Within the discussion on prostitution and trafficking in human beings, the PACE has pinpointed that 84% of trafficking victims in Europe are subjected to sexual exploitation, given the obvious close link between the two crimes, hence it is necessary to harmonise legislation in these two fields, wherein Swedish model appears as the most effective.

At the discussion on the situation and rights of traditional national minorities in Europe, the PACE concludes that political priority of Council of Europe member states should be protection of rights of all national minorities, because it is an important condition for preservation of the peace and stability in whole Europe. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe urges Council of Europe member states, which have not done it so far, to ratify Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

In the continuation of the session, Mr Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, presented his 2013 Annual activity report. He said that he had numerous activities in 2013, which included visits to 24 countries, during which he spoke with subjects dealing with human rights, attended conferences and gave lectures, drafting reports with recommendations on those, with the aim of improving the current situation of human rights. Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, as independent and objective institution, dealt with a wide range of topics from the human rights field in 2013. Human Rights Commissioner Mr Muižnieks stressed that usage of modern technologies was very important for promotion of human rights, emphasising that a number of people who followed his work via twitter was almost doubled at the end of 2013. Mr Muižnieks said that in 2014 he would continue, with his team, numerous planned activities with the aim of improving human rights in Council of Europe member states.

Members of delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe participated in the morning and afternoon meetings of the PACE working bodies: Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights as well as meetings of sub-committees on human rights, disabled persons, inclusion and gender equality. 

The session will be continued tomorrow, on topics such as: Improving user protection and security in cyberspace, right to access citizenship and implementation of the European Convention on Nationality.

Tomorrow, MPs will be addressed by Austrian President Mr Heinz Fischer. It is expected that parliamentarians would pay a special attention to discussion on the topic “Recent developments in Ukraine: threats to the functioning of democratic institutions”, which was urgently included in the agenda.

Montenegrin Delegation at the Spring Session consists of the following: Mr Predrag Sekulić, Head of Delegation, and members Ms Draginja Vuksanović, Mr Mladen  Bojanić  and Ms Snežana Jonica.