6 September 1995

Doc. 7375

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on a new social policy

presented by Mr GUSENBAUER, Austria, SOC

and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       The Assembly notes that western societies are being undermined by phenomena of exclusion that go far beyond the mere consequences of the economic crisis they are currently experiencing.

2.       Unemployment, the lack of prospects for many young people, the difficulties involved in integrating immigrant populations and the xenophobia they are facing, the arrival on the political arena of fascist or neo-nazi parties openly advocating racism and the divisions caused by these phenomena are all creating tensions which will soon be impossible to contain.

3.       Social segregation is leading to rising crime rates, as well as violence and insecurity in our towns and cities, some areas of which are turning into veritable "ghettos" for the underprivileged.

4.       Young people, who represent the future of our societies and are generally full of idealism, while also being the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens, are discouraged by an exaggerated spirit of competition and the high ranking attributed to material success in our scale of values, as well as the difficulties they face in finding a place in society and having a say in shaping it, thus making them easy prey for the purveyors of false paradises, drug dealers, fundamentalist leaders and other guru-like figures.

5.        Family breakups are placing children in situations of insecurity that are not favourable to their development, while often making women more vulnerable to social problems in the current period of high unemployment, as demonstrated by the particularly large number of women hit by poverty.

6.       Elderly people, whose role should be to hand down our collective memory and pass on experience, are regarded as unproductive and no longer have a place in societies where all that matters is the ability to generate wealth. As a result, they find themselves isolated, suffering from the breakdown in the links between the generations.

7.       Solidarity between the generations is also threatened by the fears of the working population, who fund today's pensions, but are afraid that they themselves will not enjoy the same level of pensions when they reach old age.

8.       Exclusion, whether based on age, lack of employment, social or ethnic origins or religion, is taking the place of solidarity and justice, without which the stability of our societies is threatened.

9.       The Assembly recognises that the Council of Europe has always conducted activities which deal with all these problems separately, but believes there is an urgent need to adopt a comprehensive approach to the issues and take stock of the situation with representatives of all sectors of society, paving the way for a fundamental rethink of the values on which to base a society in which all individuals can find their place and develop their intellectual capacities and moral qualities to the full.

10.       The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers examine appropriate action with the urgency the situation demands in order to avoid explosions of social unrest in all Council of Europe member countries.

Signed:

Gusenbauer, Austria, SOC

Ruffy, Switzerland, SOC

Schieder, Austria, SOC

Baarveld-Schlaman, Netherlands, SOC

Iwinski, Poland, SOC

Akselsen, Norway, SOC

Lauricella, Italy, SOC

Schwimmer, Austria, EPP

Andres, Germany, SOC

Tkáč, Slovakia, -

Brito, Portugal, SOC

Korakas, Greece, UEL

Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, EDG

Hegyi, Hungary, SOC

Gjellerod, Denmark, SOC

Magnusson, Sweden, SOC

Cox, United Kingdom, SOC

*       SOC : Socialist Group

      EPP : Group of the European People's Party

      EDG : European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

      UEL : Group of the Unified European Left