Member of Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro to the PACE Ms Snežana Jonica is participating in the session.

Parliamentary Assembly, in its Resolution 2135 (2016), adopted upon the proposal of Ms Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, member of the Morocco delegation, clearly states that female genital mutilation is a serious violation of women’s and children’s rights. In order to eradicate this practice, a key role is played by prevention, raising of awareness and education of men and women from relevant communities, social and education services, police, judiciary system and health care workers. The Assembly called on Council of Europe member states to: recognise female genital mutilation as crime against women and children, sign and/or ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and make and implement a set of measures with the aim of combating this harmful practice and providing support to its victims.

Within discussion on the protection of unaccompanied migrant minors, PACE called on member states to improve the protection of unaccompanied migrant minors in the European territory and to avoid them going missing. Unaccompanied migrant minors should be treated first and foremost as children, not as migrants, the participants of this discussion emphasised. In that context, the Assembly in its Resolution 2136 (2016) emphasises that all unaccompanied migrant children should be adequately registered and accommodated upon arrival, as well as provided with the access to
health care and education. At international level, PACE called on closer cooperation, including countries of origin and transit, Europol and Frontex, in order to protect children from trafficking, and provide support in connecting families in case of minor migrants separated from their parents.

In the first part of today’s session, MPs were addresses by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Assembly also discussed the situation in Turkey in light of the recent coup attempt.

Autumn Session of the Parliamentary Assembly will end tomorrow by discussion the influence of demographic movements in Europe on the migration policy.