European Agency for the employment of volunteers in technical co-operation

Recommendation 345 (1963)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 15th January 1963 (20th Sitting) (see Doc. 1542, report of the Social Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 15th January 1963 (20th Sitting).

The Assembly,

Whereas young Europeans have repeatedly expressed a desire to give voluntary assistance to the developing countries;

Whereas the shortage of middle-level man-power and executive staff, which is one of the most serious problems faced by these countries, offers an opportunity for young people to play an important part in their economic and social development;

Whereas, however, the potential source of good will and competence represented by young people may well remain largely untapped for want of adequate co-ordination in the recruitment and training of volunteers and in the financing thereof;

Whereas the customary means and traditional sources of assistance - bilateral or multilateral - are incapable of meeting the immensity of the needs, especially in human capital;

Noting and endorsing the conclusions and recommendations of the "Youth and Development Assistance" Colloquy held by the Council of Europe and OECD in December 1962, appended to the report of the Social Committee (Doc. 1542);

Recalling its preliminary report on a European organisation for social action on behalf of newly-developing countries (Doc. 1433),

Recommends to the Committee of Ministers:

That a European Intergovernmental Agency be set up jointly by the Council of Europe and OECD for the purpose of including voluntary help by young people in programmes of technical co-operation for the benefit of developing countries;

The Agency would operate within the framework of the Council of Europe and would facilitate liaison between developing countries or technical co-operation bodies requiring staff and governmental or private organisations recruiting young volunteers, thereby making the activities of such organisations an integral part of technical co-operation projects;

The Agency would comprise the following organs:

a an Administrative Council composed of representatives of Governments members of the Agency;

b an Advisory Committee composed of representatives of private bodies, representatives nominated by the Consultative Assembly and representatives of the Administrative Council;

c an annual conference attended by the members of the Administrative Council and accredited representatives of the receiving countries which have concluded co-operation agreements with the Agency;

A Fund would be set up, comprising

an administrative budget financed by all the member States;

an operational budget financed by Governments concerned with the implementation of certain projects;

donations or other contributions from private sources

The above-mentioned bodies would be assisted by a Director-General appointed jointly by the Secretaries-General of the two international organisations; there would be a small secretariat responsible to him; an annual progress report would be transmitted to the Consultative Assembly;

The Agency's functions would be, inter alia, as follows :

a to select projects in which volunteers can be used as middle-level man-power or executive staff, or as instructors for the training of local staff;

b to conclude the necessary agreements with local authorities and technical cooperation bodies;

c to define the qualifications required of young volunteers;

d to take charge of them:

e by courses of training;

f by providing transport;

g by ensuring a minimum of comfort as regards their board and lodging;

h by looking after their health;

i by helping them to find employment on their return.

During an initial phase the Agency's task would be to draw up a standard contract defining the legal status of young volunteers and containing clauses for their protection as well as a standard insurance contract on their behalf;

2. That the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe be instructed to prepare, as speedily as possible, in close cooperation with the Secretary-General of OECD, a detailed survey on the various aspects of setting up the proposed Agency, bearing in mind the views expressed by the Consultative Assembly and the conclusions of the "Youth and Development Assistance" Colloquy;.

3. That an ad hoc Committee be set up, appointed jointly by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Council of OECD, to examine the above-mentioned survey; in view of the urgency of the matter, the ad hoc Committee should be rapidly formed so that it may examine the survey as soon as it is completed

The Consultative Assembly should be made acquainted with the Secretariat's survey and with the findings of the ad hoc Committee.