Strasbourg, 20 December 1996     Restricted

    CM(97)8

     For consideration at the 581st meeting

    of the Ministers' Deputies

    (13-16 January 1997, A level, item 1.5)

The meaning of an anniversary

On 5 May 1999, the Council of Europe will be 50 years old.

In some ways, this is just one in a series of similar recent anniversaries: the 50th anniversaries of the end of the second world war, of the United Nations, etc. and there might be a danger of people's feeling that they had seen it all before.

At the same time, it more or less coincides with the end of the Council of Europe's enlargement, reflecting the profound changes which Europe has undergone. It also comes at the end of the century and the millenium - an ideal time to stand back and take a wider view. It should therefore provide a unique opportunity to clarify and publicise the meaning of the work which the Council has been doing for the last half-century and put it in the context of an enlarged and largely reconciled Europe as the year 2000 approaches.

Obviously, this event will be marked by the decisions taken at the Summit scheduled for autumn 1997.

None the less, its basic meaning is already discernible and, beyond the Council of Europe, it concerns the entire European process: by giving priority to strict respect for shared values (democracy, human rights, the rule of law) and making the most of a cultural heritage enriched by its diversity, co-operation between the states of Europe has fostered both collective security and individual dignity. Suggested in Sir Winston Churchill's Zurich speech, clarified at the Hague Congress and written into the London Treaty, this policy line is today more valid than ever.

The Summit will have, in the meantime, indicated the kind of new endeavour which this policy line should inspire in the years ahead. But the context of the 50th anniversary will give a two level opportunity (50 years after the Council of Europe's creation and 10 years after the fall of the Berlin wall) to take stock of the Organisation's achievements and to draw up guidelines for the future.

The dimensions of an anniversary

Clearly, this is an anniversary which really deserves to be commemorated.

It will be commemorated, first of all, within the Organisation -probably by a series of special meetings of the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly (whose Committee on Parliamentary and Public Relations is already considering the question), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and the single Court of Human Rights.

It is conceivable that, at the Assembly's instigation, the anniversary might also be marked in national parliaments.

Should one try to go further? For example, by involving regional and local authorities? Convening a youth parliament or organising new youth trains? Introducing special confidence-building measures for the 50th anniversary? Involving the NGOs extensively?

Is it advisable to follow the United Nations' example by setting up national committees to organise celebrations in individual member states?

We shall probably have to keep a check on our ambitions, avoid doing anything which calls for heavy organisational structures in Strasbourg, and take care not to overestimate the capacity and willingness of individual countries to participate.

To start with, the Committee of Ministers might ask the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Court to tell it how they feel the event should be celebrated and what arrangements they themselves mean to make for this purpose. The Assembly will start discussing this question at its January 1997 session. This consultation process should begin quickly and be completed in the second half of 1997. The Secretary General might be instructed to conduct it.

At the same time, the Secretary General intends to set up an organising committee, which will be essentially internal, to collect proposals and co-ordinate organisation of the celebrations.

Communication and public relations. Desiderata and constraints

The 50th anniversary offers a perfect opportunity to make the public aware of the Council of Europe's aims and achievements.

A whole series of information and motivation initiatives should be aimed at the target groups most important for achievement of the Council's aims and for its image: decision-makers and people who are in a position to pass on the message. The following, in particular, will be targeted:

    - national, regional and local elected representatives;

    - ministers, senior ministerial officials and experts;

    - the media;

    - NGOs;

    - publishers of encyclopedias and schoolbooks;

    - libraries and information centres.

The media and Internet could also be used to give the celebrations on 5 May 1999 maximum public impact.

There are many methods which can be used in a consciousness- raising campaign of this kind, depending on the target groups concerned: special supplements in newspapers, videos, TV spots, CD-ROMS, a temporary Internet site, a book on the Council, mailing lists, a special number of the Newsletter, files for schools, national postaage stamps, etc.

The time needed to prepare all of this is relatively long; most of the work should be completed in 1997 and 1998, particularly where the production of books, CD-ROMS, videos and files based on our archives is concerned.

To be effective throughout our 40 member states, a campaign of this kind, even if modest and essentially aimed at a few target groups, calls for resources well in excess of those earmarked for communication in a "normal" year.

The Secretariat thinks that extensive reliance on sponsoring is not inconceivable. Surveys carried out in specialised circles confirm this. Provided that the selection criteria are clear and detailed contracts are drawn up, this type of funding should not compromise the Organisation's dignity. Minimum provision would none the less have to be made in the budget, to set the ball rolling. This should amount to something like a quarter of the overall budget See footnote 1 .

Indications from the Deputies concerning the idea of relying on sponsors would be needed fairly quickly. The Secretariat is preparing a memorandum on criteria and on the mutual obligations of sponsors and the Organisation. A first provisional version will be ready at the beginning of January.

The Secretariat has also inventorised and assessed the cost of a series of communication projects. This inventory is, however, exploratory. It may be refined and submitted to the Deputies at a later stage, when consultation between the various Council bodies and authorities has shown what the general feeling is concerning the meaning, dimensions, and main features of the 50th anniversary.

Summary

Even if it is one of several similar anniversaries, the Council of Europe's 50th anniversary can have powerful political significance. This is already apparent, and will be clearer after the Summit.

The various Council bodies and authorities should be consulted rapidly to gain an idea of the anniversary's ideal dimensions.

In communication terms, the anniversary is an exceptional opportunity and every use must be made of it. Preparation here is a lengthy business. Early decisions are needed on the scope of the event, the budget resources which would be approximatively devoted to it and on the principle of reliance on sponsors.

Footnote: 1 On a strictly indicative basis, an effort of some 1.5 to 2 million francs on the Organisation's part over a two-year period should make it possible to achieve an overall budget of some 6 to 8 million francs, which may be considered optimum for a relatively modest approach to the event.