Council of Europe

2012 North-South Prize award ceremony, 21 May 2013 at the Senate Room of the Portuguese National Assembly, Lisbon
Monika Hauser and Asma Jahangir are the distinguished international personalities who were awarded with the North-South Prize this year. The Prize was handed over by the President of the Portuguese Republic, Anibal Cavaco Silva, at the official ceremony, that took place in Lisbon, on 21 May at 3:30 pm at the Senate Room of the Portuguese National Assembly, in the presence of the Deputy Secretay General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni.

© 2006-2013 Presidência da República Portuguesa
Speeches:
. Maria Assunção Esteves, President of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic - welcoming words
. Deborah Bergamini, Chair of the Executive Committee of the North South Centre
. João Mota Amaral, Head of the Portuguese Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
. Gabriela Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
. Dr Monika Hauser
. Asma Jahangir
. President of the Portuguese Republic

The Laureates of the 2012 North-South Prize of the Council of Europe:
For the North: Monika Hauser
She is a gynaecologist and the director of the women’s aid association medica mondiale. In 1992, in the middle of the Bosnian war, she opened a therapy centre in the city of Zenica for victims of rape and war trauma. Now more than 80 Bosnian women doctors, nurses, therapists, and other professionals work there. She also founded projects for victims of "sexualised violence" in Kosovo, Albania, and Afghanistan. The organisation medica mondiale has taken on the mission of combating sexualised wartime violence and other forms of gender-specific violence against women and girls on all levels. Medical, psychosocial, legal and economic assistance is provided for affected women. In addition, medica mondiale carries out public awareness and human rights work in its project countries, Germany and internationally in order to bring about societal and political changes in favour of women.
Hauser and her colleagues have helped over 70,000 traumatised women and girls in war and post-war crisis zones in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, DR Congo, Liberia and Afghanistan. Short CV and see also medica mondiale webpage
For the South: Asma Jahangir
Asma Jilani Jahangir is a leading Pakistani lawyer, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and human rights activist, who works both in Pakistan and internationally to prevent the persecution of religious minorities, women, and exploitation of children. She was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief from August 2004 to July 2010. Previously, she served as the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. She is also chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Asma Jahangir has spent her career defending the human and women rights, rights of religious minorities and children in Pakistan. She also was and remains a staunch critic of the Hudood Ordinance and blasphemy laws of Pakistan. Short CV
The Ceremony will take place on 21 May at the Portuguese Parliamentary Assembly.

4^th Training Course for Youth Leaders of the African Diaspora Living in Europe, 1 -8 July 2013, Hammamet, Tunisia
This course takes place in the framework of the 1st Mediterranean University on Youth and Global Citizenship. It is organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe in the framework of the Joint Management Agreement between the European Commission – EuropeAid Co-operation Office and the North-South Centre. The call  for participants is open. Please send your applications before 25^th of May.
. Call
. Application form

Call for the 44^th Study Session of the Institut International des Droits de l'Homme on Religions and International Human Rights Law, deadline until 31 May 2013 in Strasbourg
. See call

9^th Africa Europe Training Course for Youth Organisations in the framework of the 5^th African University on Youth and Development, 3-11 May in Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde
The 9^th Africa-Europe Training Course is one of the activities being held in the 5^th African University on Youth and Development, on 3-11 May in Mindelo, São Vicente in Cape Verde. It is organised by the North-South Centre in the framework of the Joint Management Agreement between the European Commission and the North-South Centre in co-operation with the European Youth Forum, the Pan-African Youth Union and the Network of International Youth Organisations in Africa.
. Presentation of the 5^th African University on Youth and Development
. Joint Programme
. Press Release (in Portuguese only)
. Practical information (in Portuguese only)
. Presentation of the 5^th African University on Youth and Development (in Portuguese)

Dialogue Café focused on "Empowering Women", 19 April Lisbon
The Dialogue Café Association, coordinated by Helena Barroco, Special Adviser to President Sampaio, organised today in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundatio a session focused on "Empowering Women" and will connect Dialogue Cafes from Ramallah and Paris. Dalia Sendra, Project manager of the Intercultural Dialogue and Euro-mediterranean cooperation programme of the North South centre will participate to this session.
. Dialogue Café

