Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Maghreb countries in the field of social cohesion
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting
on behalf of the Assembly, on 12 November 2010 (see Doc. 12353, report
of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, rapporteur:
Mr Blum).
- Thesaurus
1. Despite the considerable advances
achieved by the three central Maghreb countries, Algeria, Morocco and
Tunisia, in their human development over recent years – including
poverty alleviation – social cohesion remains a major challenge
for them. The Council of Europe for its part can share its acquis and experience in the promotion
of social cohesion, declared to be one of the pillars of democratic
stability at the Warsaw Summit (2005), and of social rights as enshrined
in the European Social Charter (revised) (ETS No. 163).
2. The Parliamentary Assembly confirms its commitment to co-operation
with the Maghreb countries, as expressed in its
Resolution 1598 (2008) and
Recommendation 1825 (2008) on
strengthening co-operation with the Maghreb countries. It recalls
its latest substantial contributions in this respect, particularly
Resolution 1680 (2009) on
the establishment of a ”partner for democracy” status with the Parliamentary Assembly
and
Recommendation 1919
(2010) on the Euro-Mediterranean region: call for a Council
of Europe strategy.
3. It welcomes the concrete moves made to implement enhanced
co-operation with the Maghreb countries, particularly under various
partial or enlarged agreements open to non-member states, such as
the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission),
the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South
Centre) and the Pompidou Group.
4. In these times of world economic crisis, the Assembly is convinced
that the Council of Europe should continue to regard social cohesion
as an essential factor of democratic stability and that all endeavours
to promote the Organisation’s values beyond its boundaries should
embody a social component. Special responsibility falls to the Council
of Europe because of the manifold economic and social interdependence between
the Maghreb countries and European states, as well its mandate as
a promoter of democracy and human rights. The Assembly reiterates
its strong determination to develop co-operation with the parliaments of
the three Maghreb countries by means of regular debate in the framework
of plenary sessions, committee meetings and more informal exchanges.
5. In order to strengthen co-operation with the three central
Maghreb countries in the field of social cohesion, the Assembly
invites the Council of Europe member states to:
5.1 reinforce co-operation both
at the level of the Parliamentary Assembly and by means of the existing
intergovernmental co-operation mechanisms such as the Venice Commission,
the North–South Centre and the Pompidou Group;
5.2 take the following measures regarding Council of Europe
co-operation mechanisms and expertise:
5.2.1 support the
Maghreb countries in their democratic development to help them fulfil
the conditions for obtaining “partner for democracy” status with
the Parliamentary Assembly;
5.2.2 continue to support the Maghreb countries in their efforts
to accede to other Council of Europe partial or enlarged agreements
open to non-member states, and encourage them to have regard to
the Council of Europe standards in their national policies, such
as those found in the European Social Charter (revised), even if
accession is not possible;
5.2.3 reinforce their bilateral co-operation arrangements with
the Maghreb countries;
5.3 follow the goals and principles below with regard to the
substantive themes of co-operation with the Maghreb countries:
5.3.1 satisfy themselves that all future co-operation activity
between the Council of Europe and the Maghreb countries addresses
the major challenges of better social cohesion, in particular:
5.3.1.1 the problems of ill-treatment and illiteracy affecting
children;
5.3.1.2 education, equal opportunities and the problem of discrimination
among young people;
5.3.1.3 equal opportunities for women and men at all levels and
especially as regards access to skilled employment and equal participation
in public life;
5.3.1.4 proper functioning of the labour market, offering career
opportunities for qualified young people;
5.3.1.5 access to health care for all, including the most vulnerable
groups (unemployed, elderly, inhabitants of rural areas, etc.);
5.3.1.6 equal opportunities between different geographical sectors
(town centres/ outskirts, town/country, etc.);
5.3.2 take account of migration as a factor of global interdependence
by encouraging and helping the Maghreb countries to control irregular
immigration through management of immigration movements from the
Maghreb that is respectful of human rights;
5.3.3 address urgently the social problems of the immigrant
populations in their own countries, problems which are more liable
to occur among populations subject to marginal status or discrimination;
5.4 ensure that co-operation with the Maghreb countries in
relation to social cohesion proceeds in co-ordination with other
European and international institutions (European Union, United
Nations Development Programme, etc.), whose actions for the human
development of the countries concerned are complementary to those
of the Council of Europe.
6. Lastly, the Assembly invites the states of the central Maghreb
– Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia – to follow these same lines of co-operation
with the Council of Europe and its member states, and especially
to:
6.1 accede, if they have not
yet done so, to the Council of Europe instruments open to non-member states,
and to take account of other Council of Europe standards, such as
those found in the European Social Charter (revised), in framing
their national policies;
6.2 urge their competent authorities to establish contacts
with the Council of Europe concerning social cohesion, social rights
and other specific social questions, as well as concerning the promotion
of democracy and human rights;
6.3 address, through legal and political measures, shared
problems such as illegal immigration;
6.4 promote their parliaments’ dialogue and co-operation with
the Assembly by regularly participating in the plenary sessions
of the Assembly, committee meetings and more informal exchanges (conferences,
seminars, etc.), according to goals and programmes to be jointly
determined.
7. Regarding the mechanisms of co-operation, the Assembly further
considers that its Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee should
be more closely associated with the proceedings of the Executive
Council of the North–South Centre to ensure better consideration
of social questions. This could be done informally, through ad hoc
activities and formally, by suggesting that the committee should
also be represented on the Executive Council of the North–South
Centre. The Assembly asks its member states to support this idea
when it comes to the adoption of the new statutory resolution of
the North–South Centre by the Committee of Ministers.
8. The Assembly is convinced that even after the current reforms,
social cohesion and migration should remain priority themes of the
future action of the Council of Europe, owing to their close links
with the fundamental values of the Organisation.
