invisible workers’ status but also throws thousands of

workers with temporary permits into an irregular situation when their permits are not renewed on time.

The Assembly also deplores the restriction of the personal scope of application of the European Social

Charter (that is, the exclusion of persons from countries that have not ratified it, and of those not lawfully

resident or working regularly on the territory of the Party concerned), as set out in the Appendix to the Charter.

The Assembly shares the view that this limitation is incompatible with the nature of the Charter as a human

rights treaty. This anomaly should be corrected to bring the treaty into line with the state of development of

international human rights law.

In light of the above considerations, the Assembly recommends to member States the following good

practices, whether in the context of

ad hoc

programmes of regularisation or permanent mechanisms aimed at

the better integration of invisible workers:

9.1. information on official procedures to apply for national residence and work permits should be

available in many languages to ensure it is accessible and understandable, and, to this end, should rely

on civil society (trade unions, non governmental organisations, and associations);

9.2.

for workers with temporary contracts, a change of employer should not affect residence status;

9.3. the application should preferably be made by the undocumented worker himself/herself, without

intermediaries who could blackmail him/her;

9.4. residence and work permits should be directly granted to all migrants in an irregular situation

who co-operate with the police to report abuses;

9.5. for any victim of criminal labour exploitation, trafficking in human beings and other violent crimes

who would like to remain in the country, effective access to free legal assistance and to protection

mechanisms should be guaranteed, expulsion procedures should be suspended, and access to specific

permits facilitated, independently of their co-operation with the authorities and their involvement in

judicial proceedings;

9.6. there should be a possibility of appeal to an independent body in the event of a negative

response by the administrative decision-making body or of a decision by an authorised third party not to

submit the application for regularisation to the decision-making body;

9.7. admissibility criteria such as a specific number of years of residence in the country (reasonable

duration) should be as clear as possible, and the family situation of applicants should be taken into

account;

9.8. application and procedural fees should be as low as possible or be waived entirely in view of the

extremely low incomes of undocumented migrants;

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Resolution 2504 (2023)

9.9. support for associations that assist applicants in their regularisation process throughout the

procedure should be put in place;

9.10. the number and type of documents to be produced by applicants should be reasonable and take

into account the discreet nature of undocumented migrants’ lives;

9.11. once undocumented persons have had their situation regularised, measures must be put in

place to support them (for example, language courses, help finding a new job);

9.12. access to healthcare must be ensured for all undocumented workers regardless of the

advancement of their regularisation process.

10. The Assembly notes that access to justice which is a key element of the protection of undocumented or

irregular workers, is not sufficiently guaranteed by member States. States should be encouraged to devise

procedures that do not put the various courts in contact with the migration authorities, which constitutes the

main subjective and objective obstacle to undocumented workers exercising their rights.

11. In order to eliminate the worst forms of exploitation of invisible workers, the Assembly urges member

States:

11.1. to sign and ratify the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers (ETS No.

93);

11.2. to fully implement the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human

Beings (CETS No. 197) and the Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)21 on

preventing and combating trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation;

11.3. to enhance corporate social responsibility based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on

Business and Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)3 on

human rights and business;

11.4. to better protect victims of human trafficking for sexual or labour exploitation purposes by

granting a temporary residence permit for the time of the proceedings, as soon as the abuses

committed are reported to a competent judicial or civil authority (for example, labour inspectorate).

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Resolution 2505 (2023)

Provisional version

UK reform of its human rights legislation: consequences for

domestic and European Human Rights protection

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly recalls that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unity

between its member States, based on common values of respect for the rule of law, democracy and human

rights.

The Assembly reaffirms its commitment to these values, which are the true source of individual

freedom, political liberty and the rule of law, principles which form the basis of all genuine democracy.

The Assembly emphasises that respect for the rule of law includes respect by States of their

international legal obligations, including those under the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5).

The Assembly recalls that, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, Council of Europe member States

are primarily responsible for the effective implementation and enforcement of international human rights

norms they have signed up to, in particular those of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Assembly recalls the importance of embedding human rights education and ensuring improved

public understanding of the inherent value of core principles such as the rule of law, robust democratic

institutions, and effective guarantees for the protection of human rights.

