PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION ATTENDS PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

A parliamentary delegation led by the Hon. John Vella, MP and comprising Hon. Francis Agius, Hon. John Attard Montalto, Hon. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Hon. Joe Debono Grech, will be attending the second part of the 2000 Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be held in Strasbourg between the 3^rd and 7^th April 2000.

During this session various personalities will be addressing the Parliamentary Assembly, namely Mr Ilir Meta, Prime Minister of Albania; Mr Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister of Norway; Mr Vytautas Landsbergis, Chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament; and Mr Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland and Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Subjects to be discussed during this session are:

- violence against women in Europe;

- rape in armed conflicts;

- institutional reforms in Ukraine;

- conflict in Chechnya;

- honouring of obligations and commitments of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia";

- education in Bosnia-Herzegovina;

- role of Parliaments in fighting corruption;

- repatriation and integration of the Tartars of Crimea;

- parliamentary contribution to the implementation of the Stability Pact;

- towards the uniform interpretation of Council of Europe conventions: the creation of a general judicial authority;

- opinion on the draft additional Protocol to Convention ETS No.108 on Supervisory Authorities and Transborder      Data Flows;

- new technologies in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);

- appointment of a European ombudsman for children;

- emergency action plan for children in Kosovo; and

- campaign against child soldiers.