Reply to the 10th progress report of the Council of Europe Special Representative for National Refugees and Over-Population
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly Debate on 29th September 1966 (15th Sitting) (see Doc. 2101, report of the Committee on Population and Refugees). Text adopted by the Assembly on 29th September 1966 (15th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Having considered the 10th progress report of the Special Representative for National Refugees and Over-Population in Europe (
Doc. 2085) ;
2. Recalling its
Recommendation 445 in which it endorsed the Special Representative's proposals relating to migrant workers and vocational training ;
3. Stressing that it is the role of its members to urge their national Parliaments to give effect to the texts adopted by the Consultative Assembly ;
4. Considering that
Recommendation 445 calls for "practical action in favour of migrant workers and refugees", in conformity with the aims defined in the relevant chapter of the Intergovernmental Work Programme proposed by the Secretary General and adopted by the Committee of Ministers ;
5. Noting that a number of member countries have signed or ratified the United Nations and Hague Conventions on maintenance obligations, but that every effort must be made to persuade all of them to sign or ratify these international legal instruments ;
6. Noting, furthermore, that several member countries are already prepared to adopt the Council of Europe standard form designed to facilitate the recovery of maintenance due to dependants and to appoint a single authority to receive and dispatch the forms ;
7. Considering that all the countries should be encouraged to take these measures which, administrative in character, do not necessarily presuppose the ratification of the aforesaid Conventions ;
8. Considering that the problem of housing for migrant workers is closely linked with that of preventing the splitting up of their families and believing that the Resettlement Fund could help in solving this problem ;
9. Welcoming the progress being made in carrying out the vocational training programme approved by the Committee of Ministers, but noting, on the other hand, that the pilot scheme for the vocational training of 300 young workers is still pending before that Committee ;
10. Reaffirming the importance it attaches to European co-operation in social matters at the highest level and noting with satisfaction that the Committee of Ministers has raised no objection of principle to the convening of a European Conference of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs ;
11. Anxious to take due account of the Committee of Ministers' observations regarding the implementation of this initiative ;
12. Considering that the Resettlement Fund of the Council of Europe, established by the Committee of Ministers on 16th April 1956, has, during its first ten years of operation fully achieved, though with relatively limited funds, its statutory objectives by helping to finance :
the construction of subsidised housing for national refugees and migrant workers ;
the construction of vocational training centres for persons from over-populated regions of Europe and for migrant workers ;
the social and economic development of over-populated or developing regions in Europe ;
13. Noting again, however, with regret that nine member countries of the Council of Europe have so far taken no action on the Assembly's reiterated unanimous recommendation that they should join the nine countries at present Members of the Fund,
Resolves :
A.
14. To invite its members and more particularly the members of its Permanent Working Party on Parliamentary and Public Relations and of its Committee on Population and Refugees to take or, if need be, repeat whatever steps may be necessary in their respective Governments and Parliaments with a view :
a to expediting the recognition of all the member countries of the United Nations and Hague Conventions on maintenance obligations ;
b to the adoption of the Council of Europe standard form, designed to facilitate the recovery of the said maintenance, and the appointment of a single authority to receive and dispatch the forms ;
c to encouraging any initiatives which will promote a solution of the problems of financing low-cost housing for migrant workers, by means of bilateral and multilateral pilot schemes between immigration and emigration countries, with the possible assistance of the Resettlement Fund ;
d to enabling the Committee of Ministers to take a favourable decision regarding the pilot scheme for the vocational training of 300 young workers, which forms a complement to the programme for the vocational training of student-instructors ;
B.
15. To instruct its Committee on Population and Refugees to re-examine, jointly with the other competent committees, the proposal for a Conference of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, put forward in its earlier Recommendations and Resolutions, and suggest items for inclusion in the agenda for such a Conference ;
C.
16. To invite members of the Assembly from countries which are not Members of the Fund[2] to make any suitable approaches to Governments and Parliaments with a view to their accession to the Fund in the near future, thus increasing its reserves and thereby its possibilities of action on behalf of surplus populations.