The Assembly considers that the UK system for giving effect to the European Convention on Human

rights through the operation of the Human Rights Act is, in many respects, an excellent example of an

effective domestic mechanism for ensuring that Convention rights are respected and fully implemented at the

national level. It also ensures respect for the separation of powers and for democratic debate in determining

how laws and rights should be developed and balanced. The Assembly commends many of the features of

the Human Rights Act as good examples for member States looking to successfully embed human rights, and

in particular the Convention rights, within their national legal systems. The Assembly therefore considers that

it would be regrettable if the United Kingdom were to dispense with such an excellent system that has led to

the UK having one of the lowest number of cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights, and in

particular of findings of violations against it, of any State Party to the Convention.

Recalling its

Resolution 1823 (2011)

“National parliaments: guarantors of human rights in Europe”, the

Assembly is pleased that there are processes in place in the UK to consider the human rights and rule of law

consequences of draft legislation before the UK Parliament, but considers that further thought might be given

to ensuring that such processes and analysis benefit from sufficient independence, transparency and due

consideration in the legislative process.

The Assembly is concerned that recent legislation introduced by the UK Government to Parliament, and

in particular the Bill of Rights Bill and the Illegal Migration Bill, indicates an increased willingness on the part of

the UK Government, and certain legislators, to legislate in a way that could risk breaching the UK’s

international legal obligations and thus the rule of law. The Assembly is extremely concerned at such

developments, and in particular what signal that may send both domestically and internationally.

Assembly debate

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting) (see

Doc. 15782,

report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and

Human Rights, rapporteur: Mr Kamal Jafarov).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 21 June 2023 (17th sitting).

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Resolution 2505 (2023)

The Assembly, moreover, expresses concern that both the Bill of Rights Bill and the Illegal Migration Bill

would increase legal uncertainty and conflicts between UK domestic law and the requirements of the

European Convention on Human rights – as well as a number of other international conventions. The

Assembly notes that these concerns have been similarly expressed by numerous civil society organisations,

the Joint Committee on Human Rights of the UK Parliament, the UK’s National Human Rights Institutions, the

Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking

in Human Beings (GRETA), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

10.

The Assembly therefore calls on the UK Government and Parliament to:

10.1. ensure that robust processes are in place to ensure respect for the rule of law and in particular

respect for the UK’s international legal obligations, in legislation proposed to parliament. In particular,

assessments of compatibility with the rule of law, including international law and human rights law,

should be undertaken in respect of bills introduced into parliament. Such assessments should be

undertaken by a body that is sufficiently independent from government to be able to provide objective

advice on the rule of law, should be available early in the legislative process, and should be made

public to fully inform parliament and the public so that the legislature can take an informed decision on

the implications of legislation before it. Parliament must be allowed adequate time and information to

assess the rule of law and human rights implications of the legislation before it;

10.2. carefully consider the content of the provisions that, were they to enter into force, could risk

placing the UK in breach of its international obligations, including the provisions relating to:

10.2.1. positive obligations (clause 5 of the Bill of Rights Bill);

10.2.2. overseas military operations (clause 14 of the Bill of Rights Bill);

10.2.3. interim measures (clause 24 of the Bill of Rights Bill and clause 53 of the Illegal

Migration Bill);

10.2.4. restrictions on the protections for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking

under the Illegal Migration Bill;

10.2.5. the adequacy of safeguards against indefinite or arbitrary detention of migrants under

the Illegal Migration Bill;

10.2.6. protections for children under the Illegal Migration Bill, including as concerns detention,

removal and standards of care for children, including unaccompanied children;

10.2.7. protections for refugees and stateless persons under the Illegal Migration Bill;

10.2.8. the adequacy of due process, appeal rights and the availability of an effective remedy

for individuals affected by decision-making under the Illegal Migration Bill.

11.

