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Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
I. Draft Resolution in reply to the Fourth Report of UNESCO to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe - 2
II. Draft Recommendation concerning the Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict - 7
III. Draft Recommendation on the International Agreement on the importation of materials of an educational, scientific or cultural character - 8
IV.Explanatory Memorandum by M m c Rehling - 8
1
1.1 Draft Resolution in reply to the Fourth Report of UNESCO to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe
1. The Consultative Assembly wishes to thank UNESCO for its Fourth Report which it has noted with the greatest interest. It is particularly glad to see the great expansion of the activities of UNESCO and would like to extend its heartiest congratulations on this achievement.
2. The Assembly notes with satisfaction that frequent meetings between the Secretariats of the Council of Europe and UNESCO and the regular exchange of observers have succeeded in increasing the very close collaboration which already existed between the two organisations in the European cultural field. In this reply the Assembly would like to concentrate on suggesting points on which there might be further fruitful co-operation.
3. With reference to Resolution 118 (1957), which contained various recommendations to t h e Committee of Ministers designed to foster the programme adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO, the Assembly has pleasure in reporting below the decisions taken on them by the Committee of Ministers. These decisions were included in the Supplementary Report to the Eighth Report of the Committee of Ministers to the Consultative Assembly transmitted in pursuance of Article 19 of the Statute of the Council of Europe.
1.1.1 International Computation Centre
4. The Committee of Ministers stated, to the great regret of the Assembly, that it was unable to take action on Recommendation 127 (1957) concerning this Centre.
1.1.2 The International Bureau of Education
5. The Committee of Ministers also decided that it was unable to take action on Recommendation 126 (1957), in which the Assembly had invited Member States to become full members of the International Bureau of Education.
1.1.3 The UNESCO institute for social sciences in Cologne
6. In reply to Recommendation 129 (1957) concerning this Institute, the Committee of Ministers informed the Assembly that it had noted the opinion of the Committee of Cultural Experts on Recommendation 129 (1957) and had instructed the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe to look into the possibilities of co-operating with the UNESCO Institute for Social Sciences, Cologne.
7. It should be mentioned in this connection that the Committee of Cultural Experts decided to make a grant of 400,000 French francs to the UNESCO Institute for Social Sciences out of the cultural budget for 1957.
1.1.4 Major project " Mutual appreciation of Eastern and Western cultural values "
8. The Committee of Ministers informed the Assembly that " having noted the opinion of the Committee of Cultural Experts with regard to Assembly Recommendation 128 (1957), the Committee of Ministers, sharing the Assembly's views on the importance which should be attached to the implementation of Major Project 4 A of UNESCO and the advisability of member countries of the Council of Europe participating in this project, but considering that the Council of Europe should not at the present stage take any active part in its implementation, has instructed the Committee of Cultural Experts:
a to ensure the necessary co-ordination in carrying out projects designed to present various aspects of the cultural heritage of Europe as a whole, for the time being within the framework of the consultations provided for under the European Cultural Convention ;
b to follow closely the development of this Major Project in order to ascertain at what stage and by what means the Council might be able to contribute thereto ".
9. The Consultative Assembly believes that it is not too soon to start work now on the contribution of the Council of Europe to the Major Project and that the following activities, which already appear in the programme of the Committee of Cultural Experts or of the Assembly's Cultural Committee, could play a useful part in presenting European cultural values to other parts of the world, particularly the East.
1.1.4.1 PUBLICATIONS
1.1.4.1.1 " Europe and the Europeans " by Professor Max Beloff
10. These conferences took place between 1953 and 1958 and it is planned to publish their conclusions by 1960. It is also intended to prepare a glossary of about 60 terms used in the text-books which require clarification.
1.1.4.1.2 The catalogues of European exhibitions
11. These catalogues have been richly illustrated and, in addition to the list of works exhibited, contain explanatory notes written by some of the greatest authorities on art. The following exhibitions have already been held or are in course of preparation :
1.1.4.1.3 The catalogues of European exhibitions
12. These catalogues have been richly illustrated and, in addition to the list of works exhibited, contain explanatory notes written by some of the greatest authorities on art. The following exhibitions have already been held or are in course of preparation :
Brussels 1954: Humanist Europe ;
Amsterdam 1955: The Triumph of Mannerism in Europe;
Rome 1956: Classicism, Realism and Baroque in the 17th century;
Munich 1958: European Rococo;
London 1959: The Romantic Movement in Europe, 1750-1850.
