Strasbourg, 29th June, 1956
Monsieur le President,
I have the honour to inform you that, at their 40th meeting (8th - 16th June, 1956), the Ministers' Deputies gave further attention to Recommendation 87 (1955) of the Consultative Assembly on statelessness
In accordance with the terms of paragraph 3 of this Recommendation, the Ministers' Deputies have instructed me to inform you of the position of their Governments regarding (a) the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, adopted on 28th September, 1954 by the United Nations Conference and (b) the convening of the international conference of plenipotentiaries with a view to preparing a convention for the reduction or elimination of future statelessness
Up to now the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons has been signed by Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Italy signed this Convention subject to the following reservation :
" The stipulations embodied in Article 6, Article 7, paragraph 2, Articles 8, 17, 18 and 19, Article 22, paragraph 2, and Articles 23, 25 and 32 are recognised only as recommendations. "
The accession of Ireland and Iceland to the Convention is still under consideration.
The Government of Turkey has reached no final decision in the matter but expects to sign the Convention in the near future.
The Government of Greece feels unable, for the time being, to sign this Convention, owing to difficulties arising from over-population and under-employment in the country. It hopes, however, that improved conditions in these fields will enable it to accede to the Convention in due course.
Denmark, has already ratified the Convention, and proceedings for ratification are under way in Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.
As regards the convening of the international conference of plenipotentiaries for the reduction or elimination of future statelessness, nine Member Governments have agreed to this proposal, namely : Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The Luxembourg Government has also agreed, but has left open the question of its participation.
The Italian Government has stated that in principle it has no immediate objection to the convening of the conference of plenipotentiaries; it must bear in mind, however, the situation in which Italy would be placed if the reservation concerning the legal force of Article 32 of the Convention, which it made at the time of signature, were to be overruled.
The Government of Austria, which has only recently become a member of the United Nations and of the Council of Europe,
has not yet made known its attitude to the questions raised by Recommendation 87.
I remain, Monsieur le Président,
Your obedient Servant,
Signed : Dunstan CURTIS
Deputy Secretary-General.