The Assembly calls on all member States of the Council of Europe to:

11.1. ensure that the European Convention on Human Rights is fully embedded, applied and enforced

within their domestic legal systems and to take adequate steps to support a culture of respect for

human rights and the rule of law domestically;

11.2. put in place adequate mechanisms for ensuring that the human rights and rule of law

implications of draft legislation are fully and transparently assessed before legislation is passed, by

systematically verifying the compatibility of draft legislation with Convention standards;

11.3. ensure that adequate processes are in place to correct misunderstandings or misinformation

relating to the rule of law and the impact of the European Convention of Human Rights system; and to

make use of available information on the functioning of the European Convention on Human Rights

system;

11.4. develop initiatives for education and training on human rights and the rule of law in order to

foster culture which understands and respects the important role that the rule of law and human rights

play in a healthy democracy.

12. The Assembly calls on members States and the instances of the Council of Europe to develop

improved tools in order to counteract misinformation in relation to human rights and the rule of law more

effectively. In this light, the Assembly welcomes initiatives such as the work to highlight the impact of the

European Convention on Human Rights system and encourages greater use of such communications

materials. The Assembly also encourages further reflection on how best to strengthen communication work in

relation to the role of the European Court of Human Rights and the implementation of its judgments.

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Resolution 2506 (2023)

Provisional version

Political consequences of the Russian Federation's war of

aggression against Ukraine

Parliamentary Assembly

Seventeen months since launching the large-scale invasion, Putin’s regime persists in its brutal war of

aggression against Ukraine. After the battle of Bakhmut (August 2022 – June 2023), which has been the

longest in the war and has had a huge human cost, the Ukrainian counteroffensive is currently under way. As

the Ukrainians advance and liberate areas of their territory illegally occupied by the Russian Federation, it is to

be feared that new evidence of war crimes will emerge. The magnitude of the consequences of the

destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, on 6 June 2023, will only be known in the coming weeks. This attack,

aimed at delaying the Ukrainian counteroffensive, confirms the barbarism of Putin’s war machinery and

constitutes a war crime and ecocide.

Recalling its previous resolutions and recommendations on this matter, the Parliamentary Assembly

reiterates its firm condemnation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine as a violation of

international law and an act of unprecedented gravity, in itself and because of its far-reaching political,

geopolitical, legal, humanitarian, environmental and economic consequences, in Europe and beyond.

By defending the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of their country, Ukrainians are

protecting the values of the Council of Europe, and the basic principles enshrined in the Charter of the United

Nations which are the foundations of the peaceful co-existence between States. One of the main political

consequences of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine is that it has forged a renewed

bond amongst democracies in support of Ukraine.

The 4th Summit of Council of Europe Heads of State and Government, held in Reykjavik on 16-17 May

2023, is the expression of this unity around common values, of the resolve to support Ukraine for as long as it

takes, and the willingness to ensure that the Russian Federation and its leaders are held to account for their

crime of aggression and other manifold wrong-doings. The Assembly welcomes the strong stance taken by

European political leaders in Reykjavik, supports the Summit’s Final Declaration and will participate in its

follow up within its remit, competencies, and outreach.

The Reykjavik’s Final Declaration sets the tone in unequivocal terms: for the Council of Europe and its

member States, supporting Ukraine should be a political imperative. To turn this commitment into a reality, it is

of the utmost importance to step up assistance to Ukraine, complete and give effective implementation to a

comprehensive system of international accountability of the Russian Federation, tackle legal gaps and

loopholes in the sanction system and isolate diplomatically the aggressor regime.

For Council of Europe member States, supporting Ukraine is important not only as an issue of rule of

law and international justice but also to protect democratic security and stability in Europe. Not only has the

Russian Federation brought back to Europe a devastating war of aggression but it has also pushed the limits

of what can be used as a weapon, from migrants to energy, from economic leverage to elite capture, from

ecocide to kidnapping of Ukrainian children and other citizens and the Russian passportisation of Ukrainian

citizens in temporarily occupied territories.

Assembly debate

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting) (see

Doc. 15797,

report of the Committee on Political Affairs and

Democracy, rapporteur: Mr Emanuelis Zingeris).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting).

