North–South Centre
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| North-South Centre of the Council of Europe | |
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| Alternative names | European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity |
| General information | |
| Location | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Address | Rua de São Caetano, 32 |
| Construction started | 1989 |
| Completed | 1990 |
| Inaugurated | 16 November |
| Website | |
| Official Site | |
The North–South Centre, officially the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, is a Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, the oldest political organisation of European states.
History
[edit]It was the outcome of a process started in 1984, when the Portuguese Parliament hosted a conference held by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly on "North–South: Europe's role." The Lisbon Declaration, adopted at the end of the conference, broached the idea of a European public campaign on North–South interdependence and solidarity. The campaign was launched in 1988 with the support of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. It ended with a European conference of parliamentarians and non-governmental organizations (Madrid, 1–3 June 1988), which launched the Madrid Appeal. The Madrid Appeal laid the foundations for a dynamic dialogue between North and South in a spirit of respect for democracy, and human dignity in order to allow all the world's inhabitants to enjoy fair, balanced and sustainable development. The Portuguese government then proposed setting up a European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, a proposal supported by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in a recommendation adopted in January 1989. The North–South Centre, was established in Lisbon in May 1990 with the purpose of promoting dialogue between North and South, fostering solidarity and raising awareness of global interdependence. The Centre fulfils a dual political role of representing "the voice of the South" within the Council of Europe and of promoting and transmitting the values of democracy and human rights that are central to the Council of Europe's mission in neighboring regions. The Centre strives to promote gender empowerment, youth participation and democratic consolidation through intercultural dialogue in cooperation with civil society, local authorities, governments and parliaments.[1]
MILESTONES :
[edit]2024 : Lebanon joins the North-South Centre as first associate member.
Adoption of a strategic document on the North-South Centre's cooperation with African countries.
2023 : Adoption of the mid-term strategy 2024-2027 by the Executive Committee.
2019 : A vision paper for the North-South Centre is published on the occation of its 30th anniversary.
2013 : Adoption of the Report on the new Mission of the North-South Centre in the framework of the Council of Europe neighbourhood policy.
2011 : Adoption of a new Statutory Resolution for the North-South Centre which entered into force on 1 June 2011.
2009 : Accession of Morocco and Cape Verde, the first non-European countries to become members of the North-South Centre and 1st African University on Youth and Development (Praia).
First Joint Management Agreement between the European Union and the Council of Europe for the development of Global Education
2007 : 1st Africa-Europe Youth Summit.
2000 : Launching of the University on Youth and Development (Mollina)
1995 : Launching of the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe (Lisbon)
1994 : 1st meeting of the Lisbon Forum “Human Rights in North-South dialogue” Launching of the “Transmed Programme” (Rome).
1993 : Existence of the North-South Centre confirmed by Resolution (93)51 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (21 October).
1990 : Set up of the North-South Centre in Lisbon.
1989 : Adoption on 16 November of the Resolution (89)14 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe endorsing the creation of the North-South Centre following a proposition by the government of Portugal, with 10 founding countries.
1998 : European public campaign on North-South interdependence and solidarity organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the European Community. It ended with a European conference of parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations (Madrid, 1-3 June 1988), which issued the Madrid Appeal.
1984 : The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe holds a conference, in Lisbon, on the theme: “North-South : Europe’s role” and the “Lisbon Declaration” is adopted (9-11 April).
Mission
[edit]Building on the experience, knowledge and network of contacts established over the years, the Centre is an important asset of the Council of Europe and its role has been refocused to contribute to implementation of the Council of Europe's neighbourhood policy. The Centre's multilateral activities contribute to processes of democratic consolidation in member states and in neighboring regions, mainly through education to democratic citizenship and intercultural dialogue. The focus of many of these activities is on strengthening civil society, in particular with regard to youth and women.
The Centre works in close cooperation with the European Union in the framework of a Joint Management Agreement concluded between the NSC and the European Commission to raise awareness of global interdependence and solidarity through global/development education and youth cooperation in Europe and beyond. A key objective of the activities carried out under this agreement is to strengthen the role of youth and facilitate the development of policies and structures for youth participation, particularly in Europe and Africa.
