The participation of non-member States in Council of Europe conventions
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text
adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of
the Assembly, on 22 November 2013 (see Doc. 13291, report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights,
rapporteur: Mr Huseynov). See also Recommendation 2029 (2013).
1. The Council of Europe has taken
a leading role in adopting conventions aimed at ensuring respect
for human rights, democracy and the rule of law in its member States.
Some Council of Europe conventions deal with subjects which also
concern non-member States, such as the fight against terrorism,
money laundering, human trafficking and the protection of personal
data.
2. The majority of Council of Europe conventions are open to
non-member States, but few of them have availed themselves of this
opportunity.
3. Bearing in mind the need to preserve and consolidate its standards
and values, the Council of Europe should promote the accession of
relevant conventions by non-member States.
4. The Council of Europe should focus on States which have already
been invited to accede to Council of Europe instruments, but have
not yet done so. The following measures could be envisaged:
4.1 organising conferences, seminars
and training workshops on themes covered by relevant Council of
Europe instruments;
4.2 organising a ceremony in the context of ministerial sessions
or conferences at which Council of Europe instruments are signed
and/or ratified;
4.3 raising the subject of accession to Council of Europe
conventions during high-level visits to relevant States, especially
those States which have observer status with the Council of Europe
and those whose parliaments have observer or partner for democracy
status with the Parliamentary Assembly;
4.4 providing information on relevant conventions through
the Council of Europe’s offices in charge of liaison with international
organisations;
4.5 establishing contacts at the political and technical levels
within the framework of the Council of Europe Neighbourhood Policy
and the new co-operation programmes with countries in the Mediterranean
region and central Asia.
5. With regard to future Council of Europe instruments, the Organisation’s
offices in charge of liaison with international organisations should
establish an “early-warning procedure” aimed at informing relevant international
organisations and non-member States about the opening of negotiations
for new Council of Europe conventions likely to provide for non-member
States’ accession.