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Resolution 2506 (2023)

The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine has caused significant global consequences – first of all

– food insecurity, extra high energy prices, poverty and hunger. The resources that we cannot invest to

achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinder global development. More than a half out of 17

goals are negatively impacted by the Russian Federation’s war. Because of the Russian Federation we will

see regress in achieving the SDGs, including concerning climate.

The reach of the hybrid war of the Russian Federation is global and is felt in all corners of Europe. The

Republic of Moldova, Georgia, and the Western Balkans are subject to pronounced Russian-backed hybrid

warfare methods that are designed to destabilise their democracies. The Assembly is alarmed by the

extensive and unscrupulous use of disinformation, energy blackmail, nuclear blackmail, economic levers, and

disinformation by the Russian Federation to exacerbate existing tensions and fractures in democratic

societies.

In addition, the aggression and the resulting new geopolitical context magnify security risks because of

their impact on the functioning of multilateral mechanisms aimed at preventing and resolving conflicts,

including those established under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

(OSCE).

10. At the same time, hard security is a grave concern. The Russian leadership has brandished reckless

threats of nuclear warfare and has increased the risk of nuclear accidents involving the Zaporizhzhia nuclear

power plant, which is illegally under Russian control. The Russian Federation uses the occupation of the

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for blackmail purposes in contravention of the Convention on Nuclear Safety

and the safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of which the Russian

Federation is a member. The Assembly welcomes the visit of a delegation of the IAEA to the site on 15 June

2023 and calls for its recommendations to be fully executed. The Assembly expresses its gravest concern that

the Russian Federation may be planning to carry out a deliberate attack on or cause a deliberate accident at

the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as mentioned by President Zelenskyy on 22 June 2023. This would

risk provoking an escalation in the war, and lead to a radiation leak with devastating consequences for

Europe.

11. The Assembly is deeply concerned by the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus,

which started in May 2023, and by reports that the deployment of strategic weapons may be under

consideration. As Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), both the Russian

Federation and Belarus are in violation of their non-transfer and non-possession obligations, under Articles 1

and 2 of that treaty, respectively. Similarly, the Assembly deeply regrets the withdrawal of the Russian

Federation from the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, a cornerstone of European security

and stability and of conventional arms control architecture.

12. Europe can only be durably at peace if the Russian Federation becomes a democracy and loses its

military potential to attack its neighbours. Thus, engagement and co-operation should be strengthened with

Russian forces and civil society who aspire to a democratic change in the Russian Federation, who share the

values of the Council of Europe, and who support the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of

Ukraine as well as with those advocating for the principle that the Russian Federation, as a State, provide full

compensation to Ukraine once the war is over, and endorsing the idea that the Russian regime should face an

international tribunal for its actions. Similarly, the Belarusian democratic forces and their leader, Sviatlana

Tsikhanouskaya, as well as other forces ready to rise up against Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus deserve the

full support of the Council of Europe and its member States.

13. Since the last time the Assembly debated the war of aggression, a number of peace initiatives have

been launched. In this regard, the Assembly reiterates its position laid down in its Resolution 2463 (2022)

“Further escalation in the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine” that any peace talks can only

take place on the conditions set by Ukraine. It highlights, in this regard, that the Reykjavik Declaration

expresses full support for the principles for a just and lasting peace as outlined in President Zelenskyy’s

Peace Formula.

14. As the Reykjavik Declaration points out, there cannot be peace without accountability. The Assembly

therefore welcomes the establishment of the Registry of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian

Federation Against Ukraine. It shall continue to pursue its efforts in view of the establishment of an

international compensation mechanism and a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression to prosecute the

political and military leadership of the Russian Federation, as requested by the Assembly in several texts and

most recently in Resolution 2482 (2023) “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’s

aggression against Ukraine”. The Assembly welcomes the launch of the International Centre for the

Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).

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Resolution 2506 (2023)

15. The Assembly points out that international accountability must extend to all private military companies,

proxies and allies linked to the Russian Federation who are committing crimes and illegal acts on the territory

of Ukraine, including the Wagner Group and the military forces of Ramzan Kadyrov. A Red Notice (Warrant)

should be issued by Council of Europe member States against the leaders and members of these

international terrorist groups.

