The Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe has studied the International Labour Organisation's eighth report on its activities with a great interest.
It approves the help which the I.L.O. has given to the various organisations which favour European co-operation. It hopes that this activity may be pursued and intensified so as to bring into closer contact those areas of Europe which enjoy similar social systems.
The Assembly was happy to learn that I.L.O. had been persisting in its inquiry into social security costs, that this inquiry has produced and will continue to produce publications which are greatly appreciated by the Assembly. The Assembly considers that inquiries into the cost of medical care will be valuable and that their results should be published as soon as possible.
The Assembly is convinced that the Tripartite Conference convened by the Governing Body of the I.L.O. at the request of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to discuss the draft European Social Charter has brought a most valuable technical contribution to the final drafting of this important instrument. It wishes to express its admiration to the I.L.O. for the excellent way in which this Conference was organised.
The Assembly welcomes the inclusion in the Agenda of the International Labour Conference of 1960 of the problem of the " Hours of "Work " and the problem of " Workers' Housing ".
The Assembly has noted that the Governing Body of the I.L.O. has discussed the possibility that the Conference should also deal with the question of " Equality of Treatment of Nationals and Non-Nationals in Social Security ".
The Assembly is informed that a report on the law and practice concerning this question in Member States of the I.L.O. has already been prepared and that a committee of experts will deal with the matter within the framework of the I.L.O. towards the end of January this year.
The Assembly attaches great importance to the question of equality of treatment of nationals and non-nationals in social security and hopes that the International Labour Conference will take this matter up in the near future.
Lastly, the Assembly is satisfied that the I.L.O. and the Council of Europe Special Representative for Refugees are collaborating ever more closely, especially on the vocational training of unskilled workers.
The Assembly trusts that this partnership may become even closer when the Special Representative's working programme for vocational training comes into operation, as the Assembly hopes it will in the near future.