1.1.4.1.4 " The Europe We Live In "
13. This book, which is intended for use in European schools, is to be published in 1958 by the Paris publishing house of ODE under the auspices of the Cultural Committee of the Consultative Assembly. It will contain a preface by M. Dehousse, President of the Consultative Assembly, and contributions by prominent European figures including M. Schuman, President of the European Parliamentary Assembly. It is planned to publish this work in German, English and French as a beginning.
1.1.4.1.5 Collection of texts illustrating European folklore and pseudo-historical or religious themes
14. If this project, which forms part of the programme of the Committee of Cultural Experts, comes to fruition, the work might usefully be included in the material compiled by UNESCO with a view to presenting European culture to the East.
1.1.4.2 ART GALLERY
15. The Assembly considers that the member countries of the Council of Europe could make an important contribution to the Major Project by helping to found a gallery of European works of art in an Asiatic country. This contribution could take the form of long-term loans of the originals of works representative of European culture.
16. The Assembly is glad that UNESCO has shown interest in this idea. It therefore hopes that it will prove possible to put this scheme into practice and recommends further exchanges of views between the two organisations for that purpose.
1.1.5 FILMS
17. In connection with t h e European exhibitions mentioned earlier, the Secretariat-General of the Council of Europe is making arrangements in co-operation with the organising Governments for colour films as well as film strips and transparencies to be shown at every exhibition. This material might perhaps be made available to UNESCO.
18. Among the other UNESCO activities described by the Director-General in his Fourth Report, the Assembly was particularly interested in the information concerning the following three international conventions and agreements prepared by UNESCO:
1.2 Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict
19. The Assembly noted with interest that the Convention and Protocol on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict, to which the Assembly had already given its support in Recommendation 19 of 8th December 1951, came into force on 7th August 1956. It also noted that France is the only member country of the Council of Europe which had so far ratified the Convention and Protocol (June 1957)
Note
20. It proposes to submit a recommendation to the Committee of Ministers requesting Member States to accede to the Convention and Protocol. (See Recommendation...)
1.3 International Agreement on the Exchange of Publications
21. The Consultative Assembly is paying close attention to the question of t he International Agreement on the Exchange of Publications. It has noted with satisfaction that two separate Conventions have been drawn up for official and unofficial publications. As soon as the final texts of these international agreements have been settled, the Assembly would be glad to have knowledge of them in view of its great interest in the question.
1.4 International agreement on the importation of materials of an educational, scientific or cultural character
22. The Assembly has twice already recommended that the Committee of Ministers invite Member Governments to accede to this Agreement {Recommendation 25 (1949) and Recommendation 33 (1950)) which entered into force in 1952, when 10 States had deposited their instruments of ratification.
23. The Agreement has now been ratified by 20 States, including the following member countries of the Council of Europe: Greece, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In addition, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands will implement it by decree. The Assembly proposes to do so again, owing to the importance it attaches to the question. (See Recommendation...)
1.5 Translations
24. The Consultative Assembly is keenly interested to hear of the translations of representative literary works undertaken by UNESCO. The programme of translations is in fact similar as regards European literature, to that of the Committee of Cultural Experts, although there are certain differences in methods of execution. The Assembly nevertheless considers the two schemes to be complementary and welcomes the co-operation recently begun between the two Secretariats in this field.
25. For the record, it would inform UNESCO t h a t the following are among the literary works in the lesser known European languages of which the Committee of Cultural Experts has decided to commission translation :
translation into English of selected works by J. V. Jensen (Denmark) ;
translation into English of the novel Maria Spermalie by Herman Teilrinck (Belgium) ;
translation into English of Menneske Og Maklene by Olav Duun (Norway) ;
translation into French of the works of the poet Anghelos Sikelianos (Greece).
