Speaking Points for Gianluca Esposito
President of the CEB Award Jury and COE Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law
CEB Award Ceremony
Budva, Montenegro, 3 April 2025
Esteemed guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to stand before you today as the President of the Jury for the CEB Award Social Cohesion 2025.
Now in its fifth edition, this Award is more than a recognition – it is a tribute to those who dedicate themselves to strengthening the fabric of Europe, making sure that no one is left behind.
Like in past years, we celebrate three exceptional projects this evening, which, through innovation and an unwavering commitment to social cohesion, are making a durable impact in communities.
These projects address some of the most pressing challenges that Europe faces today:
- Dignified end-of-life care
- Support for children with developmental challenges
- Disaster resilience
- Gender-based violence
- Links between climate change and vulnerability
These initiatives, spanning such a wide range of needs, remind us that social cohesion is a result of a collective endeavor. It is about meeting people where they are, understanding their struggles, and working together to build solutions that uplift entire communities.
Let me give you some figures first:
The 2025 edition of the CEB Award for Social Cohesion received 95 eligible nominations from 26 CEB member countries. The highest number of nominated projects came from… Germany, followed by Spain, Portugal, Albania and Ukraine.
Each nomination was meticulously reviewed by a dedicated selection panel of four CEB staff and scored on the criteria of innovation, social impact, replicability and sustainability. Their thoughtful evaluation helped us to shortlist eight outstanding projects that embody the essence of social cohesion. I would like to thank CEB staff for their work.
At the same time, I would also like to express heartfelt thanks to my esteemed fellow Jury members, whose expertise, insights and passionate commitment have been instrumental in identifying projects that best embody the spirit of the CEB Award for Social Cohesion. Special thanks to Guillaume Capelle, Thomas Marois, and Ornella d’Amico, whose mandate on the Jury ends with this Award edition.
Together we have sought to highlight initiatives that are not only transformative today but will continue to inspire lasting change across Europe.
With this introduction, I’d like to move to this evening’s much-awaited announcements, starting with the runners up projects. The first runner-up of the CEB Award for Social Cohesion 2025 is…
Capacity, a project by Fondazione MeSSInA, which tackles extreme socio-economic exclusion in the shanty towns of Messina, a legacy of the 1908 devastating earthquake that struck Southern Italy. By providing marginalised individuals with housing, employment and education opportunities, the project has already changed lives of more than 200 families. It did so by redeveloping land into suitable housing, with a park, a library and a nursery. The Jury was particularly impressed by its innovative approach to affordable housing, a critical challenge across Europe, and its climate-resilience initiatives, including a solidarity-based renewable energy community and a digital platform for resource sharing.
Our second runner up is…
Charitable Foundation Sylni (Strong) from Ukraine, which responds to the alarming rise in gender-based and sexual violence, worsened by the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war by the Russian forces has been well documented, further compounding an already serious gender-based violence crisis. The survivors—in particular women, refugees, internally displaced persons, and LGBTQ individuals—face stigma, victim-blaming and fear of judgment, preventing them from reporting crimes and seeking help. “Sylni” works to break the silence, reduce stigma and ensure the survivors receive medical and psychological support they need.
Given the Council of Europe’s commitment to eliminating gender-based violence, as enshrined in the Istanbul Convention, and the strategic importance of Ukraine for both the Council of Europe and the CEB, the Jury found this project both urgent and essential.
The two runners up, Capacity and Sylni, will be rewarded with a €5,000 prize. Let’s give them a round of applause.
And now for the big reveal.
The winner of the CEB Award Social Cohesion 2025 is…
Disaster-focused Digital Twin from Istanbul, Türkiye!
In a region highly vulnerable to earthquakes and floods, this groundbreaking project enhances disaster resilience by creating a virtual replica of Istanbul, powered by real-time data, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things sensors. This technology allows the authorities to predict risks, optimise emergency responses and protect vulnerable populations.
Allow me to mention here that the Council of Europe has adopted the first-ever international legally binding treaty in the use of AI systems ensuring the respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. So this project is particularly important to me as Director General of the CoE.
But that’s not all: The Jury was particularly struck by the project’s life-saving potential, cutting-edge use of the AI for social good and scalability.
Disaster-focused Digital Twin offers a model that could be replicated in disaster-prone areas across Europe and beyond.
With the ability to impact 16 million people directly, this project embodies the spirit of innovation and high social impact that the CEB Award seeks to celebrate. The €45,000 prize that comes with the title of the CEB Award 2025 winner is very well-deserved.
I am delighted to invite Ms. Elif Gökçe KIYAK, industrial engineer at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and representative of the winning project, to joint me on stage to accept the Award trophy and address the audience.
Let’s welcome her with a big round of applause.
