Right of aliens to vote and stand in local authority elections

Recommendation 903 (1980)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 26 September 1980 (12th Sitting) (see Doc. 4586, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography). Text adopted by the Assembly on 30 September 1980 (16th Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Recalling its earlier declarations on the subject of migrant workers, and in particular Recommendations 712 (1973), on the integration of migrant workers with the society of their host countries, 769 (1975), on the legal status of aliens, 773 (1976), on the situation of de facto refugees, 799 (1977), on the political rights and position of aliens, and 841 (1978), on second generation migrants ;

2. Considering the conclusions of the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Migration Affairs, held in Strasbourg from 6 to 8 May 1980, which urged the taking of action to facilitate effective migrant participation in the taking of decisions affecting their host community ;

3. Welcoming the conclusions of the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local Government, held in Madrid from 21 to 23 May 1980, which stated that : "The Ministers recommend that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe :

3.1 carry out a study of the possibility of drafting a multilateral instrument defining minimum civic rights in local public life, including the right to vote and stand for election at local authority level, for nationals of one member state living in another, and the conditions required for recognition of those rights ;

3.2 invite the governments of those member states which already offer the right to vote in local elections to citizens of some other countries to consider the extension of this right to residents who are nationals of other Council of Europe member states on a multilateral and fully reciprocal basis" ;

4. Welcoming the concordance of the said ministerial conference's conclusions with the Assembly's earlier pronouncements ;

5. Noting, however, that voting rights have often been linked to the concept of citizenship ;

6. Believing it essential that the granting of civic rights to nationals of Council of Europe member countries must also be subject to the following conditions :

6.1 a minimum period of uninterrupted residence in the host country ;

6.2 the drawing of a distinction, for a period to be determined, between the right to vote and the right to stand for election,

7. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

7.1 take immediate action to implement the conclusions of the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local Government referred to in paragraph 3 above ;

7.2 invite governments of those member states which are in the process of reviewing their citizenship laws to take account of the above conclusions.