The North-South Centre celebrated its 20^th Anniversary in 2010 and a new statutory resolution has been adopted on 5 May 2011

  Useful documents
 

  North-South Centre Publications
 

One World, Our World - Up dated version 2012
On the occasion of its 20^th Anniversary, the North-South Centre launched a Historical Retrospective publication which looks back on the Centre’s work and helps us understand how it fits into the international and regional context in the last 20 years. It also highlights the pertinence of its actions, its groundbreaking nature and its flexibility as a channel for what have been, are and will always be its priorities. Happy reading!
. Publication - PDF

The Round Table - North South Centre 2010
On the occasion of its 20th Anniversary, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe asked the North-South Prize winners for a written reflection on the theme: “The 21st Century, a century of global interdependence and solidarity”. Following this initiative, a Round Table on the same theme took place on 18 May 2010, in Lisbon, with the participation of not only several North-South Prize laureates but also distinct personalities, including representatives of governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society, reflecting the “quadrilogue” nature of the functioning the North-South Centre.
This publication integrates the written contributions of former prize winners as well as the speeches of all the participants of the Round Table on “Global Interdependence and Solidarity in the 21st Century”. PDF

 Others publications
 

Focus

Conference / Debate with Monika Hauser and Asma Jahangir on the theme: "Women’s rights and freedom of religion: incompatible elements?" May 20 at 6 pm in Lisbon
In the context of the XVIII Ceremony of the North-South Prize
This debate which will count with the participation of both Laureates of the North-South Prize,will be moderated by Manuela Franco, Director of the Portuguese Diplomatic Institute and will be held in the auditorium of the new building of the Portuguese Parliamentary Assembly on May 20 at 6 pm. Ambassador Francisco Seixas da Costa, Executive Director of the North-South Centre will also intervene.
. More
. Concept Paper
. More (audio of the conference)

The Principality of Andorra accedes the North-South Centre
The Government of the Principality of Andorra decided during its Government Session of 20 March of 2013 to accede the North-South Centre.
Andorra is currently holding the Council of Europe Chairmanship, prioritising activities on youth, education for democratic citizenship and human rights, focusing in the CoE concept of living in harmony in sustainable democratic and culturally diverse societies.  One of the highlight has been the campaign Nurturing Human Rights launched to raise awareness on the Convention on Human Rights.
The partnership with the European Union for the Neighbourhood policy in the southern shores of the Mediterranean is another priority for Andorran Chairmanship.

Webpages

 Council of Europe News

PACE President at the European Parliament in Brussels
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon will meet in Brussels on 6 and 7 May, Miguel Martinez, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Elmar Brok, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs...
. More

Press freedom in the digital age: new threats, new challenges
“As growing portions of journalistic activity take place on the Internet, Europe has not become a safer place for those expressing critical opinions. Clearly, people reporting can reach out faster and to a broader audience than before. But old and new threats await them when they decide to do so: violence, intimidation, prosecution for lawful speech, judicial harassment and surveillance of those reporting continue unabated in the digital era, including in Europe”, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today.
. More
. Read the Comment
. Download the podcast here

"Education, Culture and Youth are part of the essence of the Council of Europe" - “Education, culture and youth correspond to the very essence of the Council’s role: democracy, rule of law and human rights are not established by decree”, highlighted Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, while addressing PACE on Monday. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra underlined the chairmanship’s main contributions to some of the strategic priorities identified by the Organisation: “living together in harmony in sustainable democratic and culturally diverse societies, focusing our activities on youth, education for democratic citizenship and human rights”. Saboya Sunyé provided as well an up-date on the developments on the agenda of the Committee of Ministers, focusing on the partnership with the European Union for the Neighbourhood policy in the southern shores of the Mediterranean. Moreover, in the framework of a brief overview of the Andorran initiatives during the semester, the Iberian politician emphasized the role of the campaign Nurturing Human Rights launched to raise awareness on the Convention on Human Rights.
. Speech
. Report by the Chair

 European Union

 Partners of the North-South Centre