About the North-South Centre
The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South Centre - NSC) is an important instrument to accompany the external dimension of the Council of Europe and support the achievement of its strategic priorities beyond the European continent. Created in 1989 as an Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) of the Council of Europe, it consists also of non-members of the Council of Europe, from Africa and the Middle East, bringing the Middle East and Africa perspective to the debates of the Council of Europe while facilitating a political dialogue with regions outside of Europe. Since its creation, the North-South Centre has offered a pioneering framework for North-South cooperation to raise public awareness of issues of global concern and strengthen commitment - beyond Europe - to universal principles and values in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The work of the North South Centre contributes to the following objectives:
To provide a platform for dialogue between Europe and other regions, promoting deeper engagement across diverse contexts on shared concerns related to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
To act as a conduit for the universal values and standards of the Council of Europe beyond the European continent, thereby enhancing its external dimension and contributing to the international order, global governance, and the achievement of sustainable development goals.
To raise awareness among young people of the Council of Europe’s universal values and standards, fostering lasting progress in human rights, democracy, and the rule of law through education and engagement with future generations.
The North-South Centre contributes to the Council of Europe's neighbourhood policy building on the Reykjavik declaration. While this includes a close work with the Rabat and Tunis offices, the cooperation extends to all Council of Europe’s entities. In the Southern Mediterranean, it is namely structured within the framework of the South Programme V, "Protecting Human Rights, the Rule of Law, and Democracy through Shared Standards in the Southern Mediterranean."
The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe is part of the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination which manages Council of Europe cooperation activities in member states and non-member states in its neighbourhood.
- The institutionalised “quadrilogue” engages high-level representatives from governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities, as well as civil society from different regions of the world to work together on issues of common interest.
- The forefront role played by civil society, thanks to a robust network of youth organisations, ensures a structured, inclusive and sustainable participation with a multiplier effect.
- A solid 35-year experience in the fields of global education, intercultural dialogue, and youth sector cooperation in Europe and beyond.
- A broad geographical mandate with a focus on Africa and the Middle East
The quadrilogue is a concept coined to explain a participatory approach which brings together representatives of governments, national parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society to ensure good governance of the North-South Centre, representative of all the relevant stakeholders. This system helps building bridges between political actors with different approaches, viewpoints and priorities, generating constructive synergies and offering a platform for structured dialogue and exchange of experience and good practice.
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.
1988 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).
