Parliamentary Assembly Assemblée parlementaire

Doc. 10891
11 April 2006

Co-operation between the Assembly and the Conference of INGOs

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr Etherington and others

1.       The Council of Europe as a whole and the Assembly and its committees have undeniably benefited from co-operation with the INGOs. This is due both to the many ways in which the INGOs stimulate the Organisation’s activities and to the help they give in ensuring that appropriate action is taken in response to the decisions taken by the Council of Europe’s main bodies.

2.       The Assembly notes that Resolution (2003) 8 of the Committee of Ministers replaced the INGOs’ consultative status with participatory status. It also notes that, at the Warsaw Summit (2005), the Heads of State and Government of the member states of the Council of Europe recognised that the INGOs were one of the four pillars of the Organisation. The Heads of State and Government also decided to allow the NGOs to take part in more of the Council of Europe’s activities as an essential aspect of civil society’s contribution to the transparency and responsibility of democratic governance.

3.       Following the Warsaw Summit, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe included both the promotion of the role of the NGOs in upholding human rights and the strengthening of the Council of Europe Conference of INGOs in his priorities for the 2006 programme of activities.

4.       The Assembly notes that the Multiyear Framework Programme of the INGOs (2006-2008) and the proposed priorities of the Assembly in 2006 have several major themes in common, namely ensuring social cohesion, involving civil society in promoting human rights and strengthening democracy, fostering intercultural dialogue and co-operating with the European Union.

5.       The Assembly considers that it would be particularly useful to foster co-operation in the fields of democracy and good governance, including by means of holding joint seminars.

6.       It notes, in this connection, that the INGO Conference intends to hold a seminar on the participatory component of democracy in co-operation with the Assembly in autumn 2006.

7.       The Assembly also believes that new joint projects could be launched between its relevant bodies and the INGO Conference in fields of common interest.

8.       The Assembly has therefore decided:

i.       to draft a report on its relations with the INGOs;

ii.       to hold a seminar on the parameters of democracy in co-operation with the Council of Europe INGO Conference;

iii.       to contribute to the seminar on the participatory component of democracy, which will be organised by the INGO Conference.

Signed ¹:

ETHERINGTON, Bill, United Kingdom, SOC
McINTOSH, Andrew, United Kingdom, SOC
WILLIAMS, Betty, United Kingdom, SOC
EINARSSON, Mats, Sweden, UEL
HÖFER, Gerd, Germany, SOC
VIS, Rudi, United Kingdom, SOC
NEGELE, Gebhard, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD
BARGETZE, Rony, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD
LUND, Rune, Denmark, UEL
GLESENER, Marcel, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
       ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
       EDG: European Democratic Group
       UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
       NR: not registered in a group