|
|
Doc. 9829
16 June 2003
Europe and the war in Iraq
Recommendation 1603 (2003)
Reply from the Committee of Ministers
adopted at the 843rd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (11 June 2003)
In reply to Recommendation 1603 (2003) of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers would like to inform the Parliamentary Assembly that its 112th Session was preceded, on the evening of 14 May, by an informal ministerial meeting. At this meeting the Ministers, at the invitation of the Secretary General, discussed the involvement of the international community in the post-conflict rehabilitation of Iraq, with the participation of Mrs Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Mr Brunson Mc Kinley, Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration, also took part in this discussion.
Participants discussed inter alia the European contribution to reconstruction efforts in Iraq and the strengthening, in that respect, of the United Nations role. Referring to the contribution in the past to the elaboration of the constitution of South Africa, the Secretary General stressed the possible role of the Venice Commission with regard to the new constitution of Iraq, as well as the Council of Europe’s know-how in the areas of legal reform, development of democratic institutions, including civil society, the protection of cultural heritage and matters relating to multi-cultural dialogue and religious tolerance.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General took note with interest of the Council of Europe’s expertise in these areas.
On this basis, the Chair of the Committee of Ministers replied, on 15 May 2003, to the letter from the President of the Parliamentary Assembly drawing his attention to this question (see appendix).
Appendix
Letter from Chair of Committee of Ministers to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly
Strasbourg, 15 May 2003
Dear President,
Thank you for your letter of 15 April 2003 drawing my attention to Resolution 1326 and Recommendation 1603 on Europe and the war in Iraq, which were adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly on 3 April 2003. I transmitted this letter – through my Deputy, Ambassador Licari – to all member states’ governments, at the 837th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies, on 16 April 2003.
The Maltese Chairmanship fully appreciates the contribution made by the Parliamentary Assembly on this very important issue. On a personal basis, I expressed support for a political statement of the Committee of Ministers on the matter, in my reply to a question addressed to me on 3 April by Mr Huseynov.
That being said, during the discussions held by the Ministers’ Deputies in the preparation for the 112th Session of the Committee of Ministers, there was no consensus on the proposal made by the Parliamentary Assembly to include the question of Iraq on the agenda of the formal Session of the Committee of Ministers today.
As you know, this question was however at the centre of the discussions we held at the informal ministerial meeting which took place yesterday at the Secretary General’s residence, with the participation of Mrs Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Mr Brunson McKinley, Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration.
Yours sincerely,
Joe BORG
Chairman of the Committee of Ministers
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta
Mr Peter SCHIEDER
President of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe
Strasbourg