Parliamentary Delegation to attend second part of 1998 Ordinary Session of the Council of Europe

The parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe will be attending the 2nd Part of the 1998 Ordinary Session of the Council of Europe to be held in Strasbourg from the 20th to the 24th April 1998. The delegation which is led by the Hon Karl Chircop, MP, comprises the Hon Maria Camilleri, MP, the Hon Guido de Marco, MP, the Hon Chris Cardona, MP, the Hon Alex Sceberras Trigona, MP and the Hon John Vella, MP.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be addressed by Mr Ivan Kostov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and a communication will be presented by Mr Helmut Schäfer, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany on behalf of the Chairman-in-office of the Committee of Ministers.

Amongst the subjects to be discussed are:

- the relations with the European Union: Follow-up to the Amsterdam Summit;

- the reform of the United Nations;

- the abuse and neglect of children;

- the dangers of asbestos for workers and the environment;

- the activities of the International Organisation for Migration 1994 - 1997;

- Palestine refugee situation in the context of the Middle-East peace process;

- the opinion on the draft Convention of the Council of Europe on the protection of the environment through criminal law;

- radioactive waste management; and

- the Japanese economy in the South-East Asian and world context.