The Eighth Congress of the Socialist International in Amsterdam was attended by 147 delegates and guests from 45 countries.
The main debates were on the following themes: The International Situation and the Struggle for Peace and Disarmament; Socialists and the Challenge of the Sixties; The Equitable Use of World Resources; European Economic Cooperation; and Socialism’s Tasks in Asia. The Congress met in private to discuss “The state of the Socialist Movement; Tasks of the Socialist International and its member parties”, introduced by Bruno Pittermann, Vice-Chancellor of Austria; “Tasks in Africa”, introduced by Guenther Markscheffel, a member of the Socialist International mission to Africa in 1962; and “Tasks in Latin America”, introduced by Max Diamant, a member of the Socialist International mission to Latin America in 1963. Representatives from these two continents, attending as observers, took part in the discussion that followed.
The Congress adopted a number of amendments to the Statute of the Socialist International. One of these laid down that the Congress would met every three years, and not every two years as hitherto. A whole group of amendments took account of the development of parties which are Socialist in inspiration but not necessarily Socialist in name. Membership now includes a category for parties with observer status, with the right to speak at assemblies of the Socialist International but not to vote.
The Congress admitted to membership of the Socialist International, the People’s Socialist Party of Aden and the United Socialist Party of Korea, both with observer status.