Motion for a resolution | Doc. 3 | 19 August 1949
Organisation within the Council of Europe to ensure the collective guarantee of human rights
Measures for the fulfilment of the declared aim of the Council of Europe in accordance with Article 1 of the Statute in regard to the maintenance and further realisation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
The Assembly recommends that the Member States of the Council of Europe should, in pursuance of the aim enunciated in Article 1 of the Statute, accept the principle of collective responsibility for the maintenance of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms, and for this purpose, should immediately conclude a convention by which each Member State would undertake:
a. to maintain intact the Human Rights and fundamental freedoms assured by the constitution, laws and administrative practice actually existing in their respective countries at the date of the signature of the convention; and
b. to set up a European Commission of Human Rights and a European Court of Human Rights, for the purpose of assuring the observance of the above-mentioned convention.
The Assembly recommends to the Committee of Ministers that in preparing the above-mentioned convention, consideration should be given to the draft attached to this Motion.
It is decided to refer to an appropriate Committee of the Assembly the question of the definition of Human Rights raised in the letter of the Committee of Ministers communicated to the Assembly on 16th August, 1949, with the request that it will prepare a report for consideration by the Assembly at its next session. The preparation of this report should not delay consideration by the Committee of Ministers of the proposed convention, which, in the opinion of the Assembly, can and must be concluded immediately.