Doc. 11073
9 October 2006

The United Nations – Reform and the Council of Europe member states

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr Gross and others

1.       The Assembly and the Council of Europe have a long history of close relations with the United Nations. Their members feel fully a part of the World Organisation. Since October 1989 the Council of Europe has observer status with the General Assembly of the United Nations.

2.       The Assembly has constantly backed the reform efforts of the United Nations aiming at maintaining the United Nation’s capacity to adapt to new challenges while remaining faithful to the principles laid down in its Charter. It refers to Recommendation 1659 and Resolution 1373 on strengthening of the United Nations.

3.       While the ongoing reform has already produced some results such as the decision to set up a peace-building commission and a human rights Council a renewed impetus for the United Nations reform process is necessary. Inter alia the whole United Nations system should be made more transparent, legitimate and accountable.

4.       The Assembly considers that a genuine revitalisation of the United Nations necessitates the introduction of a parliamentary dimension to its work. It has submitted detailed proposals on this matter in Resolution 1476 (2006).

5.       The Assembly regrets that the Council of Europe as such has not been consulted on the various efforts and proposals to strengthen the United Nations.

6.       The Assembly should therefore gather from the competent governmental and parliamentary bodies in the member states all information about their position on the relevant Assembly texts and proposals concerning reform of the United Nations, a parliamentary organ for the United Nations and relations between the United Nations and the Council of Europe in general, in order to design a common, pan-european approach to a substantial reform of the United Nations.

Signed ¹:

GROSS, Andreas, Switzerland, SOC

ALATALU, Toomas, Estonia, EDG

AZZOLINI, Claudio, Italy, EPP/CD

BJØRNSTAD, Vidar, Norway, SOC

BRINCAT, Leo, Malta, SOC

de PUIG, Lluís Maria, Spain, SOC

DZEMBRITZKI, Detlef, Germany, SOC

ELO, Mikko, Finland, SOC

EÖRSI, Mátyás, Hungary, ALDE

GRZYB, Andrzej, Poland, EPP/CD

HAJIYEV, Sabir, Azerbaijan, SOC

KHALIL, Ali Rashid,Italy, NR

LINDBLAD, Göran, Sweden, EPP/CD

MARCENARO, Pietro, Italy, SOC

MERCAN, Murat, Turkey, EPP/CD

MIRZAZADA, Aydin, Azerbaijan, EDG

SEVERIN, Adrian, Romania, SOC

SZABÓ,Vilmos, Hungary, SOC

TOROSYAN, Tigran, Armenia, EDG

Van den BRANDE, Luc, Belgium, EPP/CD

van WINSEN, Bart, Netherlands, 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