The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean in conjunction with the European Court of Human Rights organized a second Meeting on Human Rights for Members of Parliaments, which took place on 8-9 November 2016, at the Court Headquarters in Strasbourg, France.
ThE meeting complemented the first PAM Induction Seminar on Human Rights, which was hosted by the United Nations Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in Geneva, in June 2015, and gave the PAM parliamentary delegates the opportunity to further familiarize with the international Human Rights Protection System, and the role of the European Court of Human Rights.
During the seminar, 25 PAM MPs, from Cyprus, Greece, Jordan, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkey, were briefed by high-level judges and lawyers of the Registry of the Court on the practice and procedures followed by the Court in the case-law with regard to terrorism, migration, freedom of expression and freedom of religion. The presentations highly stimulated the debate between the high-level experts from the Court and the parlamentarians, who expressed their concerns about some of the challenges faced by the region, and their commitment to take a firmer stand on human rights, by formulating proposals for actions at the national and regional level.
“PAM MPs are always committed to give their contribution to the implementation and support of international processes for peace and stability in the Mediterranean region, with the aim of advancing and safeguarding Human Rights, as it was reaffirmed recently in Marseille on the occasion of the Parliamentary Meeting of the 5+5, West Mediterranean Group,”, stated Amb. Piazzi, in his welcoming speech.
The Court officials highlighted the importance of PAM’s presence, the first of its kind, and expressed appreciation at the approach PAM has taken vis-à-vis the relation between terrorism and human rights, as well as the fact that PAM was the only international organization that had agreed on a working definition of “terrorism”.
Moreover, participants had the unique opportunity to attend the hearing of the Grand Chamber of the Court on the case Fábián v. Hungary.
The parliamentary delegations had also the opportunity to meet and exchange views with a number of senior officials of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). They briefed the PAM parliamentarians on the #NoHateNoFear initiative launched by PACE President in June this year, in order to encourage all actors in society to stand against the terrorist threat, by refusing to succumb to hatred and fear.
On the margins of the event, PAM Secretary General held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Wojciech SAWICKI, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who later also welcomed the PAM parliamentary delegates at the PACE Headquarters and discussed the role of the MPs in the protection and promotion of human rights.
In a comment at the end of the event, PAM Secretary General, Amb. Sergio Piazzi, said that the seminar represented a further step in strengthening the long standing cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.