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Resolution 1652 (2009)
Attitude to memorials exposed to different historical interpretations in Council of Europe member states
1. The totalitarian
regimes and wars of 20th-century Europe have left behind a number
of graves and memorials which have acquired divergent historical
and political connotations since the collapse of these regimes and
the subsequent revision of history in the countries in which they
are located. In recent years, several such memorials have been relocated
or demolished, in particular in the former Soviet bloc countries. At
the same time, new and controversial commemorative monuments have
been erected, provoking fierce political disputes both internally
and at international level. In broader terms, the question of how
to make peace with the past while facing up to the challenges of
the 21st century is of common concern to all European countries
that have experienced totalitarian regimes or have been subjected
to foreign occupation.
2. The Parliamentary Assembly believes that disputes relating
to divergent interpretations of history can only be resolved with
time and through a process specific to each nation. In this regard,
the Assembly recalls its Resolutions
1096 (1996) on measures to dismantle the heritage of former communist
totalitarian systems, 1481 (2006) on the need for international
condemnation of crimes of totalitarian communist regimes and 1495 (2006)
on combating the resurrection of Nazi ideology, and Recommendation 1736 (2006) on the need for international condemnation of the Franco
regime, and reiterates its conviction that, in order to enable individual Council
of Europe member states to come to terms with the controversies
of their recent past, Europe must unequivocally reject and unreservedly
condemn all forms of dictatorial regimes such as National Socialism, fascism
and totalitarian communism.
3. The decisions adopted by Council of Europe member states on
the fate of controversial monuments have taken extremely varied
forms: in some cases demolition, in others relocation to museums
or new open-air museum parks; some monuments have been preserved
as they stood and others (buildings or complexes, for instance)
preserved but given a new function or converted into museums, sometimes
dedicated to the victims of the regimes which built them.
4. The Assembly, while drawing attention to its Recommendation 898 (1980) on memorials, which suggests conserving “monuments set
up by invaders or by a regime regarded as oppressive or hated” in museums
as an alternative to their demolition, expresses its belief that
the final decision on the fate of such memorials is a sovereign
one of the state in which the monument is located; it should, nevertheless,
be based on the norms of international conventions and bilateral
agreements.
5. In this context, however, the Assembly deems it necessary
to distinguish between war graves and victory monuments erected
to glorify totalitarian regimes or former occupation forces – or
at least perceived as such by the majority population. It underlines
that, where graves and burial sites containing the remains of foreign soldiers
and war victims are concerned, national decisions must fully abide
by the respect for the dead, often victims rather than occupiers,
and bilateral or multilateral agreements, notably Protocol I to
the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of
International Armed Conflicts.
6. The Assembly regrets that to date there is no complete list
of war graves located on the territories of Council of Europe member
states. It recalls its appeal made to the Committee of Ministers
almost thirty years ago in Recommendation
898 (1980), to engage in a general study of memorials in member
states which might lead, inter alia,
to proposals on systematic recording, on protection against destruction
or on responsibility for upkeep. The Assembly reiterates the need
to draw up a common database in order to better protect burial sites and
to further facilitate the conclusion of new bilateral agreements
between member states. Furthermore, the Assembly encourages the
development of good practice comprising consultation of any member
state concerned, prior to the taking of any action to exhume foreign
soldiers and war victims, even outside the framework of existing
agreements.
7. Because of the controversial nature of such memorials, the
Assembly calls on Council of Europe member states to initiate the
broadest possible discussions between historians and other experts
on the complexity of the historical background of these monuments,
their meanings to different segments of the societies, internally
and, if appropriate, internationally.
8. The Assembly emphasises the need for deeper mutual understanding
and for conciliatory action to prevent memorials of disputed symbolic
significance becoming a source of tension in intra-state relations.
It appears vital to seek consolidation of all major political forces
representing different approaches when discussing the fate of such
memorials, with a view to reaching sustainable final decisions based
on the opinion of the majority. Similarly, the Assembly underscores
that under no circumstances should memorials become tools for advancing
foreign policy goals or increasing tensions in third states.
9. In the light of the above, the Assembly invites Council of
Europe member states to:
9.1. initiate
the broadest and most inclusive possible debate about the fate of
memorials exposed to different interpretations, involving historians,
active members of civil society and political leaders, and organising
conferences, colloquies and seminars on the subject;
9.2. support the creation of a European centre of expertise
to help member states with historiographical and archaeological
investigation and elucidation of memorials;
9.3. welcome the establishing of a common database including
a complete list of war graves and memorials within the territory
of Council of Europe member states, and, to this end, open up all
national archives that may contain relevant information on the location
of burial places in full compliance with Committee of Ministers
Recommendation No. R (2000) 13 on a European policy on access to
archives;
9.4. consider creating historical museums and provide these
with support;
9.5. continue to honour their commitments under bilateral or
multilateral treaties on the maintenance and conservation of monuments,
including those containing the remains of foreign soldiers or war victims;
9.6. consider concluding such treaties where none exist;
9.7. consult the relatives or the states concerned and relevant
NGOs before exhuming any foreign soldiers or war victims buried
on their territories;
9.8. avoid and condemn any form of provocation around memorials,
in particular as this may entail sharp confrontations between different
segments of society in these countries.