16. Supporting Ukraine also requires curtailing the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war of aggression. A large

coalition of countries and the European Union have imposed an unprecedented range of diplomatic, financial

and economic restrictive measures against the Russian Federation and should continue making joint efforts to

increase sanction pressure and international isolation of the violating State. The existence of loopholes in the

sanction system, however, and the development of various techniques of sanction avoidance by the Russian

Federation and private companies – especially involving third countries – have considerably reduced its

effectiveness. The Assembly believes that the international community should address this problem with

resolve and without any further delay. The issue of Council of Europe member States helping the Russian

Federation circumvent sanctions should be examined by the Assembly Committee on the Honouring of

Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) in its work.

In addition, helping the Russian Federation bypass sanctions should be a circumstance precluding future

candidates to join the Council of Europe.

17. The Assembly condemns the biased and misleading narratives being spread by the Russian

Federation, and amplified by some countries, about the war of aggression and the restrictive measures

introduced against Putin’s regime. The Assembly considers that Council of Europe member States should be

proactive in countering this pervasive misinformation and disinformation.

18.

In light of the above considerations, as regards accountability, the Assembly:

18.1. welcoming that 45 States and the European Union have already joined or indicated their

intention to join the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression

of the Russian Federation Against Ukraine, invites the largest possible number of countries to join;

18.2. calls on the countries represented in the Conference of Participants of the Register of Damage

to clarify in the Register’s Rules on admissibility that the Register applies also to acts committed by

private military groups, paramilitary groups and other military groups fighting for the Russian

Federation, including the Wagner Group and Kadyrov’s forces;

18.3. calls on member States and other States having custody of the Russian Federation’s assets to

establish an international mechanism for compensation, making use of confiscated assets to pay for

war damages to Ukraine without delay;

18.4. calls on member States of the Core Group on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the

crime of aggression against Ukraine to accelerate their negotiations to set up a Special international

criminal tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and calls on additional States to join the

Core Group;

18.5. welcomes the launch of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression

against Ukraine;

18.6. invites parliaments of Council of Europe member States to designate the Wagner Group and

Kadyrov’s Guard as terrorist organisations and to call for the full accountability of all those military and

paramilitary groups who participate in the Kremlin’s aggression against Ukraine;

18.7. supports the investigation of the situation in Ukraine by the International Criminal Court and calls

on all States Parties to the Rome Statute to execute the arrest warrants issued by the Court; asks the

Court to issue arrest warrants against the members and leaders of the above mentioned Wagner and

Kadyrov Groups;

18.8. welcomes the adoption of the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention on International Cooperation in

the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and

other International Crimes and urges the Council of Europe member States to ratify it as soon as

possible to deliver justice to the victims of those crimes;

18.9. supports the call to enable supply of additional capabilities, including by means of re-export, for

the self-defence purposes of Ukraine.

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Resolution 2506 (2023)

19. With a view to strengthening Europe’s democratic security and resilience against soft and hybrid

security threats, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States to:

19.1. enhance co-operation and political dialogue with countries and regions that are particularly

exposed to the Russian Federation’s interference, bilaterally, through the Council of Europe and

through the international platforms they belong to;

19.2. redouble efforts to promote the further European integration of Ukraine, the Republic of

Moldova, Georgia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and

Kosovo*;

19.3. step up international co-operation to fend off interference by the Russian Federation in their

democratic processes and introduce a whole of society approach to building societal resilience against

disinformation and misinformation;

19.4. step up diplomatic efforts to isolate the Russian Federation and Belarus as its accomplice in the

war of aggression against Ukraine internationally and deprive them of support;

19.5. counter the false narratives about the war of aggression and the sanction system spread by the

Russian Federation, its allies and partners;

19.6. set up a platform to reflect on mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution in Europe,

taking into account the new geopolitical context.

20. The Assembly also calls on Council of Europe member States that are NATO members to support the

Ukrainian membership in NATO.

