Declaration approved by the IAEVG General Assembly at Warwick, England, 5th August, 1999.

In many countries you may find national requirements for training, further training and supervision of counsellors. Currently there are no relevant internationally recognised standards for guidance counsellors.

The Mission statement of IAEVG declares that IAEVG should "advocate that all citizens can receive educational and vocational counselling from a competent and recognised professional" and that IAEVG should therefore "recommend the essential training and other qualifications that all counsellors in educational and vocational guidance should have."

Also the IAEVG Ethical Standards call for special qualifications standards and declare as an ethical responsibility:

• that IAEVG members are aware of and inform administrators, legislators and others of the accepted qualifications and training expectations of competent practitioners of educational and vocational guidance and counselling services and
• that IAEVG members obtain the initial training and maintain a process of continuous learning in those areas of knowledge and skills required by the profession to be qualified and competent practitioner of educational and vocational guidance.
• Further, IAEVG members are responsible for monitoring and maintaining their professional competencies and obtain training on a periodic basis to ensure that they are able to provide competent services to cultural diverse clients and to effectively use new theories and intervention techniques, computer applications and assessment processes.

With reference to the demands of the Mission paper and the Ethical Standards, the Board of Directors submits to the General Assembly the proposal to establish a committee to draft such quality standards under consideration

• that the development of social and economic conditions and cultural values are heterogeneous in various countries and need different recognition and reflection
• that for different target groups and different guidance tasks different qualifications are necessary (teaching career education, individual counselling, counselling for students, minorities, multicultural groups, persons with disabilities and disadvantaged, older persons)
• that basic guidance counsellors qualification should connect career planning aspects with the aspects which occur in the labour market.
• that special tasks and functions need specialised training in areas as such: counselling techniques; career, educational and labour market information; assessment techniques to measure skills, abilities, aptitudes, interests, values, and personality; needs assessment techniques; computer and Internet systems of guidance; organising career development programmes; teaching job search techniques; establishing linkages with community-based organisations; and, public relations techniques to promote career development activities and services.
• that in many countries other specialists (psychologists, sociologists, social workers and others) work as counsellors and have to complete their qualification with the relevant competencies.

International standards are increasingly important as not only the transparency and opening of borders between countries more and more facilitate mobility of persons for education or employment but also on-line career counselling can be provided across national boundaries.

The General Assembly of IAEVG declares an urgent need for internationally recognised qualification standards, and therefore establishes a committee consisting of members from different regions in the world to elaborate a draft of such standards.

With setting up such Counsellor Qualifications Standards (CQS) IAEVG wants to ensure the quality of guidance and counselling delivery and further the process of professionalisation in different countries according to their level of the development of guidance.

The Board of Directors should nominate and call the members of the Counsellor Qualification Standards committee, receive their draft and monitor it, and submit the result to the next General Assembly.