Declaration of the Royaumont Process NGO Conference in Salonica

Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 09:50:06 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Declaration of the Royaumont Process NGO Conference in Salonica

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>

Declaration of the Royaumont Process NGO Conference in
Salonica


GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR & MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
P.O. Box 51393, GR-14510 Kifisia, Greece
Tel. 30-1-620.01.20; Fax: 30-1-807.57.67; E-mail:
[email protected]
________________________________________________________________
 
PRESS RELEASE
 
16/7/1998
 
Greek Helsinki Monitor's Gregory Vallianatos participated in the
recent Royaumont Procees NGO conference in Salonica, also representing
the International Helsinki Federation. Two more IHF members, the
Macedonian and the Serbian ones, participated in that conference. We
distribute the declaration to which the human rights dimension was
added on the suggestion of the IHF members participating in the
meeting.
_________________________________________________
 
Declaration
 
NGO�s Conference Thessaloniki July 10-11, 1998
 
Representatives of NGO�s from all the countries of South Eastern
Europe, the European Union, USA and Russia, meeting in Thessaloniki on
10-11 July 1998 within the framework of the Royaumont Process,
 
� aiming at the promotion of stability and good neighbourliness in
South Eastern Europe through the creation of networks among citizens
towards the strengthening of democratic open societies
� considering that open dialogue contributes to the better approaching
at bilateral and multilateral problems
� recognising the threat to peace democracy and human rights
throughout the region because of inefficient mutual understanding,
inefficient civic and economic structures and legacy of the past
� estimating that South Eastern Europe is going through deep social,
political and economic changes
 
agree that a fragile balance is the most profound feature of the
region, therefore a nucleus of multilateral understanding and
co-operation should be developed in order to ensure a prosperous
future for generations to come
 
This conference underlined that NGO�s should
 
� maintain their independence from governmental influence
� operate in an environment free of religious, ethnic and cultural
prejudices
� respect the diversity and traditions of each and every individual
� observe, support and develop civil, political, social, economic and
cultural rights
 
To pursue their objectives, NGO�s
 
� welcome the initiative of the European Parliament to include the
Royaumont Process within the Common Foreign and Security Policy as a
joint action and urges the Council of Ministers of the European Union
to approve it as soon as possible
� call upon the Governments of the countries participating in the
Royaumont Initiative and the European Commission to facilitate the
implementation of NGO� s projects submitted for approval
� be supported and facilitated in communicating and travelling across
the countries participating in the Royaumont Process
� decide to continue their co-operation forming the Royaumont Process
Network of NGO� s
 
The above mentioned convictions call for the urgent implementation of
an Action Plan. This Action Plan should have short and long-term aims
and should support the following lines of activity:
 
� to encourage the development of institutions following the
principles of pluralist democracy, human rights and the rule of law
� to support co-operation in the fields of economy, society and
culture
� to enhance the legal status of NGO� s in order to facilitate their
free operation
� to develop the co-operation in the scientific research, education,
culture and environment
� to accelerate the implementation of an effective institutional
framework according to the European standards and principles
� to increase the potential of communications in the South Eastern
European region and the access to the information sources
 
Taking into consideration the above-mentioned points, the conference
proposes concrete activities as per attached documents.

-- 
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe

Submissions: [email protected]  
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected] 
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================