21.

As regards assistance to the reconstruction and democratic governance of Ukraine, the Assembly:

21.1. calls on all member States of the Council of Europe Development Bank to rapidly subscribe to

the capital increase, approved in 2022, to endow the Bank with the means to pursue its support to

Ukraine and to neighbouring countries hosting refugees and persons displaced by the war against

Ukraine;

21.2. calls on the widest number of countries and the European Union to contribute to the Action Plan

for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026

and make resources available to

ensure the long-term democratic resilience of Ukraine.

22. Also welcoming that the 11

package of sanctions to be adopted by the European Union aims at

enhancing the effectiveness of the system of restrictive measures, the Assembly:

22.1. calls on countries aspiring to join the European Union, including its own member States, to

ensure strict alignment with decisions taken under the European Union Common Foreign and Security

Policy;

22.2. calls on European Union member States, in the course of such negotiations, to support robust

deterrent measures and the introduction of secondary sanctions;

22.3. invites the European Union to expand efforts to withhold financial assistance to those who

support the Kremlin in its war of aggression. This should include also financial assistance which is

provided to third countries, including in the context of partnership and co-operation agreements;

22.4. calls on the parliaments of Council of Europe member States to withdraw from the pending

ratification of free trade agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cuba (PDCA);

22.5. encourages Council of Europe member States to introduce full-scale political and economic

sanctions against the Iranian regime;

22.6. supports the sanctions against the Russian Federation introduced by the United States of

America.

23. The anti-war movement in the Russian Federation calls on the member States who have passed

“Magnitsky laws” and the European Union to add those responsible for the arbitrary prosecution of Vladimir

Kara-Murza to the list of persons subject to targeted sanctions.

Throughout this text, all reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population shall be understood in

full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

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Resolution 2506 (2023)

24. Believing that an effective framework to address sanction avoidance should rest on the following

elements, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member and observer States and the European Union to

take them into account:

24.1. creating strategic European economic autonomy from Russian oil and gas that are used for

Russian imperialistic geopolitical purposes;

24.2. introducing measures to reduce the resale of Russian oil and gas to Europe via third countries;

24.3. expanding the list of individuals and entities targeted by the restrictive measures in the Russian

Federation and third countries;

24.4. identifying the major categories of entities and individuals which play a significant role in

sanction avoidance, such as banks, insurance companies, financial advisers, financial institutions,

transport and logistics companies, ports, and service companies;

24.5. setting up effective mechanisms to monitor sanctions compliance, for instance a dedicated Task

Force;

24.6. introducing and implementing secondary sanctions, and monitoring compliance with them;

24.7. setting up a public Register of companies and individuals working for Russian interests;

24.8. setting up a public Register of companies and individuals involved in sanctions avoidance;

24.9. introducing international guidelines for financial institutions to assess risks carefully for

customers and transactions prone to sanction avoidance. These guidelines would require heightened

scrutiny when dealing with individuals or entities operating in jurisdictions known for evading sanctions;

24.10. strengthening co-operation and harmonising sanctions efforts amongst like-minded countries, in

order to avoid loopholes;

24.11. enforcing robust tracking and verification systems to prevent sanctioned goods and materials

from entering global markets through indirect channels, including by conducting regular audits and

collaborating with industry partners to ensure compliance throughout the supply chain;

24.12. introducing significant financial penalties for sanction avoidance;

24.13. introducing criminal liability for the deliberate assistance by individuals and groups of individuals

for the purpose of evading sanctions;

24.14. considering the establishment of a pan-European body with the authority to investigate and

prosecute persons involved in sanctions avoidance. Such a body (Task Force), like the Register of the

States and entities, banks and firms that are circumventing sanctions, should be established as soon as

possible and it should work in parallel with the Register of Damage;

24.15. introducing monetary incentives for whistle-blowers reporting specific details of sanction

avoidance.

25.

