Organisation by the Council of Europe of a second European campaign on North-South interdependence and solidarity in 1998

Recommendation 1319 (1997)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

See Doc. 7770, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development, rapporteur: Mr Davis. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 19 March 1997.

Thesaurus

1. In 1998, ten years will have passed since the conclusion of the Council of Europe’s Public Campaign on North/South Interdependence and Solidarity. In the course of this period, the world – and the nature of co-operation between rich and poor countries – has had to face a radically new situation as a result of the end of the East-West conflict, rapid economic growth in some developing countries and strained public finances in many donor countries, leading to an emphasis on domestic priorities. Meanwhile some poorer developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have experienced economic stagnation or even decline – hurting the already most disadvantaged members of their communities. These economic problems have been partly both the effect and the cause of acute political upheavals and wars.

2. While disillusionment and "aid fatigue" in donor countries may be understandable, it is nevertheless vital for worldwide stability and prosperity that there should not be any slackening in the will of Council of Europe member states to help the poorest developing countries and the people in need in those countries both economically and politically, while aiming for greater aid efficiency and the promotion of human rights, democracy, social and economic reform and environmental protection.

3. The Assembly, in this context, recalls the pledge made in Vienna in October 1993 by the heads of state and government of Council of Europe member states that the "deepening of co-operation in order to take account of the new European situation should in no way divert us from our responsibilities regarding North-South interdependence and solidarity".

4. In conclusion, the Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to launch a second European public campaign on North-South interdependence and solidarity in 1998, making full use of the capacities of its North-South Centre in Lisbon for this purpose, and also calls on the Committee of Ministers to use the opportunities offered by the Lisbon world exposition to draw attention to this campaign.