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Resolution 889 (1988)
North-South interdependence and solidarity
The Assembly,
1. Having regard to the reports of its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (Doc. 5826), of its Political Affairs Committee (Doc. 5830), and of its Committees on Science and Technology(Doc. 5837), on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities (Doc. 5835) and on Migration, Refugees and Demography (Doc. 5825), on North-South interdependence and solidarity ;
2. Expressing its satisfaction at the fact that the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the European Communities, is organising in 1988 the European Public Campaign on North-South Interdependence and Solidarity ;
3. Attaching the greatest importance to the contribution of non-governmental organisations to the campaign ;
4. Welcoming the campaign activities planned at European and at national levels ;
5. Reiterating its request to the governments of the Council of Europe member states to give sufficient financial support to the organisation of the campaign both at European and at national levels ;
6. Drawing attention to the serious problems which confront the South, as well as the North, arising from financial and monetary instability, unemployment and protectionist pressures ;
7. Also emphasising the grave problems posed to both developing and developed countries by the massive population shifts in the South, caused by population growth, but also by wars, civil hostilities and violations of human rights ;
8. Considering that, given the interdependence of the earth's ecological system, all nations would have to bear the consequences of undue damage to the environment ;
9. Considering that lasting solutions to these prob,lems can only be found if due account is taken of theinterlinked nature of economic and social development, the environment and other concerns such as food, population and human rights ;
10. Emphasising the need for a better understanding of these interlinkages and of the complex structural North-South relationship which affect Europeans and Third World people in their day-to-day life ;
11. Considering also that the main aspects of North-South interdependence -trade, agriculture, natural resources and the environment, debt, development assistance, employment and socio-cultural relations -call for deeper analysis, with a view to formulating long-term responses and to fostering greater equity in living conditions and justice at global level ;
12. Stressing that governments both in the North and the South have a responsibility to restructure and adjust domestic and international economic and social policies so as to help to reduce sharp contrasts and dramatic inequality in North-South relations,
13. Welcomes the adoption by consensus of the Final Act of the 7th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD VII), and calls on its member states to intensify, in accordance with this Act, their efforts to enhance the flow of public and private resources for development, open their markets for imports from developing countries, notably by dismantling protectionist measures, take measures designed to relieve the debt burden, including debt cancellation, and promote constructive, wide-ranging and action-oriented dialogue between developing and developed countries ;
14. Invites industrialised and developing countries to work together for long-term management of the environment -renewable as well as non-renewable resources -and to ensure its protection as an essential precondition of lasting development ;
15. Invites industrialised countries and organisations responsible for development aid to precede all aid projects by an assessment of their environmental impact ;
16. Pays tribute to the efforts undertaken, notably by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, to contribute to appropriate population policies, including family planning, and by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with respect to refugees ;
17. Invites the parliaments of the Council of Europe member states to devote special attention to the European Public Campaign on North-South Interdependence and Solidarity by organising a debate or otherwise ;
18. Recalls its decision to organise a European conference of parliamentarians and NGOs (Madrid, 1-3 June 1988) to draw lessons from the campaign and formulate an action programme, and invites its competent committees to report back on it.