At its 32nd meeting, the Executive Committee of the North South Centre elected its Chair, Vice-Chair and Bureau members for a new mandate of two years (2024-2026).

The Executive Committee members, by consensus, confirmed Malta as Chair of the Executive Committee for the next two years and the Kingdom of Morocco was confirmed as Vice-Chair. Greece, Portugal, and Spain were re-elected as Bureau members with Montenegro elected as a new member, and therefore the new composition of the Bureau consists of the following Member States: Greece, Malta, Montenegro, the Kingdom of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. In addition, the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the European Committee of the Regions, and the Conference of INGOs ensure the quadrilogue representation of the Bureau.

At the occasion of her visit in Lisbon, the Chairwoman of the Executive Committee and Permanent Representative of Malta to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, emphasised the importance of the North-South Centre in bringing together persons, including youth, from different cultural backgrounds, from the North and the South, around one table to discuss common concerns and challenges, particularly at a time where the relations between the two regions are experiencing rising tensions and division. In this context, the Chairwoman talked about the timeliness of the new North-South Dialogues as part of the medium-term strategy (2024-2027) of the North-South Centre.

She recalled that Malta has been actively involved in the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe since its establishment in November 1989, as it was one of its founding members. The country strongly shares the mission and vision of the North-South Centre: being an island country with a geographical location in the middle of the Mediterranean, between the North and the South, Malta has always understood and recognised the interdependence that exists between these regions, as well as the importance of cooperation, mutual understanding and solidarity. 

Recently, Malta participated in a series of events organised by the North-South Centre including the University on Youth and Development and the Regional Simulation "Towards a victim-centered approach in criminal proceedings" in 2023. This year, Malta also hosted the Global Education Network Annual Meeting and its adjacent Global Education Thematic Seminar on Sustainable Development, on 18 and 19 April in its capital city, Valletta.

Over the years, Malta has continued to increase its active participation as a Bureau member of the North-South Centre. Its election and recent re-election as Chair of the Executive Committee and its regular voluntary financial contributions, are all clear signs of the country’s commitment and continuous firm support to the North-South Centre’s work.

Malta’s new mandate will coincide with its Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe next year, from May to November 2025. 

More information about the statutory bodies of the North-South Centre.