Safety and unlawful seizure of aircraft
Recommendation 613
(1970)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 24 September 1970 (18th Sitting) (see Doc. 2832, report of the Legal Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 24 September 1970 (18th Sitting).
The Assembly,
2. Welcoming Resolution (70) 23 of the Committee of Ministers, adopted on 29 June 1970 , by which Council of Europe member States have been invited to take action against air piracy ;
3. Deploring that the epidemic of terrorism in the air continues unabated, and that Western European States have become, to an alarming extent, the victims of such activities ;
4. Noting that acts of air piracy are more and more the result of well-prepared concerted terrorism, and that States are now exposed to the ruthless violence of highly trained and fanatical groups of terrorists ;
5. Considering that, over and above the crime of air piracy, these terrorists perform even more criminal acts, such as black-mailing governments and keeping passengers as hostages ;
6. Deeply concerned by the fact that as a result of this rapidly deteriorating situation, criminals who, for acts of piracy, had been condemned to long-term imprisonment by due legal process have already been released by Greece, and that other air pirates are likely to be released by Switzerland, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom ;
7. Convinced that governments which face such blackmail are aware of the full implications of the precedents thus established which are likely to lead to an ever in-creasing breakdown in the rule of law ;
8. Noting that organised air terrorism originates in the territory of a small number of States, and that those who are responsible for it seem to enjoy moral and financial support, and even arms' supplies from the authorities of certain States,
9. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
I. Adopt a resolution :
(a) calling on all nations to take immediate and energetic steps to stamp out hi-jacking and blackmailing of governments with hostages ;
(b) inviting the United Nations General Assembly to condemn strongly the crime of air piracy, and to request in particular all the Middle East States and regional organisations such as the Arab League, the Organisation of African Unity and the Organisation of American States to condemn unreservedly ail acts of unlawful interference with civil aircraft, as the Council of Europe has already done by Resolution (70) 23 of the Committee of Ministers and by Resolution 450 (1970) of the Consultative Assembly, and urging the Security Council to take the necessary steps to stamp out ail acts of illegal interference with civil air traffic ;
(c) urging governments of member States to resist the destruction of law by organised terrorism, and to take energetic and concerted counter-measures against unlawful pressure and blackmailing by terrorists and against States which tolerate such terrorism ;
(d) urging member States to introduce and maintain stricter measures of prevention and control of air travellers and luggage at airports ;
(e) inviting member States to reinforce security measures on board aircraft to protect them against hijacking and, more particularly, to consider placing armed guards on board to intervene in case of attack ;
II. Establish by common agreement sanctions in the field of civil aviation such as boycotting airports or air companies and refusing landing rights to the airlines operated from States on whose territory organised terrorism in the air or hijacking is tolerated or which have refused either to extradite or severely punish offenders ;
III. Invite governments of member States attending the Diplomatic Conference which will be held in The Hague in December 1970 in order to conclude a Convention on unlawful seizure of aircraft :
(a) to propose the inclusion in the Convention of severe measures for the punishment of blackmailers and ensuring that hi-jackers and terrorists released under duress should subsequently pay for their crimes and duly serve their legal sentence ;
(b) to sign and ratify the Convention, provided it is on the lines of the draft prepared by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and to make it clear to all States in the world that adherence to that Convention and its application in the spirit of suppression and severe punishment of ail acts of unlawful interference with civil air-craft is an indispensable condition of good international relations and of co-operation.
