Doc. 8227

6 October 1998

Social measures for children of war in south-eastern Europe

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mrs Poptodorova and others

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

      Until a few years ago no one would have thought that after the end of World War II warfare would have even come back to any part of Europe. And yet today we are faced with continuous fighting in south-east Europe which might spill over to a regional conflagration.

      Although the scope of fighting is limited, it has brought about consequences which are not much different from those of a regular war. We are now faced with a human disaster that has become out of proportion and threatens to expand even further – thousands of wounded and dead, hundreds of thousands of homeless, poverty and famine, all-pervading insecurity.

      Children suffer most acutely from this situation. Thousands of them have been driven out of their homes, their schools and their neighbourhoods. This is a dramatic shock for them which affects their health and psychology.

      It is both urgent and indispensable that action be taken both on the national and the international level to facilitate and speed up the return of displaced children in south-east Europe to their homes and that conditions be created for their return to normal housing, food and schooling.

      The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers elaborate a programme of action and make proposals along these lines.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed¹:

Poptodorova, Bulgaria, SOC

Arnau, Spain, SOC

Besostri, Italy, SOC

Biga-Friganovic, Croatia, SOC

Hadjidemetriou, Cyprus, SOC

Jaskierna, Poland, SOC

Kirilov, Bulgaria, SOC

Martínez, Spain, SOC

De Puig, Spain, SOC

Russell-Johnston, United Kingdom, LDR

Staes, Belgium, EPP/DC

Stepová, Czech Republic, SOC

Stoyanova, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic and Reformers Group

LDR: Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group