European Public Campaign on North-South Interdependence and Solidarity

Recommendation 1095 (1989)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 31 January 1989 (20th Sitting) (see Doc. 5990, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development, Rapporteurs : MM. Aarts and Holtz). Text adopted by the Assembly on 31 January 1989 (20th Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly

1. Having regard to the report of its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development on the European Public Campaign on North-South Interdependence and Solidarity (Doc. 5990) ;

2. Considering that the campaign, undertaken in 1988 by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the European Community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), has produced positive results ; it has in particular allowed :

2.1 the creation of a positive co-operation between governments, parliamentarians, NGOs, international organisations and local and regional authorities in the organisation of numerous activities both at European and national level ; and

2.2 the promotion of a better understanding of the need for new ethics, thinking and action in the political and economic spheres in order to bring about a fair North-South relationship ;

3. Considering that efforts towards the attainment of the objective of the campaign, to raise greater public awareness of the crucial issues of North-South interdependence and solidarity, require medium- and long-term action in the Council of Europe member states, building on the experience gained and the structures set up during the campaign ;

4. Noting that the campaign brought greater cognisance in Europe of the fact that the fate of the countries of the North is intimately bound up with the future of those in the South, as well as recognition of the consequent need for better North-South co-operation to solve their common problems ;

5. Underlining that there is an urgent need for new efforts that meet the requirements of an interdependent world through strategies of co-operative action in a spirit of solidarity ;

6. Drawing special attention to the appeal for action, approved by the parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations participating in the European Conference on North-South Interdependence and Solidarity (Madrid, 1-3 June 1988), as well as to the reports of the working sessions of the conference and the follow-up proposals, in Doc. 5990 ;

7. Being convinced that there should be a ‘‘post-Madrid process'' to monitor the implementation of the appeal and to continue the campaign activities, both at European and national level, which proved successful, and that this process should be evaluated at a conference to be held in 1992 ;

8. Being also of the opinion that parliamentarians from OECD countries should scrutinise more closely and more regularly the policies pursued by the IMF and the World Bank with regard to Third World countries ;

9. Endorsing the aims and proposals of the Madrid Appeal to achieve a fair sharing of the earth's resources, to promote more just social and economic policies, and to make a more serious and sustained effort to give all persons a real chance for an acceptable and dignified existence free from hunger, oppression and discrimination, and to promote democratic freedoms in the world ;

10. Expressing the wish that the Council of Europe organise more frequent contacts between leaders in Europe and in the Third World to discuss the major aspects of North-South interdependence and to contribute to a constructive and action-oriented North-South dialogue, and that it should also promote such a dialogue at global level ;

11. Welcoming the special attention given by various national parliaments as well as the European Parliament to the campaign, proposes that they organise, in future, regular debates on issues of North-South interdependence and solidarity, thereby taking into account the aims and proposals of the Madrid Appeal,

12. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of the Council of Europe member states :

12.1 to implement the policy recommendations formulated in the Madrid Appeal and initiate international co-operation to this end ;

12.2 to co-ordinate more actively their activities and programmes in favour of the South ;

12.3 to promote development education on the lines of Recommendation 1069 (1988), so that European public opinion will become aware of the growing interdependence between Europe and the developing countries and of the need for solidarity, and to allocate funds for this purpose to appropriate bodies, including NGOs ;

12.4 to support the proposal made by the Prime Minister of Portugal to set up a European centre for global interdependence and solidarity, in order to :

a continue the co-operation process which emerged during the campaign between parliamentarians, governments and NGOs as well as local and regional authorities ;

b strengthen co-operation and contacts between NGOs from the North and the South ;

c improve development education on the fundamental issues of global interdependence and solidarity ;

d act as a focal point for the follow-up to be given to the campaign.