As regards its own work, the Assembly:

25.1. resolves to establish channels of dialogue and co-operation with Russian forces and civil society

who aspire to a democratic change in the Russian Federation, who share Council of Europe values,

and who support the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the

Russian Action Committee;

25.2. encourages further reflection on the issue of sanctions against the Russian Federation;

25.3. reiterates its concern at Russian abuse of the right to veto, which is an international threat to the

international rule-based order and the democratic security of Council of Europe member States. In this

respect, the Assembly supports all efforts and discussions seeking to unblock the situation at the United

Nations and enabling it to deliver on its mandate.

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Resolution 2507 (2023)

Provisional version

War of aggression against Ukraine – Participation of Russian

and Belarusian athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics and

Paralympics?

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly condemns once more, in the strongest terms, the full-scale war of

aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, with the complicity of the Belarusian regime.

The consequences of this deliberate flouting of international law reverberate far beyond the borders of

Ukraine or even of Europe: all regions of the world are affected.

No means can be spared to demonstrate our entire repudiation of the Russian and Belarusian

leadership and regime. Politicians and public authorities must lead the way, but major organisations and

institutions acting in the public and private sphere should also stand up, bringing the weight of their moral

authority and renown to the public consciousness.

The sporting world is an influential societal actor which, at national, regional and global level, wields

immense economic, social, and even political leverage and whose decisions have a huge resonance and

deep global impact. At its best, sport brings together countries, societies, people and cultures to a playing field

where differences can be put aside and the exchanges are based on values such as mutual respect, diversity,

equality and inclusion. And for these same reasons, the Assembly considers that the sporting world must

today play its role in responding to a situation in which a major world power has thrown aside its obligations

under international law with such devastating consequences.

In April 2022, the Assembly’s Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media welcomed the calls

by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which urged all International Sports Federations to relocate or

cancel their sports events planned in the Russian Federation or Belarus and recommended to International

Sports Federations and sports event organisers not to invite or allow the participation of Russian and

Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions. Moreover, the 17th Council of Europe

Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (Antalya, Türkiye) adopted on 26 October 2022 a Resolution in

which the Ministers condemned the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine and considered that the

Russian Federation and Belarus should not be represented in international sport as long as this aggression

continues.

Concerned by the ongoing debate within the IOC on the possibility for athletes with a Russian or

Belarusian passport to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as “neutral athletes”, the

same committee organised a hearing in April 2023 with the participation of invitees active in the ongoing

discussions on this question. At this hearing, Assembly members listened to different points of view, including

positions on the need to ensure non-discrimination in sport, the wish to keep sport separate and independent

from politics and State intervention, as well as further details about the criteria for neutral participation

Assembly debate

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting) (see

Doc. 15795,

report of the Committee on Culture, Science,

Education and Media, rapporteur: Ms Linda Hofstad Helleland).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 22 June 2023

(18th sitting).

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Resolution 2507 (2023)

currently under examination by the IOC and how different sports bodies may ultimately take different stances

on this matter. The Standing Committee of the Assembly, meeting in Riga on 25 May 2023, held a current

affairs debate on this question.

While recognising the complexity of the issues at stake, and that views may differ on the best approach,

the Assembly holds that the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic

Games in the current context is unthinkable, would certainly be used as a tool of propaganda, and would

de facto

prevent other athletes, not least Ukrainian athletes, from participating.

Having taken into account all perspectives and arguments raised, the Assembly is convinced that the

endeavour undertaken by the IOC to establish a set of acceptable criteria allowing for the participation of

Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutral, individual competitors in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic

Games cannot provide the necessary guarantees and will not constitute a response worthy of the values of

human dignity and peace enshrined in the Olympic Charter.

Past experience at the Beijing and Sochi Olympics has shown that the Russian regime is more than

ready to misuse the Olympic truce. Bearing in mind that Russian and Belarusian elite athletes receive State

salaries and are often part of military sports teams, it seems impossible that they could demonstrate their

neutrality and distance from these regimes, let alone making any declaration against the war. Indeed, athletes

wishing to do so would certainly be putting themselves in a dangerous situation. Moreover, the individual

decisions of each sports body on whether or not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the

relevant competitions as neutral athletes could only lead to confusion and unequal treatment, and in recent

weeks it has been shown that the Russian and Belarusian regimes will nonetheless use any victories of such

“neutral” athletes in their propaganda, thus creating a narrative of acceptance and normalisation that

downplays the gravity of the Russian and Belarusian governments’ actions.

