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Resolution 1031 (1994)
Honouring of commitments entered into by member states when joining the Council of Europe
1. The Assembly observes that all member states of the Council of Europe are required to respect their obligations under the Statute, the European Convention on Human Rights and all other conventions to which they are parties.
2. In addition to these obligations, the authorities of certain states which have become members since the adoption in May 1989 of Resolution 917 (1989) on a special guest status with the Parliamentary Assembly freely entered into specific commitments on issues related to the basic principles of the Council of Europe during the examination of their request for membership by the Assembly.
3. The main commitments concerned are explicitly referred to in the relevant opinions adopted by the Assembly.
4. In Order No. 488 (1993), adopted on 29 June 1993, the Assembly instructed its Political Affairs Committee and its Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to monitor closely the honouring of these commitments.
5. It intends to examine the first of these reports, to be submitted as part of the Bureau's progress report to the Assembly, during the current session (1994).
6. The Assembly considers that this monitoring process should be regarded as a stimulus and guidance for the consolidation of democracy in the states which have become members since the adoption in May 1989 of Resolution 917 (1989).
7. Persistent failure to honour commitments freely entered into will have consequences however. For this purpose, the Assembly could use the relevant provisions of the Council of Europe's Statute and of its own Rules of Procedure, as well as paragraph 2 of Order No. 488 (1993).
8. The Assembly therefore calls upon the governments of states which have become members since the adoption in May 1989 of Resolution 917 (1989) to ensure the rapid implementation of the commitments they entered into and to keep the Assembly fully informed of any measures taken in this respect.
9. The Assembly recalls in this connection that accession to the Council of Europe must go together with becoming a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. It therefore considers that the ratification procedure should normally be completed within one year after accession to the Statute and signature of the Convention.