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European solidarity in the context of asylum and international protection

Recommendation 2248 (2023)

Author(s):
Parliamentary Assembly
Origin
Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 3 March 2023 (see Doc. 15718, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Lord Alexander Dundee).
1. Referring to its Resolution 2487 (2023) “European solidarity in the context of asylum and international protection”, the Parliamentary Assembly emphasises the importance of encouraging Council of Europe member States to build up further their humanitarian action to help refugees, persons under international protection and internally displaced persons.
2. Since 24 February 2022, when the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine, several million people have either been displaced inside Ukraine or else sought international protection in other member States. Since 2015, following the armed conflict in Syria, more than 3 million Syrians have found temporary protection in Türkiye. Since the trilateral ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020, several hundred thousand displaced persons in Azerbaijan have been able to return to their mostly destroyed homes. Thousands of Cypriots, Georgians, Moldovans and people from the former Yugoslavia are still displaced. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from outside Europe have sought protection in several member States.
3. The Assembly recalls the declaration by the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe adopted at the Warsaw Summit in 2005. In view of unresolved conflicts, this declaration reflects the threat to the democratic stability of the member States of the Council of Europe and the populations concerned, while proposing solutions. Therefore, member States can now proceed within the context and precedent of the 2005 Warsaw Summit’s provisions calling for concrete action by the Council of Europe to provide humanitarian assistance to member States in which high numbers of people have found asylum or international protection, or are displaced.
4. Convinced that the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik in 2023 is an opportunity for the Council of Europe to strengthen European solidarity, including among its member States, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:
4.1 ensure that Council of Europe co-operation activities include support for humanitarian action for vulnerable refugees and displaced persons in member States, in co-operation and co-ordination with other international stakeholders mandated in this field;
4.2 call on those member States that have not yet done so to accede to the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) so that the geographical reach of the CEB is properly extended, as necessary;
4.3 call on those member States that are not yet members of the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South Centre) of the Council of Europe to accede to the North-South Centre, in order to improve the efficacy of its work for vulnerable refugees from the global South living in member States;
4.4 enter into agreements establishing closer co-operation with the European Union and the United Nations regarding practical humanitarian action for displaced persons, refugees and persons under international protection in Europe.