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John Howell

MP for the Henley Constituency
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Working for a better Europe

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PACE Oct 2019

It is important that we have good relations with the wider Europe. That can be best achieved through the Council of Europe – a non-EU organisation set up after the Second World War to oversee democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Europe. These three things underpin the stability and security we all feel across the continent. The Henley constituency is part of this; it forms a part of our everyday lives. That Europe is much bigger than the EU and it is much older. It is represented by 47 countries completely separate from the EU. I am very pleased to be the Leader of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and a Vice-President of it. The UK delegation is cross-party.

The Council covers key issues of importance to us all such as climate change. the treatment of refugees and child sexual exploitation. In France, for example, it is helping fund ground breaking cancer research. The Council meets four times a year and I have personally spoken on protecting whistle-blowers, treatment of migrants, violence against women, on extending the ombudsman schemes, and on how to run referenda. It is the Council which has led the way in gender equality, in fighting racism and antisemitism, in fighting violence against children, and, in ensuring we have access to good quality medicines and health care. All of these are important to the people of this constituency. 

I have also had the honour of representing the Council itself to award a prize to the French town of Suresnes and to Germain-en-Laye for their work in human rights, in democracy and the rule of law. It is a prize which has also been won in the past by the town of Coventry.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council is drawn from parliamentarians across the wider Europe including Russia, Israel and the Palestinians are associate members.    

News

JH chairing session

John's Report on the April session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Saturday, 30 April, 2022

The Parliamentary Aeeembly of the Council of Europe has four Plenary Session each year. Below is John's Delegation Leader report for the April session. 

Council of Europe Chamber

John welcomes ECHR judgement on the murder of Aleksander Litvinenko

Tuesday, 21 September, 2021

Along with colleagues of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe John has welcomed today’s judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Russia for the murder of Aleksander Litvinenko in 2006 using Polonium. 

PACE Chamber

John reports on the latest session of the Council or Europe

Friday, 25 June, 2021

The third part of the yearly session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe took place between 21 and 24 June 2021. The agenda showed the Council’s involvement in what might be called the ‘softer’ areas of its work such as the impact of Covid-19 on children’s rights, the transpare

Ryan Air plane

John condemns recent actions of Belarus

Monday, 24 May, 2021

In his role as Leader of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe, John has spoken today, on behalf of the Delegation, to condemn the actions of Belarus and its President Alexander Lukashenko in forcing a Ryanair jet to land at Minsk so that journalist Roman Protasevich could be arrested. 

Jerusalem

John comments on the situation in Israel, Gaza and the Middle East

Saturday, 15 May, 2021

Like many of you, I am concerned by the escalation of violence in Israel, Gaza and in the Middle East.

Announcement

John elected Vice-President of the Council of Europe

Friday, 29 January, 2021

This week John was this week elected a Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The role involves him in acting as the equivalent of a deputy speaker of the Assembly.

Turkey

John expresses concern at conviction of human rights defenders in Turkey

Thursday, 9 July, 2020

Following the recent convictions of the four Turkish human rights defenders - Taner Kılıç, İdil Eser, Günal Kuşun and Özlem Dalkıran - in the so-called Büyükada trial, the rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), Thomas Hammarberg (

European Court

John calls for the release of Osman Kavala following court decision

Friday, 15 May, 2020

In his role as a monitor for Turkey on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) John and his PACE colleague Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden) have commented on the decision of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights to reject the appeal brought by the Turkish

Prison

John welcomes success on calls for urgent action in Turkish Prisons

Monday, 27 April, 2020

John has  welcomed the adoption on 14 April of the Criminal Enforcement Law, allowing the early or conditional release of 90 000 prisoners to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in overcrowded Turkish prisons, but has expressed regret at the discriminatory approach with regard to certain

PACE Turkey

Council of Europe Monitoring in Turkish Prisons

Friday, 3 April, 2020

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and an expected sanitary crisis in Turkish detention centres, PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Turkey, Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden, SOC) and John Howell (United Kingdom, EC/DA), have urged the Turkish authorities to ensure that any early or conditional release of

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John Howell MP for the Henley Constituency

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