The award ceremony for the Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment and speeches by the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela, and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia Gordan Grlić Radman, will be among the highlights of the summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), taking place from 23 to 27 June 2025 in Strasbourg.
Three urgent debates have been requested on "Women's rights in Europe - Progress and challenges"; "Halting the genocide in Gaza - The Council of Europe must act now"; and on "The urgent need to put an end to the war in Gaza". A current affairs debate has also been requested on "A call for the immediate release of Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia and other persons facing politically motivated persecution in Georgia".
Other debates are scheduled on legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine; on political negotiations to enforce exchange and release of prisoners of war; on social mobilisation, social unrest and police reaction in Council of Europe member states; on inclusive participation in parliamentary life; on protecting human rights in and through sport; and on the Olympic movement and peacekeeping.
Furthermore, Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta, President of the Committee of Ministers, will present the traditional communication from that body and answer questions from members. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, will hold a question-and-answer session with the parliamentarians.
Other items on the agenda include debates on saving migrants' lives at sea and protecting their human rights; on the challenges and needs of public and private actors involved in migration management; on the analysis and guidelines for a sustainable and socially fair energy transition; on the Draft Protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism; and on the observation of the parliamentary elections in Albania.
The Assembly will adopt its final agenda on the first day of the session.
