Participation of the Council of Europe in the World Refugee Year

Recommendation 197 (1959)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

This Recommendation was adopted by the Assembly at its 7th Sitting, on 24th April 1959 (see Doc. 973, Report of the Committee on Population and Refugees).

The Assembly,

Having regard to Resolution No. 1285 of 5th December 1958 of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the proposal to hold a World Refugee Year;

Noting that this proposal has two aims, namely:

a to focus interest on the refugee problem and to encourage additional financial contributions from Governments, voluntary agencies and the general public for its solution;

b to encourage additional opportunities for permanent refugee solutions on a purely humanitarian basis and in accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the refugees themselves;

Believing that European countries should seize this opportunity of giving renewed proof of their solidarity by associating themselves with this project and by a joint contribution to it,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

1 Invite the Governments of member countries to co-operate in arrangements for World Refugee Year, as suggested in the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly;

2 Open a Special Council of Europe Fund for World Refugee Year to receive special contributions to finance the Council's activities in this connection;

3 Urge Governments of member countries, when paying their contributions, to ask national committees to pay in to the Special Council of Europe Fund a certain percentage of all amounts raised with the Council's assistance;

4 Make a concerted approach to the most important immigrant-receiving countries overseas in the hope of securing larger immigration quotas and improved prospects of resettlement ;

5 Approve the following action programme which is to constitute the Council's contribution to World Refugee Year :

propaganda through the media of press, radio and television;

co-operation with national television stations in producing short films made of cuttings from existing reels;

organisation, in conjunction with the Council of Europe Special Representative for National Refugees and Over-Population, of a travelling exhibition and subsequent sale by auction of original paintings on refugee themes produced by contemporary painters;

creation of a symbolic drawing, to be reproduced in various forms, for sale in member countries;

preparation of documentary material likely to arouse the interest of schools in World Refugee Year;

sale of "first-day covers" on the day of issue of new Council of Europe stamps;

possible preparation of several modest refugee re-classification schemes of interest to the member countries where this problem is most serious.