Social security cooperation in West- ern Europe was significantly advanced at Paris on November 7, 1949, when multilateral conventions on social se- curity and social assistance were signed by the foreign ministers of the five countries that are parties to the treaty at Brussels on economic, social, and cultural collaboration and collec- tive self-defense. The countries- Belgium, France, Great Britain, Lux- embourg, and the Netherlands-thus approved the work of the Social Com- mittees of the Brussels Treaty Perma- nent Commission in these fields.
The multilateral convention on so-
cial security is supplementary to a
series of bilateral social security agree-
ments among these Nations. Some
of the bilateral agreements had been
signed before the conclusion of the
multilateral treaty, others have been
concluded since, and others are still
being negotiated. The general aim
of each agreement is to treat the citi- sion, CommuniquB, “Social Security in ing bilateral agreements has been zens of both contracting countries Western Union,” Annex I, November 4, France, which concluded agreements equally with respect to the social se- 1949.