Martinus Josephus Maria (Tiny) Kox, born 1953, Zeelst, Netherlands

Political experience

Since 1975, member of the Socialist Party (SP) of the Netherlands

1981, member of the Executive Committee of the Socialist Party

1982-1999, head of the Socialist Party group on Tilburg Municipal Council

1993-2003, General Secretary of the Socialist Party

Since 2003, leader of the Socialist Party in the Dutch Senate

2003-2010, member of the Dutch delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Since 2003, member of the Dutch delegation to PACE

2007-2022, chairperson of the Unified European Left (UEL) group in PACE

2010, chairperson of the PACE ad hoc committee to observe the parliamentary elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2011-2012, Vice-President of PACE

2011, chairperson of the PACE ad hoc committee to observe the parliamentary elections in the Russian Federation

2011, PACE accepts Kox's proposal to grant the Palestinian Legislative Council “partner for democracy” status and a PACE delegation

2012-2013, Vice-President of PACE

2012, chairperson of the PACE ad hoc committee to observe the presidential elections in the Russian Federation

2014, PACE rapporteur on Europe's public administrations in flux: public service under threat?

2014, chairperson of the PACE ad hoc committee to observe the parliamentary elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2014, PACE rapporteur on Evaluation of the partnership for democracy in respect of the Palestinian National Council

2015, chairperson of the PACE ad hoc committee to observe the parliamentary elections in Turkey

2016, PACE rapporteur on Combating international terrorism while protecting Council of Europe standards and values

2017, PACE rapporteur on Defending the acquis of the Council of Europe: preserving 65 years of successful intergovernmental co-operation

2018, PACE rapporteur on The honouring of obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina

2019, PACE rapporteur on The role and mission of the Parliamentary Assembly: main challenges for the future

2020, chairperson of the PACE ad hoc committee to observe the parliamentary elections in Georgia

2020-2022, PACE General Rapporteur on the budget and intergovernmental programme

2021, PACE rapporteur on The Assembly’s vision on the strategic priorities for the Council of Europe

2021, PACE rapporteur on Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2022-2023

2021, PACE rapporteur on Budgets and priorities of the Council of Europe for the period 2022-2025

2021, PACE rapporteur on Guidelines on the scope of the parliamentary immunities enjoyed by members of the Parliamentary Assembly

Professional experience

1975-1982, Tilburg Law Centre

1981-1994, Editor-in-Chief of Tribune, the members magazine of the Socialist Party

Personal

Tiny Kox lives in Tilburg, is married, has two sons and three grandchildren.

Twenty Vice-Presidents are elected annually at the beginning of an ordinary session and remain in office until the opening of the next session (but a Vice-President whose delegation is renewed in the course of a session does not remain in office).  The number of Vice-Presidents has been increased on several occasions as the number of member States has grown.

he function of a Vice-President is to take the Chair in the Assembly on any occasion when the President is unavailable. While doing so, the Vice-President exercises the powers, and is subject to the obligations, laid upon the President under Part V of the Rules of Procedure.  Thus, as with the President, a Vice-President may not both take the Chair during a debate and otherwise take part in that debate. When a Vice-President is in the Chair, his or her Substitute may take the Vice-President's place in the Assembly, and may speak and vote there.  The Official Report of debates refers to a Vice-President when he or she presides as "the President".  Unlike the President, Vice-Presidents do regularly speak in debates which they have not chaired.

Most of the reports debated in plenary session or at the Standing Committee are prepared by a committee. The eight general committees of the Assembly are the following:

1. Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (AS/Pol)
2. Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (AS/Jur)
3. Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development (AS/Soc)
4. Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons (AS/Mig)
5. Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media (AS/Cult)
6. Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination (AS/Ega)
7. Monitoring Committee (AS/Mon)
8. Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs (AS/Pro).

In addition, most of the committees have sub-committees or a general rapporteur on specific subjects, and may create ad hoc committees for specific activities. All committees meet during the part-sessions in Strasbourg and most meet at least once in-between part-sessions, usually in Paris.

 Committee meetings

Although committees deal in particular with reports, they have great freedom to discuss any matter within their competence when they agree to do so. They organise hearings, colloquies or conferences on particular subjects, the findings of which can then be used for the preparation of reports to the Assembly.

Sessions and sittings

The sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly are divided into four part-sessions, each lasting for about a week at the end of January, April, June and the beginning of October.

Seating

Seats allocated to members in the Chamber are arranged in the shape of a horseshoe and allocated in alphabetical order. Consequently members do not sit in national delegations or in political groups.

Official and working languages

According to the Statute, the official languages of the Council of Europe are English and French. However, the Assembly provides interpretation in German, Italian and Russian as additional working languages.

The Table Office

The Table Office advises members of the Assembly, secretaries of delegations, of political groups and other officials on how best to achieve their objectives within the Rules of Procedure and serves as custodian of these rules.

Debates

The Assembly's plenary debates are held in public while committees meet generally in camera. The debates are conducted according to the principles observed in national parliaments.

Voting

Only members duly designated by the national delegation and who have signed the register of attendance for the specific sitting shall be entitled to vote. The Assembly normally votes by using the electronic voting system.

Majorities

A two-thirds majority is required for questions such as a draft recommendation or draft opinion to the Committee of Ministers or the adoption of urgent procedure. In respect of a draft resolution and any other decision, a majority of the votes cast is required.