An urgent message from Athena Forum

The resolution passed.
x.com/AthenaForumEU/status/2016927480230400176

I didn't realise The Baroness Root Unt was going to be there.

Live you tube link.

Reading that, one para stands out; "The experience of countries that have been pioneers in this area, such as Malta, not only provides valuable insight into the principles that should guide legislative reform, but also into potential shortcomings and loopholes that must be avoided."

I don't think that the country with the most restrictive abortion laws in the EU, where women have no right to an abortion unless their lives are immediately in danger (& that only sometimes, remember Andrea Prudente's death in 2023?) & where the (male) Chief of Staff to former PM Joseph Muscat is implicated in the fatal car bombing of an inconvenient (female) journalist, has anything to tell the world about human rights, other than it reckons men should do as they please;

Muscat used trans legislation as a distraction from Malta's endemic corruption & even the Maltese govt's enthusiastic torching of women's language & sex-disaggregated data collection hasn't helped them climb higher than 15th in the EU for "gender parity".

It seems that some amendments have been tabled for consideration tomorrow, including a couple that the forementioned Sir Christopher Chope (Cons) has put his name to:
https://pace.coe.int/pdf/4753b5c3956ee0751595e99e40a5f4ae85677722901a4e95524b678e9192c841/doc.%2016315%3A%20compendium%20of%20written%20amendments%20(provisional%20version).pdf

I think we all agree that Athena Forum have made an excellent start to their work. They are still looking for Founding Supporters, with a goal of 500 and a current tally of 272.
Support them for 5 euros/month (or more!)

https://athena-forum.eu/

Thanks. I searched the .gov.uk and sort of assumed they put newest first.

But good to have that link, though no info about have the met, have the agreed a strategy, or are they going as individuals.

Does seem really strange for that not to be any sort of press release.

I suppose we will here about after it has happened and whatever decision is taken cant be reversed.

https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/uk-parliamentary-assemblies/pace-uk/
This is a more up-to-date version, and the link to PACE on the right-hand side works

No idea, I'm afraid.

I found this on HoC web site which has terms of reference
https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/uk-parliamentary-assemblies/pace-uk/pace-uk-committees/coe-delegation-committees/coe---equal-opportunities-for-women-and-men/

But has not links to dates of meetings, let alone minutes.

And a the bottom a link supposedly to take you to PACE Committee doesn't work!

Do the people on these kinds of extra-national organisations have to toe the party line in the same way they would in the House? I rather thought they didn't but I don't actually know.

Agree it all sounds very murky and undemocratic. As the phrase goes, the thing about UK MPs is that they work for us. Some of them may need reminding of that.

The whole thing seems very murky. The vote in the Equality and Non-Discrimination committee was, apparently, unanimous. This means that Sir Christopher Chope (Conservative, of upskirting Bill blocking infamy) voted for it.
Does Kemi know this?
Does she care?

However, if Chope was absent then I assume his 'alternate' votes. This is Valerie Vaz who is Labour, and from a different political grouping.
Why does a Tory member have a Labour 'alternate'?
Does she have to vote how Chope wants, or does she get to vote her own sweet way?
Why can't I find on the Council of Europe website which individuals actually voted for this measure?

Done.

Fantastic work.

Fantastic work.

Oh wow. That is really heartening - thank you for posting.

Just sharing from X.
https://x.com/i/status/2016069940546056586

In just two weeks, you have brought unprecedented attention to the Council of Europe. Through our campaign website, you sent over 15,000 messages to your national MPs. In addition to this, you also contacted party leaders, MPs and country delegations directly. Many groups across Europe joined the campaign, translating and adapting our letter. Individuals and organisations reached out to political leaders, published articles, made calls, met with MPs. This level of scrutiny is a first. There’s never been this kind of spotlight before.

We’ve reached out to all political groups at the Council of Europe with our briefing on the harms of gender identity-based bans. We’ve amplified lesbian and gay voices. And we’re in Strasbourg this week, available to speak with delegates. Whatever happens, we will continue to expose the harm being done under the guise of human rights.

Just to make another comment about this point.

Is there no obligation on those UK MPs who are delegates to let us, the voters they are there to represent know about votes they are going to take at the Council.

Does seem quite strange.

Done.

Bump

Email sent, in my own words.

Well that is part of our problem in the UK that we have a really pathetic press that thinks news is just personality politics. And maybe that schools need to put more effort into teaching things like which political or human righst groups the UK is part of. I suspect many of us dont even know this within the UK.

My understanding is pretty sketchy but if you can trust AI:

The UK remains linked to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) because it is a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which is a separate treaty from the EU. While Brexit removed the UK from the EU legal order, the ECHR still binds the UK to uphold fundamental rights, with the Human Rights Act 1998 allowing these rights to be enforced in UK courts.

The Council of Europe (CoE) is the continent’s leading human rights organisation, founded in 1949 and based in Strasbourg, France. Comprising 46 member states, its primary purpose is to uphold and promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law across Europe, notably overseeing the European Court of Human Rights.

Decisions in the Council of Europe (CoE), a distinct body from the EU focused on human rights and democracy, are primarily reached by the Committee of Ministers, which constitutes member states' foreign ministers or their permanent representatives. Decisions are typically made through consensus, but some areas may require unanimity or a qualified majority

UK's current representatives https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/uk-delegation-to-the-council-of-europe

Edited to add which I have only just realised is that, or will this decision then be the guidelines for the European Court of Human Rights/

I wonder what Kate would say about https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5475381-well-this-was-totally-predictable ?

I've said before, there are fools (like Nadia Whittome), and there are knaves. This one is certainly a knave. They will use any avenue they can find.