Tunisian President to address European Council Parliament in April

Tunisian President Moncef Marzuki will be among several Heads of Government to address the forthcoming Parliamentary Assembly session of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on April 22-26, the Council said in a statement Wednesday. The Spring Session of the Assembly, known as PACE, is to address a number of key issues, including dialogue with Turkey, sectarian violence, sexual exploitation and abuses of children in the tourism sector and various technological questions, including the development of nanotechnology, and the protection of human rights in technological development. The Council of Europe will also examine the 2012 report of its human rights commissioner. Sources at the Assembly said that Marzuki will address the European Council Parliament on April 24 and outline the situation in his country for participants. The Council of Europe has 47 members and is responsible for monitoring democracy and human rights in member States. The body has also signed several "partnership in democracy" agreements, including with Morocco and the Palestinian Territories and has close contact with several other Arab nations and is currently completing a fact-finding mission to Jordan