765bis meeting – 21 September 2001

 

 

Item 2.3

 

Situation in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”

Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1528 (2001)

(REC_1528(2001))

 

 

Decision

 

The Deputies adopted the following reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1528 (2001) on the situation in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”:

 

“The Committee of Ministers has been following very closely the unfolding of events in the country ever since the outbreak of the crisis in the spring of 2001 and has kept this item regularly on its agenda. Following the adoption of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1528 (2001) on 28 June 2001 the situation in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” calling on the Committee of Ministers to intensify its co-operation programmes in a number of areas and to assist the authorities in the organisation of a reliable population census, the Committee of Ministers would like to inform the Parliamentary Assembly of the following:

 

•           At their 759^th meeting on 4 July 2001 (item 3.1b) the Deputies agreed to bring Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1528 (2001) to the attention of their Governments.

 

•           At their 761^st meeting on 18 July 2001 (item 2.1a) the Deputies authorised the Secretariat to participate, in co-operation with the European Commission, in the international monitoring and observation of the census of the population, households and dwellings in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and agreed to the CoE's contribution to this joint effort (approximately €200.000).

 

•           With the signing of the Framework Agreement concluded at Ohrid and signed at Skopje on 13 August 2001 by the President, the leaders of the four coalition parties and witnessed by the Special Representative of the European Union and the Special Representative of the United States, a series of constitutional, legislative and administrative reforms were required in a number of areas of direct concern to the Council of Europe.

 

•           This led to the elaboration of a package of measures, containing a series of concrete activities designed to contribute to the implementation of the Framework Agreement by re-orienting existing programmes, in particular within the Stability Pact, and by proposing new activities in the areas of competence of the Organisation. The content of the proposed activities and its possible implementation was reviewed by the Secretariat with all of the OSCE institutions concerned and in the presence of a EC representative in a thorough exchange of information held in Vienna on 30 August 2001.

 

•           At their 762^nd meeting of 5 September 2001 (item 2.1a) the Deputies authorised the Secretariat, in close consultation with the authorities and in co-operation with other international partners, to pursue the planning of an initial package of measures and to implement those already agreed to by the authorities, namely in the fields of local government, international observation of the population census (now postponed to 1-15 April 2002) and projects undertaken within the Stability Pact. Furthermore, the Secretariat has been instructed to carry out a needs assessment mission in Skopje in order to define possible additional measures in close co-operation with the authorities. This Secretariat needs-assessment mission is planned for mid-October, after the National Assembly has adopted the package of constitutional and legislative reforms.  The Committee of Ministers has also decided upon the deployment of a Programme Co-ordinator in Skopje in order to secure proper co-ordination with the various competent authorities and the international organisations/institutions active in the country.

 

•           On 14 September 2001, the EU Special Representative, Mr François Léotard, in a letter addressed to the Secretary General, requested the Council of Europe to appoint a Resident expert in Skopje, in order to chair a Working Groups on legislative reform.  This request is under consideration by the Committee of Ministers.”