Reply to Recommendation 1253 (1994) on the activities of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in 1992 and 1993

13 February 1995

Doc. 7248

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Reply to Recommendation 1253 (1994) on the activities of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in 1992 and 1993

(adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 26 January 1995 at the 526th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

The Committee of Ministers has examined Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1253 (1994) and wishes to address the following remarks to the Assembly.

1. The Committee of Ministers holds the work performed by the IOM in the field of international migration in high esteem. Although not all member States of the Council of Europe belong to the IOM, they acknowledge the importance of the latter's efforts and support its aims. Accordingly, the Committee of Ministers brought the text of Recommendation 1253 (1994) to the attention of governments and also transmitted it to the Governing Body of the Social Development Fund, the ad hoc Committee of Experts on Legal Aspects of Territorial Asylum, Refugees and Stateless Persons (CAHAR) and the European Committee on Migration (CDMG).

2. Concerning more specifically paragraph 7 (ii) of Recommendation 1253, the Committee of Ministers points out that the IOM already participates with observer status in meetings of the CDMG and would welcome an extension of this collaboration to the CAHAR, provided that the IOM applies for observer status with that committee. The IOM is also invited to take part in the proceedings of the Select Committee of Experts on Repatriation of Persons following the Political Changes in Central and Eastern Europe (MG-R-REP), and of the Select Committee of Experts on Short-term Migration (MG-R-MT) which deals with one of the problems formerly covered by the Vienna Group. As the latter body has ceased to exist as an independent forum, the Council of Europe might, through the agency of the steering committees more directly concerned (CDMG and CAHAR), continue to provide a forum for the discussion of, and search for solutions to the problems arising in the field of East-West migration. The said steering committees have been invited to submit their opinion on this matter.

3. The Committee of Ministers is well disposed towards the idea that the IOM should be asked to collaborate, whenever it is deemed appropriate, in the implementation of co-operation and assistance activities conducted by the Council of Europe as part of the Demosthenes Programme.

4. The Committee of Ministers wishes to inform the Assembly of the attitude adopted by the Governing Body of the Social Development Fund, also in the form of an additional reply to Recommendation 1238 (1994) on the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

5. The Governing Body of the Fund has carefully examined the recommendations contained in paragraph 6 (iii) (d) of Recommendation 1238 (1994) and paragraph 7 (iii) of Recommendation 1253 (1994), considering that aid to refugees and migrants remains one of the priority sectors of the Fund. The Governing Body is therefore willing to co-operate with any member State or organisation anxious to help with the relevant problems - including the IOM -within the limits of the Fund's aims and available resources. With regard to use of the Fund's emergency account, to which the Assembly refers, the Governing Body points out that this operates according to a mechanism which can only be triggered off in exchange for contributions by a member State for a clearly defined project, the proposed sums being doubled by an equivalent amount drawn from the resources available in that account.