Humanitarian action for refugees and migrants in countries in North Africa and the Middle East
Recommendation 2203
(2021)
Author(s):
Parliamentary Assembly
Origin
Text
adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of
the Assembly, on 28 May 2021 (see Doc. 15284, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and
Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Lord Alexander Dundee; and Doc. 15285, opinion of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health
and Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Jennifer De Temmerman).
1. Referring to its Resolution 2380 (2021) “Humanitarian
action for refugees and migrants in countries in North Africa and
the Middle East”, the Parliamentary Assembly emphasises the importance
of member States providing humanitarian assistance to this region.
The human suffering experienced by refugees and migrants in North
Africa and the Middle East pushes many of them to risk their lives
on often deadly routes to Europe over the Mediterranean Sea or through
equally dangerous land routes, falling prey to human traffickers
and smugglers.
2. The Assembly welcomes the presence of the Council of Europe
in Tunis and Rabat through offices that have been opened there.
It also welcomes the work of the North-South Centre of the Council
of Europe in Lisbon. Many countries in North Africa and the Middle
East have signed Council of Europe conventions and co-operate in
relevant partial agreements such as the European Commission for
Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and the Co-operation Group
to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs (Pompidou
Group).
3. Israel has observer status with the Assembly, and the parliaments
of Jordan and Morocco as well as the Palestinian Legislative Council
have partner for democracy status. Other parliamentary delegations
participate regularly in committee meetings and Assembly sessions.
4. With this institutional framework of co-operation across the
Mediterranean Sea, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of
Ministers take action to improve the situation of refugees and migrants
in countries in North Africa and the Middle East by reinforcing
its action in this region, in close co-operation with the European
Union and the African Union, in particular by:
4.1 inviting more countries in North
Africa and the Middle East to co-operate in action against human trafficking
in the framework of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against
Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197);
4.2 developing projects focusing on refugees and migrants,
in particular through the Council of Europe offices in Tunis and
Rabat and expanding the role of the North-South Centre.