Structure
[edit]As an enlarged partial agreement of the Council of Europe, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe brings together countries from Europe, the Middle East and Africa to exchange ideas and take action on shared issues. The North-South Centre counts currently on twenty members states and two associate members.
MEMBER STATES The list below mentions the member states of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and their date of accession.
| Member States | Date of accession |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 22/06/2017 |
| Andorra | 15/04/2013 |
| Azerbaidjan | 01/08/2010 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12/01/2017 |
| Bulgaria | 01/01/2017 |
| Cabo Verde | 01/03/2010 |
| Croatia | 18/02/2015 |
| Cyprus | 16/11/1989 |
| Greece | 04/07/1995 |
| Holy See | 04/06/1998 |
| Liechtenstein | 01/01/1991 |
| Luxembourg | 16/11/1989 |
| Malta | 16/11/1989 |
| Montenegro | 01/03/2008 |
| Morocco | 01/07/2009 |
| Portugal | 16/11/1989 |
| Romania | 07/09/2016 |
| Serbia | 01/03/2009 |
| Spain | 16/11/1989 |
| Tunisia | 16/12/2016 |
In addition to the status of member state, the NSC offers interested countries the opportunity to participate in its work as associate member for two-year period, with the opportunity to transition to full membership thereafter.
| Asssociate Member States | Date |
|---|---|
| Lebanon | 01/04/2024 |
| Liberia | 01/03/2025 |
The Executive Committee
[edit]An Executive Committee is responsible for all the decisions regarding the priorities and direction of the North-South Centre. It is composed of representatives of all NSC member states and other organisations and institutions corresponding to the four dimensions of the quadrilogue: governments, parliaments, local and reginal authorities and civil society organisations.
The Executive Committee meets twice a year, in principle, in Lisbon (Spring, back to back to the Award Ceremony of the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe) and in Strasbourg (Autumn).
*he current president of the Executive Council is Ms Francesca CAMILLERI VETTIGER, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe.
The Bureau
[edit]To facilitate efficient management, the Executive Committee shall elect a Bureau from among its members, ensuring representation of each of the 4 components of the quadrilogue.
The Bureau monitors the preparation and execution of programs and report to the Executive Committee. It also prepares the meetings of the Executive Committee, with the assistance of the Centre's Secretariat.
Once a year, it also performs as the Jury of the North-south Prize of the Council of Europe
CORE INITIATIVES
[edit]Human Rights Education for Youth (HEY)
[edit]HEY (Human Rights Education for Youth) is a new programme by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe. Its goal is to strengthen young people’s capacities to act for human rights, by raising their knowledge and understanding of European standards and other international legal frameworks for human rights protection (such as specific United Nations, League of Arab States and African Union treaties, conventions, protocols and charters)
HEY is a series of online tutored courses, building on the HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) programme, which has been successfully training legal professionals on topics related to human rights and Rule of Law for over 20 years in Europe and beyond. Selected HELP courses are adapted to a young audience, with new approaches and interactive pedagogy, based on the NSC expertise on global education and experience in youth cooperation. The programme includes a dedicated training process for tutors, ensuring a cascading of national courses, translated, and adapted to regional and national realities.
HEY aims to achieve the following objectives:
- To empower young people with knowledge and skills to promote human rights and rule of law: accessible, youth-oriented online courses, in line with European and other international legal standards and frameworks for human rights
- To strengthen youth civil society: to promote youth leadership and develop young people’s ability to actively contribute to their communities and support others
- To increase collaboration: between young people within and across regions, and between youth and legal practitioners, promoting exchanges in issues related to human rights and rule of law.
Lisbon Forum
[edit]The Lisbon Forum is a distinctive platform for dialogue for policy makers and activists on issues related to global interdependence and solidarity. It allows networking, sharing of knowledge and mainstreaming of good practices among actors from different fields and expertise to jointly tackle the global challenges.
