MPs George Loukaides and Christiana Erotokritou, members of the Cypriot delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), spoke on the contribution of political parties to the elimination of racism and the promotion of multiculturalism and inclusiveness, in the context of yesterday's plenary debate of the CSCE.
A statement from the Parliament said that in his intervention Mr. Loucaides welcomed the revision of the Charter of European Political Parties for the Elimination of Racism and praised the work of the European Commission for Combating Racism and other Council of Europe mechanisms and tools, such as the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance, which provide legislative support to member states to better address racism.
At the same time, he expressed strong concern about the re-emergence of rhetoric that sees refugees and migrants as a burden and a threat to societies.
Therefore, he pointed out, it becomes an absolute necessity for all parties belonging to the democratic arc to sign up to the Charter of European Political Parties for the Elimination of Racism. He also stated that it is necessary to launch a coordinated effort between the CPSU and national parliaments through the establishment of an effective monitoring mechanism to check that all contracting parties commit themselves to and implement in practice the basic provisions of the Charter.
In her intervention, Ms Erotokritou noted that political parties can play an important role in the fight against discrimination, starting with the inclusion of the principles of equality, inclusiveness and multiculturalism in the agenda of party youth organisations. He added that young people are best placed to perceive and listen to issues such as freedom, inclusion and inclusiveness, and it is they themselves who should seek to bring about a kneading between social groups towards these goals.
Diversity within a party can have a catalytic effect, achieving change from within while ensuring greater opportunities for democratic participation and representation across all social groups, she concluded.
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