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(dp With reg a f f cultural affairs (the whole of Dpgument 101), the Assembly
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has submitted a number of recommendations to the Committee of Ministers concerning cultural agreements, the free circulation and exchange of publications, co-operation in scientific research and assistance to cultural organisations. It further suggests that the Ministers of Education of Member States, assisted by the university authorities, should draw up together a plan of cultural co-operation on a European basis, the broad lines of which are given. It is suggested that the question of the creation of a European University ought to be discussed during the next Session. The institution of a European Cultural Centre is also proposed and the objects of such a Centre are set out.
(e) As regards social questions, the Assembly recommends (Document 79- Part I) to Member States the reform of their respective systems of social legisla- tion with the view of achieving, by the methods appropriate to each country, a common standard of social security, of studying the possibility of a general ratification of international social security conventions and of drawing up a multilateral agreement on social security.
(f) The safeguarding and development of human rights and the fundamental freedoms. The steps to be taken for the achievement of the declared object of the Council of Europe, in Article I of the Statute, are dealt with in Document 108.
In this connexion the Assembly recommends to the Committee of Ministers that it should prepare as soon as possible a draft convention of collective guarantees which would assure to all persons residing in the territories of Member States the effective enjoyment of the fundamental rights and freedoms which are set out in Article 2 of Part I of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Assembly has submitted to the Committee of Ministers a draft of suggested Articles for the proposed convention.
The Assembly wishes to recommend to the Committee of Ministers that the Committee does everything possible to ensure that each Member State takes the necessary action to see that the question of a European passport be studied by the appropriate Ministerial authorities.
Finally, the Standing Committee of the Assembly which met this morning has expressed the desire that the replies from the Committee of Ministers to the recommendations transmitted to it should be communicated to the Assembly as and when decisions are taken on them.
The above are the recommendations which I have the honour to transmit to you on behalf of the Assembly, in accordance with Article 23 of the Statute.
II. ORGANISATIONAL PROBLEMS
The Assembly has discussed the question of the organisation of the work of its Committee in the interval between sessions.
(a) It was felt, as a result of the study undertaken by the Committee on General Affairs, that a Standing Committee should be set up (Part II, Docu- ment 87) which should be responsible for the co-ordination of the resolutions of the Assembly and of the reports and recommendations of its Committees, for the preparation of the work of the next session and for the adoption of any measures calculated to facilitate and accelerate its work.
This Standing Committee will be composed of the President, the four Vice- Presidents and twenty-three representatives to the Assembly. The chairman of the six Committees will be ex officio members.
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The Committee will meet at least four times each year and whenever the President of the Assembly shall consider it necessary. The President of the Assembly, on behalf of the Standing Committee, will consult with the Committee of Ministers on the desirability of calling at any time an extraordinary session of the Assembly, or in connexion with any matter arising out of the agenda of the previous session.
(b) The Assembly has decided further that the six Committees appointed by it might meet in the interval between sessions. In general, the Committees, with the approval of the Assembly, have assigned themselves the task of continuing during the coming months, the study of the questions referred to them.
(c) the development of the work of the Committees of the Assembly entails certainPagetuce 662 originally included in the budget approved by the Com- mittee of Ministers. This matter is taken up in the Report of the Committee on
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General Affairs which has been approved by the AssemblyParagraphf36Part IV of Document 87), but only in so far as that particular Committee is concerned.
III. PROGRAMMES OF WORK OF THE COMMITTEES OF THE ASSEMBLY
Before separating, most of the Committees drew up, in broad outline, their programmes of work up to the next session of the Assembly.
(a) The Standing Committee of the Assembly
In addition to its general tasks as outlined above, the Standing Committee of the Assembly is charged by the Committee on General Affairs with the study of a resolution recommending to the Committee of Ministers the systematic instruc- tion of the masses concerning the undeniable advantages of European unity (paragraph 4, Part IV, Document 87).
(b) Committee on Rules of Procedure
The Committee on Rules of Procedure was unable to complete the very detailed work entailed in the transformation of the Provisional Rules into the final Rules of Procedure. The Committee has therefore proposed, and the Assembly has approved, the setting up of a Sub-Committee of six members with the task of establishing, by such means as may be necessary, a draft of the final Rules of Procedure to be submitted to the Assembly (Document 100).
(c) Committee on General Affairs
Part I of Document 87 sets out the task of the Committee on General Affairs. This Committee, after having examined the general position of the Member States, the present situation as regards existing inter-governmental organisations and the proposals for the establishment of closer collaboration in the economic, social and cultural fields, has undertaken to study the changes in the political and con- stitutional structure of Member States which may be necessary in order to ensure such closer collaboration, proposals for federation and so forth, and the effects which changes of this kind would have in each Member State. The Assembly has charged the Committee to formulate clear-cut proposals and to report to the President in time for the Session of 1950, so that members of the Council of Europe should be in a position to submit the recommendations adopted as soon as possible for discussion by their respective Parliaments.
The Assembly has also instructed its Committee on General Affairs to draft a European agreement defining the guiding principles of the Council of Europe and forestalling possible conflicts between participating countries by confirming their intention to outlaw war (paragraph 7, Part IV, Document 87).
The same Committee will also examine two draft amendments to the Statute which would provide for any case where the Committee of Ministers might feel itself unable to take into consideration the recommendations of the Consultative Assembly (paragraph 6, Part IV, Document 87).
(d) Committee on Economic Questions
The Committee on Economic Questions has set out the general plan of its work (Part III, Document 71 and annexes). It has provided for the setting up of four sub-committees, each with its own programmes of work. This Committee has proposed, and the Assembly has approved, that the President of the Assembly should establish contact with the Secretaries of the United Nations, the O.E.E.C. and the B.I.S. with the object of gaining access to the publications of these bodies and of allowing Committees to hear the views of the national and international experts of these different organisations.
(e) Committee on Cultural Questions
The Report of the Committee on Cultural Questions only contains recommen- dations to the Committee of Ministers.
(f) Committee on Social Questions
The Committee on Social Questions has decided to continue its work on social security and to study itself the questions of the housing and emigration of workers pharts and of Document 79).
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