Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

ALDE-PACE
President	Anne Brasseur Luxembourg
Ideology	Liberalism
Website
http://www.alde-pace.org/

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (ALDE-PACE) (French: Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l'Europe) is a political group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe bringing together 96 members from 37 states of the Council of Europe. The Group is chaired by Mrs Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg).

ALDE-PACE Mission

The Mission of the ALDE-PACE group is to promote core values of the Council of Europe: democracy, human rights and the rule of law through enhanced political actions inside and outside the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The ALDE members do so by actively participating in the Parliamentary Assembly sessions, working in its Committees, drafting reports, initiating debates and ensuring the follow-up of this work in their home countries. Outside the Assembly the group members are committed to promoting principles of the Council of Europe and giving support to liberal and democratic values throughout Europe.

Composition

Bureau

According to the Rules of Procedure of the ALDE-PACE (as amended on 25 January 2010), the Bureau of the Group consists of the Chairperson, the Secretary General, 10 Vice-Chairpersons and the Treasurer of the Group. Chairpersons of committees and former Chairpersons of the Group are ex officio members of the Bureau. Composition of the Bureau

Members

List of the ALDE-PACE members

Secretariat

The permanent secretariat of the Group is located in the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France (Palais de l’Europe). The secretariat is chaired by Ms Maria Bigday.

History

It was not until after the celebration of the Council of Europe's 25th anniversary in 1964 that the Rules of Procedure of the Consultative Assembly (its name was not changed to Parliamentary Assembly until 1974) discreetly mentioned that members had the possibility of forming political groups. The history of the liberal group in the PACE dates back to early 1970s (first documented in 1974). At the time it was called the Liberal Group and consisted of 30 members headed by Frederik Portheine (Netherlands). The Group held only one meeting during the week of the Strasbourg part-sessions.

In the mid-80s the group changed its name to the “Liberal, Democratic and Reformers' Group” (LDR) in order to make the Group's political ideals universally and unequivocally recognisable. The name "Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe" (ALDE) was adopted on 20 June 2005 in order to enhance cooperation with other European liberal and democratic bodies, in particular the ALDE of the European Parliament.

ALDE-PACE Presidents

In office	President	Country
2009 – present days	Anne Brasseur	Luxembourg
2002–2009	Matyas Eörsi	Hungary
1999–2002	Kristiina Ojuland	Estonia
1994–1999	Sir Russell-Johnston	United Kingdom
1991–1994	Daniel Tarschys	Sweden
1983–1991	Bjorn Elmquist	Denmark
1980–1983	Manfred Vohrer	Germany
1974–1980	Frederik Portheine	Netherlands

Liberal Presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly

In office	President	Country
1999–2002	Lord Russell-Johnston	United Kingdom
1978–1981	Hans J. de Koster	Netherlands
1969–1972	Olivier Reverdin	Switzerland
1960–1963	Per Federspiel	Denmark

Liberal Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Daniel Tarschys (Sweden) was Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 1994 - 1999.

History of the Secretariat

The permanent secretariat of the Group operates since 1978, when Mr Peter Kallenberger was appointed Secretary of the Group. After he retired in 2010, Ms Maria Bigday took up the position of the Secretary.

Activities

Recent reports prepared by the ALDE members

Anne BRASSEUR
Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing Committee (Doc. 12477, 24 January 2011)
Debate under urgent procedure: The situation in Tunisia (Doc. 12497, 27 January 2011)

Miljenko DORIC
The obligation of member states of the Council of Europe to co-operate in the prosecution of war crimes (Doc. 12454, 26 January 2011)

Dick MARTY
Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo (Report, Doc. 12462, Resolution 1782, 25 January 2011)

Bernhard MARQUET
Monitoring of commitments concerning social rights (Doc. 12441, 28 January 2011)

Conferences and side-events

The ALDE-PACE Group regularly holds conferences, hearings, seminars and round tables in the framework of the Council of Europe scope of interest. It also co-organises joint events with other European and international liberal and democratic institutions.
In 2010–2011 the ALDE initiated the following events:

1. Hearings on the post-electoral situation in Belarus, 24 January 2011, Strasbourg.

2. Round table “Media Freedom in Belarus”, 5 October 2010, Strasbourg.

3. Exchange of views with Mr Guido Westerwelle, Deputy Federal Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany and leader of the German liberal party, FDP, 4 October 2010, Strasbourg.

4. Hearings “The victims take the floor: human rights in the North Caucasus”, 21–25 June 2010, Strasbourg.

5. Eastern Partnership – The Liberal Approach: Positions and Tools, 26–27 February 2010, Berlin.

Partner organisations

The ALDE-PACE holds stable partnership with major European and world liberal and democratic organisations.

1. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament (ALDE-EP)
2. European Liberal Democrats and Reform Party (ELDR)
3. International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY)
4. Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
5. Liberal International (LI)

External links

• ALDE-PACE official web-site
• PACE official web-site
• Council of Europe official web-site