Measures to be taken by Member States to encourage contacts among young people

Opinion | Doc. 493 | 17 April 1956

Committee

Committee on Culture, Science and Education

Origin

See Doc. 440 (Motion for a Recommendation) and Doc. 478 (Report of Committee) 1956 - 8th Session - First part

Thesaurus

The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions,

Having been requested to express an opinion (see Reference to Committee No. 96) on the draft Recommendation presented by Miss Burton and colleagues regarding measures to be taken by Member States to encourage contacts among young people, has examined with interest the report on this subject by the Committee on Social Questions;

1. Is in favour of the proposal that a European Junior Athletics Festival should be organised every year under the auspices of the Council of Europe;

2. Nevertheless, recalls that Opinion 13/14 (1955) lays down in paragraph 89 : " t h a t the Council should avoid making itself responsible for the execution of such projects as could equally well be carried out by other organisations..." The plan for a European Junior Athletics Festival, although recommended to the Member Governments, would seem to fall within the category of activities which might be promoted by the Council of Europe, but the implementation of which would be entrusted to non-governmental organisations.

3. The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions is therefore of t h e opinion :

.1 that the draft Recommendation in question should, after having been adopted, be referred to the European athletic organisations which are holding a Congress at Geneva on 15th and 16th May with a view to adopting a draft European Sports Charter. The purpose of forwarding the recommendation would be to obtain the suggestions of these organisations as to the possibility of carrying out the plan, which cannot be envisaged without their assistance;

.2 that the plan should be put into effect in close co-operation with the appropriate nongovernmental organisations.