Above all, the arguments for permitting participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes on the grounds

of neutrality, independence of the sports movement, and non-discrimination, do not carry sufficient weight

faced with the imperative of condemning and repudiating the atrocities being committed, and of demonstrating

the international community’s complete and unwavering support for Ukraine as the onslaught continues. By

imposing the ban in response to military aggression against Ukraine, the IOC would demonstrate its

commitment to upholding the values of the Olympic Games, foster the pursuit of peaceful solutions to

conflicts, and send a clear message to the Russian and Belarusian governments that their actions have

consequences and that the international community stands in solidarity with Ukraine. The Ukrainian fight for

freedom is our fight; this should not be forgotten or overlooked, and should continue to guide our responses to

the Russian war of aggression.

10.

The Assembly therefore:

10.1. strongly urges national IOC representatives and national and international sports federations to

express their opposition to the IOC’s proposal to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate,

even as “neutral athletes” in the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic games;

10.2. calls on the IOC and its constituent sports bodies to maintain the position expressed in 2022,

and to prohibit the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic

Games and in all other major sporting events, for as long as the war of aggression continues. Such a

ban can only enhance and further promote the worthy objectives of peace and equality embodied by

the Olympic Movement and by sport in general. It does not weaken or blur the independence and

values of sport.

ERD, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 13: Tekster vedtaget af Forsamlingen under 3. session 2023

https://pace.coe.int

Resolution 2508 (2023)

Provisional version

Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly recalls that for more than 30 years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in

conflict, and that both countries committed themselves to settle the conflict through peaceful means upon

accession to the Council of Europe in January 2001.

The Assembly has dealt with many aspects of the conflict over the years, in particular in

Resolution

1047 (1994)

and

Recommendation 1251 (1994)

“Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh”, in

Resolution 1416 (2005)

“The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference” and in

Resolution

2391 (2021)

and

Recommendation 2209 (2021)

“Humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia

and Azerbaijan / Nagorno-Karabakh conflict”. It notes that Azerbaijan regained control of parts of its territory

after a 44-day war, which ended with a Trilateral Statement signed on 9 November 2020 by President of the

Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President

of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

The Assembly welcomes the mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan

and sees this as the first steps towards the end of a conflict which has already caused too many deaths and

tragedies on both sides.

Following the 2020 war, which has allowed Azerbaijan to reclaim part of its territory by force, the

Assembly is very concerned that that country’s leadership has not made any effort to reassure the Armenian

population living on this territory that they are welcome to stay and continue living their lives there. On the

contrary, the Assembly is extremely worried by events which have unfolded since the signature of the

Trilateral Statement, and which culminated on 12 December 2022 with the interruption of the free and safe

passage through the Lachin corridor and the subsequent deliberate cutting of electricity and gas supplies to

the region.

While fully recognising Azerbaijan’s concern to ensure security within its territory and at its borders, the

Assembly is struck by the fact that its leadership does not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and

human rights consequences stemming from the present situation.

The Assembly is well-aware that this is a situation with two totally opposed narratives. For this reason,

and because it believes in the benefits of dialogue, it deeply deplores that the Rapporteur was not invited to

Azerbaijan during his fact-finding visit, and was thus unable to travel to the Lachin corridor to see the situation

on the ground and discuss further with the authorities of Azerbaijan.

The Assembly underlines that Azerbaijan has the responsibility to protect and ensure the security of

everyone living within its internationally recognised borders and thus within its jurisdiction, pursuant to Article 1

of the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), and believes that drawing international attention

to the situation at the Lachin corridor and its human rights and humanitarian consequences is necessary in

recalling this responsibility.

Assembly debate

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting) (see

Doc. 15796,

report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees

and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr Paul Gavan).

Text adopted by the Assembly

on 22 June 2023 (18th sitting).