General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
The Third General Committee addresses humanitarian and human rights-related threats to security, serving as a forum for examining the potential for co-operation within these fields.
Matteo Mecacci (Italy) - Chair
Matteo Mecacci (Italy) was elected Chair of the Commitee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions at the 2011 Annual Session in Belgrade after having served as the committee's Rapporteur since 2009. Mr. Mecacci has been a member of the Italian Parliament since 2008, where he serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. From 2001 to 2008 he was based in New York where he co-ordinated various campaigns related to the promotion of democracy, particularly in regards to the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
He is currently the President of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for Tibet and Vice-President of the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, an NGO with Ecosoc Consultative status with the UN.
Alain Neri (France) - Vice-Chair
Alain Neri was elected Vice-Chair of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions at the 2011 Belgrade Annual Session. He has been a member of the Parliamentary Assembly and of the Committee since 2002 and has served as Deputy Head of the French Delegation since 2007. From 2007 to 2008, and since 2009, he has been the secretary of the bureau of the French National Assembly, where he has served since 1988. He also served as Vice President of the National Assembly from 2008 to 2009. He has been a member and Vice-President of the Social Affairs Committee for various years between 1988 and 2008 and is now member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.He is Vice President of both the France-Republic of Kazakhstan and the France-Portuguese amity groups and is the secretary of the France-Republic of Cyprus amity group. Alain Neri is also the director of a specialized establishment for exceptional children.
Coşkun Çörüz (The Netherlands) - Rapporteur
Coşkun Çörüz (The Netherlands) was elected Rapporteur of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions at the 2011 Annual Session in Belgrade. Mr. Çörüz has been a Member of the Dutch Parliament since May 2001, where he serves on the Committees for Foreign Affairs, Security and Justice, and Immigration and Asylum.
Mr. Çörüz is the Head of Delegation of the Netherlands to the OSCE PA. Within the Christian-Democrat faction in the Dutch Parliament, he is actively involved in human rights issues. He was a member of the Dutch Equal Treatment Commission and served as a member of the city council of Haarlem from 1998 to 2001.