North-South Centre - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The North–South Centre, officially named the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, is an autonomous agency — called a Partial Agreement

Partial agreement

Partial agreement is a term used within the Council of Europe to refer to a major activity of European cooperation that is organised by the Council of Europe but does not include all of its member states. This form of activity dates from a resolution adopted by the Council of Europe's Committee of...

— of the Council of Europe

Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...

, the oldest political organisation of European states.

History

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 organisations (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.

Mandate

The North–South Centre has a twofold task: to provide a framework for European co-operation designed to heighten public awareness of global interdependence issues, and to promote policies of solidarity complying with the Council of Europe’s aims and principles—respect for human rights, democracy and social cohesion.

Management system: a four-way partnership

The North–South Centre’s status in the Council of Europe, an intergovernmental organisation, is unique: it is run on the basis of a quadrilogue, a term coined to mean the combination of four partners from political institutions and civil society—governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and NGOs. This system helps build bridges between players with different approaches, viewpoints and priorities, generating constructive synergies.

All the partners in this four-way process take part in running the North–South Centre as members of its decision-making bodies. The Executive Council, which meets twice a year in spring and autumn, is made up of eight representatives of the member states, six NGO representatives, four local and regional authority representatives from the Congress of the Council of Europe, four parliamentarians, three leading personalities from the South, the representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the European Commission representative.
The current President of the Executive Council is Mrs Deborah Bergamini

Deborah Bergamini

Deborah Bergamini is an Italian politician and journalist, currently personal assistant of Silvio Berlusconi. She entered the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 2008 as a member of The People of Freedom political movement....

The Executive Council

The Executive Council adopts the North–South Centre’s budget and assesses the conduct of its activities. It also looks at applications from non-European countries wishing to join the centre, which they can then do with the agreement of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Every two years the Executive Council elects the Bureau, which is made up of the Chair and six members.

The Bureau

The Bureau supervises the preparation and implementation of the North–South Centre’s programmes. It also prepares the meetings of the Executive Council in close liaison with the Centre’s secretariat, headed by the Executive Director Denis Huber.

Member states

Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

: November 16, 1989 Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

: July 1, 1990 Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

: October 1, 2001 Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

: July 4, 1995 Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

: January 1, 2000 Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

: June 4, 1998 Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

: January 1, 2000 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...

: January 1, 1991 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

: November 16, 1989 Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

: November 16, 1989 Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...

: March 3, 2008 Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

: November 16, 1989 Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

: November 16, 1989 Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

: November 16, 1989 San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...

: November 16, 1989 Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

: January 1, 1997 Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

: November 16, 1989 Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

: September 1, 1990 Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

: March 22, 1991 Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

: July 1, 2009

Global Education & Youth

Raising European public awareness of issues of global interdependence and solidarity through education and young people

Programme 1: Strategies and capacity building for global education
Programme 2: Training and capacity building of young people and youth organisations

Intercultural dialogue

Promoting North-South solidarity policies in conformity with the goals and principles of the Council of Europe through dialogue between Europe, the southern Mediterranean countries and Africa

Programme 3: Intercultural dialogue
Programme 4: Dialogue on human rights,democratic governance and development
Programme 5: Migration and co-development

The five programmes reflect a coherent and integrated approach to the concept of global interdependence, recognising inter-relations between the issues and reaching beyond single approaches. The two lines of action and programmes are supported by the Programming and Communication sector as well as by the Management.

Working methods

As a partial agreement of the Council of Europe, the Centre shares the advantages of being institutionally an integral part of Europe’s oldest political organisations of States. The Council of Europe is often defined as the “custodian” of Europe’s political culture of pluralism, democracy and respect of human rights. The Centre is under the administrative responsibility of the Directorate General for Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport. This tutelage reinforces the “intercultural dialogue”, “education” and “youth” dimensions in the Centre’s activities.

The Centre is a unique “confidence-building” instrument that enables its partners to analyse, discuss and compare their policies and experiences so that they can share best practices, reach consensuses and influence political debate.

The North-South Centre’s work is based on three principles: dialogue, partnership and solidarity. Governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society organisations constitute the partners in the “quadrilogue” and are involved in the Centre’s activities. They are also represented in the Centre’s statutory bodies. This approach helps to bring the different players in North-South cooperation closer, thereby creating constructive synergies.

The Centre carries out studies and organises debates, workshops and training courses. It acts as a catalyst by facilitating meetings between players from different horizons and countries, working on issues of common interest and encouraging the formation of networks. Its expertise is used and recognised by its partners.

