Recommendation 223
(1960)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly Debate on 18th January I960 (22nd Sitting) (see Doc. 1073, Report of the Economic Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 18th January 1960 (22nd Sitting).
The Assembly,
Recalling its Recommendation 159, which sets out the general policy for joint action by European and African countries for the development of Africa;
Recalling also its Recommendations 211 and 222 which contain detailed proposals for the implementation of such a policy by the conclusion of an Investment Statute and a Guarantee Fund and by the expansion of technical assistance ;
Noting from its Second Supplementary Report (Doc. 1071) that the Committee of Ministers has recognised the necessity of assisting the economically less developed countries, while expressing reservations concerning the means contemplated by the Assembly, in particular with regard to the convocation of the conference proposed in Recommendation 159 ;
Noting with satisfaction that the Committee of Ministers has instructed the Ministers' Deputies to continue to study this question ;
Considering that in the last two years the views of the Assembly have met with an increasingly favourable response on the part of both European and African public opinion ;
Noting with satisfaction that the Special Economic Committee meeting in Paris on January 12th and 13th, 1960, has drawn attention to the question of assistance to under-developed countries ;
Considering that the Recommendations of the Assembly on this subject are in conformity with the intentions of the Special Committee ;
Believing that the time is ripe for an official affirmation of this new policy by the Committee of Ministers and for positive action by Member States to put it into effect,
Recommends to the Committee of Ministers :
a that it should proclaim its adherence to the following statement of policy :
1.1 The problem of assistance to all the under-developed countries of the world is more urgent than ever for Member States ; it appears that such assistance, to be effective, should be incorporated in special agreements between Member States and the various underdeveloped regions ;
1.2 At a time when the political relationships between Europe and Africa are being profoundly modified, a reappraisal of their economic relations is necessary ; future relations between European and African countries must be the result of negotiations freely undertaken between partners on a basis of equality ;
1.3 The objective of the economic development of Africa is the improvement of the standard of living of the African peoples, taking special account of the requirements of agriculture ;
b that it should reconsider the Assembly's proposal that a Conference should be held by the interested European and African Governments, in the light of the following considerations :
2.1 The object of the conference should be to discuss and formulate plans for joint action by European and African countries for the development of Africa, on the basis of the principles set out above ; in particular there should be included on the draft Agenda the proposals for an Investment Statute or a Guarantee Fund contained in
Recommendation 211 and the proposals for the expansion of technical assistance contained in
Recommendation 222 ;
2.2 The conference should preferably be held in an African capital, with the participation, on a basis of equality, of the Member States of the Council of Europe, of the O.E.E.C. and of the Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa South of the Sahara, together with any other African Governments that may be interested and willing to take part; any other interested international organisations should also take part, particularly the Economic Commission for Africa of the United Nations ;
c that, as preliminary measures, the Committee of Ministers should :
3.1 Arrange that some of the European Governments should make contacts through diplomatic channels with some of the African Governments, in order to obtain their preliminary reactions and their support ;
3.2 Ascertain the views of the Council of the O.E.E.C. and of the Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa South of the Sahara on the project ;
3.3 Instruct the Secretariat to consider and make recommendations about the organisational arrangements that should be made for the conference ;
3.4 Decide to place this question on the agenda of their meeting to be held in the spring of 1960, with a view to taking a decision on that occasion in the light of the information that will have been obtained as the result of the enquiries mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.
