The European centre for global interdependence and solidarity, more commonly known as the North-South Centre, was established in November 1989 as an "Enlarged Partial Agreement" so that other states, not members of the Council of Europe, can also join. There are currently 20 member states, four of which are not members of the Council of Europe.

Management of the North-South Centre is overseen by an Executive Committee that is composed of members representing each of the components of the "quadrilogue."

The "quadrilogue" is a concept coined to explain a partnership 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 build 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.

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is the decision-making body of the North-South Centre.

The different components of the quadrilogue are represented as follows:

  • A government representative for each member state of the North-South Centre
  • Four parliamentarians, two of which from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and two from the European Parliament
  • Four members representing local or regional authorities, two from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and two from the Committee of the Regions of the European Union
  • Four members representing organised civil society active in priority activity areas for the North-South Centre and ready to engage in concrete cooperation
  • A representative of the European Commission/Union
  • A representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe

The Executive Committee meets twice a year, in principle in Lisbon and in Strasbourg.

Composition of the Executive Committee

The Bureau of Executive Committee

To facilitate efficient management, the Executive Committee shall elect a Bureau from among its members, ensuring representation of each of the four components of the quadrilogue.

The Bureau monitors the preparation and execution of programmes and reports to the Executive Committee. It also prepares the meetings of the Executive Committee, with the assistance of the North-South Centre's secretariat.

The Bureau shall also carry out any other task entrusted to it by the Executive Committee.

The Bureau meets twice a year, in principle, in Lisbon and in Strasbourg.

Composition of the Bureau of the Executive Committee