Themes of the Forum have been closely related to the core mission of the Council of Europe: to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Following developments in the region and a refocusing of the Centre’s mission to contribute to the Council of Europe’s policy towards its neighbouring regions, recent editions of the Forum have sought to address key challenges faced by countries of the Southern Mediterranean and explore possibilities for renewed cooperation with Europe.
Lisbon Forum : Previous edition
North–South Dialogue :
[edit]This initiative brings together countries from across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and beyond to engage in constructive conversations about shared challenges and opportunities. By identifying points of contention and fostering solutions, the dialogues aim to build trust, and strengthen partnerships in line with the values and standards of the Council of Europe.
Previous edition :
2023, Prospects and interregional cooperation for the abolition of death penalty
Youth Summer Universities :
The Summer Universities are international hubs that gathers hundreds of young people, youth workers, experts from the field and decision makers for a week. Plenary moments and side meetings encourage dialogue between all the stakeholders of the event and increase confidence between decision makers and young people.
The activities taking place within the Universities allow for the sharing of knowledge and good practices, the planning of future actions to empower young people and the designing of common messages advocating for youth participation.
At the Universities it is possible to experience first-hand intercultural dialogue and explore all dimensions of global citizenship through various approaches based on the non-formal education methodology. The Summer Universities are promoted by the Network on Youth and Global Citizenship
The Network :
The Network on Youth and Global Citizenship is a partnership facilitated by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe that gathers youth-led organisations, international youth platforms and governmental institutions from Europe, the Southern Mediterranean and beyond.
The exchanges of information, opportunities and good practices among members allow to explore policy mechanisms and discover new tools for youth development in order to increase the recognition of youth as agents for positive change.
The principles and standards of the Council of Europe and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development are the at the centre of the network’s work.
So far, it has been organised...
23 editions of the University on Youth and Development – since 2000;
7 editions of the Mediterranean University on Youth and Global Citizenship – since 2013
9 editions of the African University on Youth and Development – from 2009-2024
2 editions of the Meta-university (online) – 2020 and 2021
North–South Prize
[edit]The North-South Prize has been awarded every year since 1995 to two candidates who have stood out for their exceptional commitment to promoting North-South solidarity.
The candidates, preferably a man and a woman, must have distinguished themselves in the following areas: protection of human rights, defense of pluralist democracy, public awareness raising on issues of global interdependence and solidarity, and strengthening the North-South partnership.2024 laureates :
- H.E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos
[edit]H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General holding the post of High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), is recognized for his distinguished career in diplomacy and international relations, dedicated to advancing peace and intercultural dialogue.
- The initiative enabling refugees to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games
[edit]The initiative supporting refugee participation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games (led by the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Refuge Foundation, and the International Paralympic Committee), challenges stereotypes about refugees and people with disabilities in sports. By competing globally, refugee athletes exemplify resilience and raise awareness about the need for greater inclusion, equal rights, and the unifying power of sport rooted in fair play and tolerance.[2]
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North-South Intercultural Conference
[edit]The North-South Intercultural Conference is an initiative of the medium-term strategy of the North South Centre (NSC), launched in alignment with the Reykjavik Declaration. The initiative is designed to bridge the growing divide between the North and the South and serve as a platform for discussion on the state of North-South relations and opportunities for mutual development, around key Council of Europe standards. By fostering dialogue, the Intercultural Conference seeks to engage the widest possible number of countries from the South and the North to identify points of contention and build bridges around standards such as in the field of cybercrime.
The North-South Intercultural Conference is held every second year, alternating with the Lisbon Forum. The event takes place in a NSC member state, addressing topical intercultural issues, including interreligious/interfaith dialogue, which is also addressed through other initiatives such as the Tutored Online Training Course on Global Education and Intercultural/Interfaith Dialogue.
The first edition took place in Kotor, Montenegro, on 24-25 October 2024.
Rule of Law Youth Network :
The Rule of Law Youth Network (RoLYN) emerged as a significant outcome of the 29th edition of the Lisbon Forum, themed "Human Rights, Environment, and Economic Crimes: Youth at the forefront".
