The General Council of the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty meeting 3 to 5 September 2010 at the Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona
Having heard the reports from the Chairman of the Senate's Party Marco Pannella and the Acting President of the Senate Maurizio Turco, approves them;

Thanks the members and activists of Barcelona Radical for efficient and effective organization of the meeting, the first in this city;

Thanked the Foundation CatDem for the political and logistical support for the preparation of the meeting of the Council, and hopes that such cooperation constitutes a starting point for future joint work on the promotion of human rights, the rule of law and democracy;

Thanks the European Liberal Democrats and Reformers Party (ELDR) for the cooperation on the two thematic debates that have addressed some aspects related to the recent European economic and financial crisis and the reforms needed for the European Union, to be undertaken to foster political initiatives to regain the spirit that can lead the EU from a mere Europe of fatherlands to a true European Motherland based on the principle of legality, and the full enjoyment of fundamental individual human rights that inspired the Ventotene Manifesto;

Salutes the participation in the Council of a delegation of Cuban former political prisoners;

Recalling the motion adopted at its meeting in Rome last May, the Council confirms as a political priority for the Party the activation of national, regional and international jurisdictions for the protection and promotion of human rights, as already established by the last General Council of Rome, and welcomes the enrichment of the valuable contributions presented during this Council on issues such as prohibition on narcotics and digital activism and rights – issues and struggles that need to become central to the convening and holding of the next Congress – including in particular the analysis offered in the report by Professor Cesare Romano; 

Recognises the need to continue the work started last spring with respect to the definition, consolidation and enhancement of the international struggle for democracy based on the full respect for fundamental freedoms. Sixty years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is still necessary to fight for individual human rights to be guaranteed regardless of nationality and citizenship.

Although the definitions of human rights adopted by the international community from the end the Second World War to the mid-Sixties have proven sufficiently flexible to include new developments of human progress, we need to codify new rights to respond to new threats to freedom, such as those relating to freedom of science, conscience and knowledge, gender identity or sexual orientation and all the rights relating to the digital domain, starting from universal access to the Internet .

It is therefore necessary to initiate a process of rationalization and, if possible, simplification and progressive unification of international bodies with jurisdiction over human rights and of their procedures, with the goal of a single universal structure with jurisdiction over all the rights contained in the various international instruments adopted in the past, and those that will be adopted in the meantime.

To this end, it is necessary to finally prepare concrete actions for the effective activation of the various jurisdictions that can bring about significant changes in legislation and judgements against governments that systematically violate basic human rights, by identifying strategically priority themes and countries on which to start the necessary preparatory work, but also to raise the question on the real effectiveness of the jurisdictions themselves.

To this end, the General Council hopes that all Party members, from the members of the Council itself, will contribute actively in the identification of cases needed to be defined in detail.

The General Council decides that the 39th Party Congress takes place preferably in Africa, if possible on the usual date of the first weekend of November, with the option to defer it to the first two months of 2011;

Thanks in this regard the invitation of President of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean Claude Mokeni to host the Congress in his country; while not being here and now in the position - in the absence of the necessary logistical information – to make a final decision, the Council expresses a preference for the African continent;

Without prejudice to the need for individual commitment of each Party member, the Council proposes the establishment of a committee of Party members to assist the Presidency of the Senate's Party - Marco Pannella, Maurizio Turco, Matteo Mecacci e Marco Perduca – in the the political preparation of the Congress, composed of Sam Rainsy, Saumura Tioulong, Dolma Gyari, Vo van Ai, Kok Ksor, Vanida Tephsouvan, Leonard She Okitundo, Demba Traoré, Mario Oriani Ambrosini, Penelope Faulkner, Rebiya Kadeer, Biram Dar Abeid, Tonino Picula, Marina Sikora, Artur Nura, Ermelinda Meksi, Oksana Chelisheva, Rafael Villarò Bastons, Jordi Xuclà, Santiago Castillà and Matteo Angioli.

Finally, the General Council expresses its deep gratitude to those who participated in the drafting committee of a document on the perspective of the African continent, a document to which the Council attributes great importance and expresses the hope that it may become the basis for a great Euro- Africa Manifesto in the near future.