2 Draft Recommendation concerning the Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict
The Assembly,
Having regard to Recommendation 19 (1951) ;
Having regard to the terms of the European Cultural Convention;
Having learnt with satisfaction from the Fourth Report of the Director-General of UNESCO (Doc. 696) that the Convention and Protocol on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict came into force on 7th August 1956 ;
Noting that France is the only member country of the Council of Europe which has so far ratified the Convention and Protocol;
Considering that a statutory meeting of the High Contracting Parties is to be held in the near future and that it is in the interest of the Member States of the Council of Europe that they should be represented at that meeting,
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite those Member States which are not yet parties to the Convention and to the Protocol to ratify these instruments or to accede thereto without delay.
3 Draft Recommendation on the International Agreement on the importation of materials of an educational, scientific or cultural character
The Assembly,
Considering that on the initiative of UNESCO an international agreement designed to remove obstacles to the free circulation of books was signed in 1950 and has been ratified by 20 nations including 3 members of the Council of Europe;
Considering that measures such as purchase tax, excessive postage rates or high transport costs are still imposed on books by some countries, contrary to the terms of the Agreement,
Recommends to the Committee of Ministers that all Governments which have not already done so should ratify the agreement or implement its provisions as far as possible, by removing obstacles such as purchase tax, high postage rates and high transport costs.
4 Explanatory Memorandum by Mme REHLING
26. LThe Cultural Committee is glad to note the excellent relations which exist between UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Regular meetings take place between the Secretariats and there are arrangements for the exchange of observers between the two organisations. Effective co-operation is thus possible and is becoming more pronounced in many fields.
27. In the opinion of the Committee, the Consultative Assembly should place a political seal on this work in accordance with the objectives laid down in the Statute of the Council of Europe. In particular, it should induce the Governments and, above all, public opinion to support those of UNESCO's activities which are manifestly of European interest.
28. A case in point is the Major Project: " Mutual appreciation of Eastern and Western cultural values ", on which the Consultative Assembly adopted Recommendation 128 (1957), in connection with its Reply to the Third Report of the Director-General of UNESCO —Resolution 118 (1957)—, a recommendation which met with the broad approval of the Committee of Ministers. - In this Reply to the Fourth Report of the Director-General of UNESCO our Committee wishes to put forward further proposals on the part that the Council of Europe should play in the realisation of the Major Project.
29. The Committee is also particularly interested in the question of the ratification of UNESCO Conventions. These Conventions raise the problem of the balance of the racial and political groups on a world scale, a problem of justifiable concern to a regional organisation. Clearly, it is in the interests of Europe that the Western European countries should be widely represented among those which have ratified the UNESCO Conventions.
30. For this reason the Assembly has already recommended in its Reply to UNESCO's Third Report that member countries of the Council of Europe should join the International Bureau of Education and the International Computation Centre (Recommendations 126 and 127 (1957)). Unfortunately, the Committee of Ministers' reaction to these Recommendations has been negative.
31. The Fourth Report of the Director- General has led your Committee to propose a new draft Recommendation on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict. Of the 22 countries which have ratified this Convention, among which are the U. S. S. R., the Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria, only one is a Western European country, namely France. Your Committee believesit would be regrettable if France were the only representative of Western European opinion at the forthcoming statutory meeting of the High Contracting Parties to this Convention.
32. Votre commission a enfin l'honneur de vous informer qu'à la suite d'un accord entre le Secrétaire Général du Conseil de l'Europe et le Directeur Général de l'UNESCO, le rapport de l'UNESCO à l'Assemblée Consultative ne lui sera adressé que tous les deux ans après la Conférence Générale de l'UNESCO. - In the view of the Committee, member countries of the Council of Europe should be all the more prepared to accede to such a Convention in view of the undertaking they gave in the European Cultural Convention to take " appropriate measures to safeguard their national contribution to the common cultural heritage of Europe ".
33. Lastly, the Committee has the honour to inform you that, as a result of an agreement between the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and the Director-General of UNESCO, UNESCO's Report to the Consultative Assembly will henceforth be submitted only once every two years, after the General Conference of UNESCO. - The purpose of this arrangement, which is the result of a proposal by your Committee, is to adjust the frequency of official exchanges of views between the two organisations to the rate at which UNESCO carries out its work.
