Second report of the International Commission on Civil Status

Recommendation 185 (1958)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

(a) Subject introduced on 20th December 1957 by the tabling of the Second Report of the International Commission on Civil Status to the Council of Europe,Doc. 765.<br>(b) 17th January 1958, reference to the Legal Committee (Reference No. 195).<br>(c) 26th June 1958, tabling of the report of the Legal Committee,Doc. 836.<br>(d) 17th October 1958, debate in the Assembly (see 22nd Sitting of the 10th Session). The Recommendation was adopted unanimously.

The Assembly,

Having considered the Second Report on the activities of the International Commission on Civil Status (Doc. 765) ;

Whereas the Commission has drafted a "Convention on the issue of birth, marriage and death certificates for transmission abroad", signed on 27th September 1956, and a "Convention on the free issue of certificates of civil status and exemption from the need for legalisation", signed on 26th September 1957 ;

Whereas the first of these conventions standardises the lay-out of birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates for use abroad, and the second facilitates the issue free of charge by one Contracting Party of full copies of extracts from certificates of civil status drawn up on its territory relating to nationals of other Contracting Parties, when the request is made for administrative purposes or on behalf of indigent persons ;

Whereas under the terms of the conventions full copies and extracts of such certificates are exempted from the requirement of legalisation ;

Whereas the Committee of Ministers has included in its programme of work the abolition of the need for the legalisation of certain official papers (see the Special Message,Doc. 238, para. 93). and has also, in Resolution (54) 23, urged Member States of the Council to join the International Commission ;

And whereas these conventions have not yet been ratified by all the Member States of the Council of Europe which are already Members of the said International Commission,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

1 should urge Member States of the Council of Europe which are Members of the International Commission on Civil Status to ratify the "Convention on the issue of birth, marriage and death certificates for transmission abroad" and the "Convention on the free issue of certificates of civil status and exemption from the need for legalisation" ;

2 should inform the Assembly in due course of the action taken on this Recommendation.