North–South Prize

The North–South Prize

North-South Prize

The North–South Prize is awarded annually by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe to two public figures who are recognised for their deep commitment, outstanding achievements and hope they have generated in the field of protection of human rights, the defence of pluralist democracy and...

has been awarded every year since 1995 to two candidates who have stood out for their exceptional commitment to the protection of human rights, and the defence of pluralistic democracy and North–South partnership and solidarity.

1995: Vera Duarte
Vera Duarte
Vera Duarte is a Cape Verdean human rights activist, government minister and politician. Duarte was the recipient of the inaugural North–South Prize in 1995, along with musician, Peter Gabriel. The North–South Prize is awarded annually to recipients in the field of human rights by the North–South...
1996: Danielle Mitterrand
Danielle Mitterrand
Danielle Mitterrand was the wife of French President François Mitterrand, and president of the foundation France Libertés Fondation Danielle Mitterrand.-Biography:...
1997: Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
1998: Graça Machel
Graça Machel
Graça Machel, DBE is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the third wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela and the widow of Mozambican president Samora Machel...
1999: Emma Bonino
Emma Bonino
Emma Bonino is an Italian politician, former Member of the European Parliament and current Member of the Italian Senate. She is a leading member of the Italian Radicals, a political party that supports economic and social libertarianism, and human rights...
2000: Marguerite Barankitse
Marguerite Barankitse
-Humanitarian work:Barankitse began providing food and shelter to 25 children on October 25, 1993, one of the worst days of the Burundi Civil War. She saw many people brutally killed before her very own eyes and gathered 25 children who were there as well so she could help them...
2001: Maria de Nazaré Gadelha Ferreira Fernandes
2002: Albina du Boisrouvray
Albina du Boisrouvray
Albina du Boisrouvray is a former journalist and film producer who has become a global philanthropist and social entrepreneur working with AIDS orphans and vulnerable children around the world. She is a grandchild of the Bolivian King of Tin, Simón Patiño, who was one of the wealthiest men in the...
2003: Frene Ginwala
Frene Ginwala
Frene Noshir Ginwala is a South African journalist and politician who was the Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 1994 to 2004.Frene Ginwala is an Indian South African from the Parsi-Indian community of western India...
2004: Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi , born October 27, 1931, is an Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician and psychiatrist. She has written many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of female genital mutilation in her society....
2005: Bogaletch Gebre
Bogaletch Gebre
Bogaletch Gebre is an Ethiopian women's-rights activist. She is the co-founder of KMG Ethiopia .- Awards :* The 2005 North-South Prize...
2006: Mukhtaran Bibi
Mukhtaran Bibi
Mukhtaran Bibi is a Pakistani woman from the village of Meerwala, in the rural tehsil of Jatoi of the Muzaffargarh District of Pakistan...
2007: Simone Veil
Simone Veil
Simone Veil, DBE is a French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of the European Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France....
2008: Rania of Jordan
2009: Rola Dashti
Rola Dashti
Rola Dashti is a Kuwaiti activist advocating democratic reform, gender equality and increased roles for women in public life. Dashti lobbied for the May 2005 decree permitting Kuwaiti women to vote and run for parliamentary elections for the first time...
2010: Louise Arbour
Louise Arbour
Louise Arbour, is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda...

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

Women of Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

(symbolic)

Patricio Aylwin

Patricio Aylwin Azócar was the first president of Chile after its return to democratic rule in 1990, following the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.- Early life :...

Lloyd Axworthy

Lloyd Norman Axworthy, PC, OC, OM is a prominent Canadian politician, statesman and University President from Manitoba. He is best known for having served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien...

Abderrahmane Youssoufi

Abderrahmane Youssoufi is a Moroccan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Morocco from 1998 to 2002.-Early life:...

Mário Soares

Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...

Cornelio Sommaruga

Cornelio Sommaruga is a prominent Swiss humanitarian, lawyer and diplomat who is best known for being President of the International Committee of the Red Cross from 1987 to 1999. Today, he chairs the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining in Geneva...

Xanana Gusmão

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL is a former militant who was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007...

António de Almeida Santos

António de Almeida Santos, GCL , is a Portuguese lawyer, politician, parliamentary and minister in several occasions.-Career:...

Stéphane Hessel

Stéphane Frédéric Hessel is a diplomat, ambassador, writer, concentration camp survivor, former French Resistance fighter and BCRA agent. Born German, he became a naturalised French citizen in 1939...

Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...

Frans van der Hoff

Frans van der Hoff , or Francisco VanderHoff Boersma as he is called in Latin America, is a Dutch missionary who, in collaboration with Nico Roozen and ecumenical development agency Solidaridad, launched Max Havelaar, the first Fairtrade label in 1988...

Kofi Annan

Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...

Jorge Sampaio

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...

Lula da Silva