The Consultative Assembly,
Having regard to the fact that a General Convention on the international circulation of books, objects of art and media of public information and education has been drawn up at the instance of UNESCO;
Noting that this Convention, having been signed by twenty countries and being now ratified by ten of those countries, came into force on 21st May, 1952;
Noting that, among the ten countries which ratified the Convention, there is only one Member State of the Council of Europe;
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers should urge all Member States, of the Council, and especially those which signed the Convention, to take the necessary steps to obtain its. ratification so that it may enter into force in all European countries with the minimum delay.
The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions was informed, during the first part of the Fourth Session, that the UNESCO Convention on the import of educational, scientific and cultural matter had recently come into force. It therefore decided to delete this question from its Agenda.
Since that date the Secretary-General has, however, received from UNESCO the following additional information. The UNESCO Convention was indeed signed by twenty countries, and came into force on 21st May, 1952, as a result of its ratification by ten countries. Of these ten countries, however, only one—Sweden—is a Member of the Council of Europe. Amongthe countries whichhave signed the Convention, but have not yet ratified it are Belgium, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions therefore decided to submit to the Assembly the following draft Recommendation which was unanimously approved by the Committee.