International terrorism

Recommendation 703 (1973)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 15 and 16 May 1973 (2nd and 4th Sittings) (see Doc. 3285see Doc. 3285, report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 16 May 1973 (4th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Condemning international terrorist acts which, regardless of their cause, should be punished as serious criminal offences involving the killing, kidnapping or endangering of the lives of innocent people,

2. Considers that the disappointing response of the international community makes joint action among member States of the Council of Europe all the more necessary and urgent ;

3. . Deplores the fact that the political and material support of a certain number of governments and organisations permits acts of international terrorism ;

4. Appreciates the good intentions of the Committee of Ministers in response to its Recommendation 684 (1972) in setting up an ad hoc Committee of Senior Officials to study the legal aspects of international terrorism, but considers that this will not in itself contribute in the immediate future towards a reduction of terrorist acts ;

5. Realises and shares the deep concern of airline pilots and international transport workers, and their manifest desire for effective sanctions against terrorism ;

6. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

invite the governments of member States :

a to ratify most urgently the Tokyo, Hague and Montreal Conventions against hijacking and unlawful interference with civil aviation ;

b to use all their political and economic influence to dissuade the States concerned from pursuing a policy which allows terrorists to prepare their acts or to reside or find asylum on their territory ;

c in accordance with paragraph 1 of this recommendation to establish a common definition for the notion of "political offence", in order to be able to refute any "political" justification whenever an act of terrorism endangers the life of innocent persons ;

work out a joint European front to combat international terrorism, and in particular :

a coordinate their proposals for action at United Nations level, both in the follow-up to Resolution 3034 and in ICAO on the basts of recommendations which should be made by the ad hoc Committee of Senior Officials ;

b urgently convene a special conference of the Ministers of Interior of member States or other Ministers who are responsible for the police and home security, in order to work out proposals and coordinate measures aiming at the prevention of acts of terrorism on the regional basis of the member States of the Council of Europe ;

take seriously into account the fact that, failing effective and urgent European governmental action, parliamentary and public opinion will openly support retaliatory measures by the airline pilots and international transport workers against services to and from offending States.