Strasbourg, 25.01.2010 - The 318-member Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today elected Mevlüt Çavusoglu (Turkey, EDG) as its new President at the opening of its plenary session in Strasbourg (25-29 January).

Mr Çavuşoglu succeeds Lluís Maria de Puig (Spain, SOC) as the Assembly’s 25th President. He is the first Turk to hold the office since Turkey’s accession to the Council of Europe in August 1949.

Council of Europe – Switzerland takes over from Slovenia as Chair of the Committee of Ministers

Under the joint chairmanship of Samuel Žbogar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, and Micheline Calmy-Rey, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, the meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies has started at 3 p.m. on 18th November.

Samuel Žbogar took stock of the Slovenian Chairmanship and outlined the main achievements since it began on 12 May. He had also presented a report on action taken by the Council of Europe during the last six months following the conflict in Georgia in August 2008.

Micheline Calmy-Rey  outlined the priorities of the Swiss Chairmanship for the coming six months, after which there was an exchange of views with the Ministers' Deputies.

During the meeting, the Committee has adopted the Council of Europe Policy Guidelines on Integrated National Strategies for the Protection of Children from Violence. It has also taked note of the follow-up given to its Declaration of February 2008 on Council of Europe action to improve the protection of Human Rights defenders and promote their activities.

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, will start on Sunday 28 June a six day visit to Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara.

“The aim of the visit is to gain first hand information on the human rights’ situation of asylum-seekers and minorities and to discuss other major human rights issues with the Turkish authorities, continuing and enhancing the constant dialogue with my Office” said the Commissioner.

OSCE`S MAIN HUMAN RIGHTS BODY CALLS FOR SUBMISSION OF GOOD PRACTICES IN EDUCATION TO COMBAT ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED

OSCE's Main Human Right Body, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), calls for submission of good practices to combat anti-Muslim hatred from inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), governments, local authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).