RoLYN aims to equip youth organisations with tools to delve deeper into Rule of Law issues, enabling them to actively participate in civic life, foster a culture of accountability and responsibility, and cultivate opportunities for socio-economic progress. By instilling a sense of ownership and responsibility among youth, RoLYN seeks to establish a network of well-informed and engaged young representatives who, through their respective organisations, will continue advocating for the Rule of Law within their communities.
3 dimensions :
- Increase participants’ awareness and build their capacities to act as agent of changes, based on Council of Europe standards and tools
- Support the development of initiatives of the network to act as multipliers in the dissemination of acquired capacities and skills in their communities
- Provide a space for experience sharing and networking, creating a platform where participants can exchange insights, knowledge, and ideas.
Activities :
· Launch conference, 4 March 2024, Gammarth, Tunisia
· First training, 4-7 March 2024, Gammarth, Tunisia
· Training part of the African University on Youth and Development, June 2024, Cabo Verde
· Training part of the University on Youth and Development, 16-22 September 2024, Mollina, Spain
Context and fundings :
The RoLYN builds on the South Programme V priorities and exemplifies the new strategy of the North-South Centre for 2024-2027, which aims to foster stronger synergies with the Council of Europe's Neighbourhood Policy in the Southern Mediterranean that continues to advance the creation of a common legal space between Europe and the Southern Mediterranean. The North-South Centre adds value by raising awareness among civil society, notably young people, of the CoE's values and standards, as a means to ensure the sustainability of democratic reforms. The event is organised in the framework of project PEACE YP: Promoting Euro-Africa Cooperation to Enhance Youth Participation for Peace, financed by the governments of Malta, Portugal, and Spain, with the support of the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Protecting human rights, the rule of law and democracy through shared standards in the Southern Mediterranean” (South Programme V), co-financed by both organisations and implemented by the Council of Europe.
Global Education
Global education is a pedagogical approach that fosters multiple perspectives and the deconstruction of stereotypes and builds on a learner centred approach to foster critical awareness of global challenges and engagement for sustainable lifestyles.
Global Education competences build on development education, human rights education, education for sustainability, education for peace and conflict prevention and intercultural education, all being the global dimension of education for citizenship.
The North-South Centre’s work for the development of global education started in 1991 with pioneer regional multistakeholder seminars on the issue. They led to the drafting of the Global Education Charter in 1997, which became its reference background document, later consolidated by the recommendations from European global education multistakeholder congresses and regional seminars, as well as a capacity building scheme for formal and non-formal educators.
Ever since, the North-South Centre has been contributing to global education advocacy and pedagogical support through a number of initiatives, at institutional and education levels.
Ilegend :
The activities of the Global Education Programme are co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe under the iLegend III "Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue" Joint Programme.
Visit the Ilegend page
Activities
- European Congress on Global Education :
The last Global Education Congress, took place on 31 May and 1 June 2022 in Strasbourg. Through a collaborative approach, the Congress has facilitated a learning process leading towards development of a commitment to global education and a set of strategic recommendations that promote coordination of global education at local and national levels and within the European and international institutions for the next four years.
- Global Education Week
The Global Education Week is part of iLEGEND III: Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue, Joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe: co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe. The campaign is implemented in participating countries by the Global Education Network. It is a call to rethink our world together, using Global Education as a tool for solidarity and change and contribute to a more and sustainable and equitable world.
· North-South Centre Global Education Network :
The North-South Centre's Global Education Network supports the implementation of the Global Education activities. The network encompasses key national level stakeholders, who want to share Global Education strategies and practices.
The network builds its force on its diversity, enabling peer and intercultural learning between formal and non-formal educators, policy makers and Civil Society Organisations.
Held in the first semester of the year, the Global Education Network (GEN) Annual Meeting acts as a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic planning among national coordinators of the Global Education Network, gathering representatives of Civil Society Organisations and public authorities from over 35 countries.
This event is organised in the framework of iLEGEND III: Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue (2022-2026), a joint programme co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the latter.
See also.
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ North-South Centre official website
- ^ "The North South Prize of the Council of Europe, List of the previous Laureates since 1995". Retrieved 3 March 2015.
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