Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1992, Page 77
The amendment was unanimously agreed to.
The President (Translation): We will now proceed to vote on the draft recommendation
contained in Doc. 6535, as amended. A vote by roll-call is not requested. The Assembly will
therefore vote by a show of hands.
A vote was taken by a show of hands.
The draft recommendation in Doc. 6535, as amended, was adopted.
The President congratulated the Rapporteur and the committee on their work, which would
add to the prestige of the Assembly.
Recommendation 1178 (1992)* on Sects and New Religious Movements
1. The Assembly is concerned at certain problems connected with the activities of sects and
new religious movements.
2. It has been alerted by various associations and families who consider that they have been
harmed by the activities of sects.
3. It has taken account of the invitation, given to the Council of Europe by the European
Parliament in the Cottrell report, to consider this problem.
4. It has asked all the member states to indicate what practices they follow and what the
legal problems are.
5. It considers that the freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed by Article 9 of the
European Convention on Human Rights makes major legislation on sects undesirable, since
such legislation might well interfere with this fundamental right and harm traditional religions.
6. It considers, however, that educational as well as legislative and other measures should
be taken in response to the problems raised by some of the activities of sects or new religious
movements.
7. To this end, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers call on the
member states of the Council of Europe to adopt the following measures:
i. the basic educational curriculum should include objective factual
information concerning established religions and their major variants,
concerning the principles of comparative religion, and concerning ethics
and personal and social rights
ii. supplementary information of a similar nature, and in particular on the
nature and activities of sects and new religious movements, should also
be widely circulated to the general public. Independent bodies should be
set up to collect and circulate this information
iii. consideration should be given to introducing legislation, if it does not
already exist, which grants corporate status to all sects and new religious
movements which have been registered, together with all offshoots of
the mother sect
iv. to protect minors and prevent abductions and transfers abroad, member
states which have not yet done so should ratify the European Convention
on recognition and enforcement of decisions concerning custody of
children and on restoration of custody of children (1980) and adopt
legislation making it possible to implement it
*Text adopted by the Assembly on 5 February 1992 (23rd sitting).
The amendment was unanimously agreed to.
The President (Translation): We will now proceed to vote on the draft recommendation
contained in Doc. 6535, as amended. A vote by roll-call is not requested. The Assembly will
therefore vote by a show of hands.
A vote was taken by a show of hands.
The draft recommendation in Doc. 6535, as amended, was adopted.
The President congratulated the Rapporteur and the committee on their work, which would
add to the prestige of the Assembly.
Recommendation 1178 (1992)* on Sects and New Religious Movements
1. The Assembly is concerned at certain problems connected with the activities of sects and
new religious movements.
2. It has been alerted by various associations and families who consider that they have been
harmed by the activities of sects.
3. It has taken account of the invitation, given to the Council of Europe by the European
Parliament in the Cottrell report, to consider this problem.
4. It has asked all the member states to indicate what practices they follow and what the
legal problems are.
5. It considers that the freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed by Article 9 of the
European Convention on Human Rights makes major legislation on sects undesirable, since
such legislation might well interfere with this fundamental right and harm traditional religions.
6. It considers, however, that educational as well as legislative and other measures should
be taken in response to the problems raised by some of the activities of sects or new religious
movements.
7. To this end, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers call on the
member states of the Council of Europe to adopt the following measures:
i. the basic educational curriculum should include objective factual
information concerning established religions and their major variants,
concerning the principles of comparative religion, and concerning ethics
and personal and social rights
ii. supplementary information of a similar nature, and in particular on the
nature and activities of sects and new religious movements, should also
be widely circulated to the general public. Independent bodies should be
set up to collect and circulate this information
iii. consideration should be given to introducing legislation, if it does not
already exist, which grants corporate status to all sects and new religious
movements which have been registered, together with all offshoots of
the mother sect
iv. to protect minors and prevent abductions and transfers abroad, member
states which have not yet done so should ratify the European Convention
on recognition and enforcement of decisions concerning custody of
children and on restoration of custody of children (1980) and adopt
legislation making it possible to implement it
*Text adopted by the Assembly on 5 February 1992 (23rd sitting).
