Security and co-operation in Europe
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- See Doc. 4560, report of the Political Affairs Committee Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 3 July 1980.
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Recalling the positions it has previously adopted on the implementation of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, and in particular its Resolutions 654 (1977) and 672 (1978) ;
2. Expressing its satisfaction that the Madrid meeting is to be held in spite of the tension in international relations, and hoping that the participating countries will take advantage of this meeting to advance the solutions of the problems still unsettled, resume the East-West dialogue and revive détente ;
3. Considering that the results reached by the three meetings of experts provided for in the closing document of the Belgrade meeting of 1977, namely :
3.1 that of Montreux, on the preparation of a European system for the peaceful settlement of disputes (31 October-13 December 1978),
3.2 that at Valletta, on the economic, scientific and cultural aspects of co-operation in the Mediterranean (13 February-26 March 1979), and
3.3 the Hamburg Scientific Forum (18 February-3 March 1980),
should be assessed bearing in mind the long-term nature of the process of détente, and that in this context one must note with satisfaction that some modest progress has been made in the specific fields of co-operation with which those meetings were concerned ;
4. Noting that the Hamburg Scientific Forum, which occurred after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Sakharov affair, led, thanks to the firmness with which the Western participants maintained their principles, to the adoption by consensus of a final communique affirming, inter alia, that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by all states constitutes one of the foundations for any significant improvement in their mutual relations and scientific cooperation at all levels ;
5. Reaffirming the absolute necessity of full respect for the principles set out in the first basket of the Helsinki Final Act by the participating states, not only in their mutual relations, but also in their relations with other states ;
6. Seriously concerned by the persistent violation of these principles resulting from the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet armed forces, and recalling in this connection that detente must be universal and indivisible ;
7. Alarmed by the repressive measures taken in the Soviet Union and other Eastern countries with regard to persons calling for the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in particular the groups that spontaneously came into existence in these countries with a view to contributing to the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act ;
8. Noting that in all signatory states the respect of human rights as civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights should be a matter for constant attention and increasing effort ;
9. Rejecting as inadmissible statements designed to represent as interference in internal affairs criticism of failure to comply with the principles governing human rights, and stating firmly that every signatory state is entitled to assess for itself whether the co-signatories are complying with their obligations under the Helsinki Final Act ;
10. Taking note of the gradual development of co-operation between the states in all fields, as witnessed by the conclusion of several bilateral agreements ;
11. Noting that the provisions on confidence-building measures have been observed in so far as they consisted in precise undertakings, such as the prior notification of large-scale military manoeuvres, but that no substantial progress has been made in the extension of the optional practices, such as prior notification of less extensive manoeuvres and that of major military movements ;
12. Considering that ideological differences are not contrary to the spirit of détente, provided that they take the form of a peaceful rivalry of ideas based on the elementary principle of equality between parties ;
13. Recalling that it is specifically declared in the Final Act that security in Europe is closely linked to co-operation and security in the Mediterranean, and that the concluding document of the Belgrade meeting expressly refers discussion of questions relating to co-operation and security in the Mediterranean to the Madrid meeting ;
14. Noting with satisfaction the efforts made by certain East European countries, particularly Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania, on the question of re-unification of families and bi-national marriages ;
15. Concerned by the lack of substantial progress on contacts between persons, and particularly concerning authorisation to travel for family, personal or professional reasons ;
16. Convinced that the right to emigrate, recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, constitutes an inalienable right of every human being, and that, therefore, its denial by the governments of East European countries is contrary to the spirit of Helsinki ;
17. Concerned by the continuation of a policy of strict and repressive control by several East European governments on the question of access to sources of information, both inside and outside national frontiers, in such a manner as to frustrate hopes of freer dissemination of information ;
18. Alarmed by the deterioration of working conditions for journalists in certain East European countries, particularly the USSR, Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic
19. Following with interest the various unilateral and multilateral proposals which have been made with a view to the Madrid meeting ;
20. Welcoming the practice which has become established within the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of holding regular exchanges of views, both at Ministerial and at Deputy level, with the qualified experts of the member governments,
21. Invites the governments of member states to continue, and if possible to intensify, concerted action in the Council of Europe with a view to fruitful co-operation between its members at the Madrid meeting ;
22. Reiterates, given the vital importance of close co-operation between parliamentary representatives and governmental authorities, the necessity to ensure that parliamentarians are adequately represented in the national delegations at Madrid ;
23. Invites the members of the Assembly to intervene in their national parliaments and with their governments to ensure that national delegations at Madrid :
a insist on the universal and the indivisible nature of detente ;
b seek a solution to the Afghan crisis, by impressing on the USSR that the continuation of the crisis arising out of the military occupation of Afghanistan and the non-recognition of the right of peoples to self-determination not only jeopardises the possibility of obtaining practical results at the Madrid meeting, but also destroys confidence and with it the Helsinki spirit itself ;
c restate their faith in the dignity and value of the human person, regarded as inherent in the concept of detente ;
d insist on the indivisible nature of the Helsinki Final Act, and the need to bring about a better application of all its provisions and development of all its aspects ;
e stress that the implementation of all the provisions of the Final Act concerning contacts between persons and freer dissemination of information is essential to the growth of understanding and confidence between European peoples, and to this end submit at the Madrid meeting new proposals aimed at liberalisation in these fields ;
f insist on full respect for the provisions of the Final Act aimed at improving working conditions for foreign journalists accredited in signatory states, particularly in matters of free movement and free access to sources of information.
