First Reading of the Draft Act on the Accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (681 SE)
Session: The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting
Date: 2025-10-09 00:19
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 11
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 10m
AI Summaries: 11/11 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The agenda item was the first reading of Draft Act 681 SE, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning the accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, Liisa-Ly Pakosta, introduced the draft act, explaining that although Estonia was supposed to accede to the convention already in 2013, the process was left unfinished at that time due to technical reasons. The Minister emphasized that Estonia's domestic law fully complies with the requirements of the convention—there is no need to amend the Penal Code or allocate additional funding. The main objective of the accession is to improve Estonia's international relations, thereby increasing the country's credibility and standing. During the discussion, questions arose regarding the bureaucratic wording of the convention's central concept, "enforced disappearance," and its potential connection to immigrants arriving in Estonia from countries where such crimes are prevalent (e.g., Iraq, Sri Lanka). The Minister explained that this is a type of crime distinct from kidnapping and denied any connection to immigration. Peeter Ernits, speaking on behalf of the lead committee, the Legal Affairs Committee, confirmed that the committee had unanimously supported the conclusion of the first reading of the draft act, referring to it as a theoretical act that does not occur within the Estonian cultural context but which nevertheless demonstrates Estonia's participation in the global community.
Decisions Made 2
The first reading of Draft Law 681 SE was concluded.
The deadline for submitting amendments was set for October 22nd at 5:15 PM.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi introduced the first reading of the bill, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning accession to the international convention protecting persons from enforced disappearance, as the ninth item on the agenda, and invited Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta to the rostrum.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta is submitting a proposal to the Riigikogu (Parliament) for the approval of Estonia's accession to the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which was previously left pending due to technical reasons. She explained that although Estonian domestic law already meets the convention's requirements and therefore requires no legislative amendments or additional funding, accession is necessary to improve Estonia's international credibility and reputation.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi concluded his brief address, thanked the audience, and opened the Q&A session, giving the floor first to Rain Epler.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler criticized the term "enforced disappearance" as a bureaucratic construct and asked the minister to evaluate whether a simpler Estonian equivalent, such as "kidnapping," would be appropriate instead.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta emphasizes that abduction and forced disappearance are two different types of crime, explaining that the latter, which is less common in the Estonian cultural context, means exerting pressure on a person to leave, not their physical kidnapping.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi Peeter Ernits was called to the podium, but the content of his presentation is not reflected in the given text.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits asks bluntly whether the revival of the convention, which was initiated 10–11 years ago, is directly linked to immigration from countries like Iraq, Sri Lanka, and Congo, where widespread intra-family coercion and cultural practices may lead to people being forced to flee their homes.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta briefly and categorically dismissed any connection or involvement with the issue, emphasizing that it was irrelevant to the matter at hand.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi concluded the previous round of questions, thanked the participants, and then gave the floor to the Deputy Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, colleague Peeter Ernits, who will now proceed to introduce the decisions of the lead committee and the discussion that took place there.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits presented the draft resolution to the Riigikogu concerning the approval of the UN Convention against Enforced Disappearance. He repeatedly referred to the bill as a "werewolf bill" or something "non-existent in our cultural sphere," emphasizing that even though the topic is largely theoretical in Estonia, the committee decided to approve it by consensus to demonstrate Estonia's commitment to the global community and adherence to international standards.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi closed the debate, as no requests to speak had been submitted, and announced that, upon the proposal of the lead committee, the first reading of Draft Bill 681 was concluded, setting the deadline for submitting amendments at 5:15 p.m. on October 22 of the current year.