Vol. 480 No. 6
53 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has considered proposals for the reform of the Council of Europe; and if he has satisfied himself that the Council of Europe operates efficiently. [14618/97]
The Vienna Declaration of the Council of Europe, adopted in October 1993 by European Heads of State and Government, initiated a major reform of the role and activities of the Council of Europe and its subsidiary organs as part of a new institutional framework for postcommunist Europe.
The declaration assigned new political tasks to the Council of Europe in consolidating democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights in the new democracies of central and eastern Europe. It also proposed reform of the European Court of Human Rights, recommending replacement of the existing European Commission and Court of Human Rights by a single court, to enable cases to be processed more speedily.
The programme of reform arising from the Vienna Summit is ongoing. A second Summit of Heads of State and Government is to take place in Strasbourg on 10-11 October 1997. The purpose of this meeting is to review the progress made to date in fulfilling the obligations undertaken at Vienna; to assess the impact of recent enlargement on the work of the organization; and to provide clear direction for strengthening further the role, priorities and functions of the organization in the new Europe.
