The creation of the ICC Programme Advisory Group stems from an independent evaluation that was commissioned by the ICC Unit in 2022. The objective of the evaluation was to identify areas for enhancement and fine-tuning of the ICC programme.  The creation of an Advisory Group composed of programme’s beneficiaries was recommended to provide additional strategic guidance to the ICC Unit regarding the ICC programme implementation and functioning, including needs assessment, thematic priorities, reviews of tools and services, institutional communication and external representation of the ICC network.

According to its mandate, the Advisory Group will propose actions that are in line with the ICC programme’s principles and ICC members’ needs as well as contributing to the ultimate goal of progressing intercultural integration within ICC member cities worldwide. The evaluation the Intercultural Cities Programme underwent for the period from 2016 to mid-2022 and the relative management response and action plan will constitute a basis for the work of the Advisory Group.

The Advisory Group is composed of 7 members, appointed by the ICC Secretariat following an open call for applications. These are:

• Barry Cusack, Project Officer and Interculural Cities Coordinator, City of Bradford, UK
• Gemma Pinyol-Jiménez, Coordinator of the Spanish network of Intercultural Cities (RECI)
• Gregory Jaquet, Délégué aux étrangères et aux étrangers, chef du service de la cohésion multiculturelle, Canton de Neuchâtel, Switzerland
• Ingrid Hauge Rasmussen, Special adviser in diversity and inclusion, City of Stavanger, Norway
• Joanna Marcinkowska, Project manager/ expert, City of Reykjavik, Iceland
• Silvia Carballo Paz, Head of department of Gender Equality, Development Cooperation, Cultural Diversity and Human Rights, City of Donostia/San Sebastian, Spain
• Vesna Haracic, Manager, Community Health and Wellbeing, City of Salisbury, Australia

The Specific Objectives of the Advisory Group for its first mandate are the following:

1. Guide the strategic and operational framework of the ICC programme, and provide a shared (Council of Europe Secretariat – member cities) governance to it;
2. Assess needs with the view to prioritise services and tools to be offered to ICC members;
3. Ensure the communication around ICC programme, including its tools and services, is consistent, easy to access and clear, so to increase the programme’s visibility, uptake, and utility;
4. Identify areas on which additional capacity building is needed and - where appropriate – explore ways to secure additional funding to the programme;
5. Facilitate a more systematic follow-up with member cities to highlight progress in the implementation of intercultural strategies and promote positive changes influenced by the ICC programme;
6. Ensure member cities’ participation in institutional communication by drafting, agreeing and issuing communications on behalf of the ICC network and/or by addressing public events in the name of the network.

The Advisory Group will hold its first meeting on 4-5 July, at Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg.