The mission of the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance is to promote respect for the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance by building capacity at all levels and delivering legal and policy advice in line with European standards and best practice. It does this through continuous investment in research and expertise; by creating and developing partnerships and networks with national and international stakeholders; by developing impact-oriented practical tools, and by implementing country-specific programmes.
 

It has strong links with the Council of Europe intergovernmental Committee on Democracy and Governance (CDDG), which offers it ready access to high-level government officials with a reservoir of knowledge and expertise in governance reforms. Building on a unique set of European standards and the 12 principles, the centre has a repertoire of 24 capacity-building toolkits designed to reinforce Council of Europe standards and promote best European practice.

Some of the toolkits are likely to be of interest for NGOs, for example the toolkit on civil participation which was developed with input from the Council of Europe’s civil society sector. The centre organises country specific and ad hoc training and capacity building activities which are often open to (and benefit from) the participation of civil society. A specific e-tool on the 12 principles is freely available to all interested participants on the e-learning HELP platform.