Council of Europe

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3rd Session of the Landscape Award (2012-2013) of the Council of Europe

For the 3rd session of the Landscape Award (2012-2013), the Secretary General of the Council of Europe received 18 applications. An international jury will meet in May 2013 in order to examine the applications and propose the award and possible special mentions. At its 2nd Meeting (Strasbourg, 27-29 May 2013) the CDCPP will examine the proposals of the jury and forward its proposals concerning the award winner to the Committee of Ministers who shall grant the award and any special mentions. (more...) [03/04/2013]

Cultural Resources for Roma inclusion: 1st meeting of coordinators in Kamenci (Slovenia), 25-26 April 2013

Kick-off meeting for the preparatory phase of a new project on "Cultural Resources for Roma inclusion". The project aims at replicating in 5 Roma settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Hungary and Slovenia the model successfully implemented in Kamenci (Slovenia). The Roma inhabitants have been supported in organising and setting up a multidimensional cultural enterprise within their village through the valorisation and reinterpretation of their cultural heritage (music, poetry, legends, gardening, etc.) and creating a museum of Roma heritage which attracted visitors and thus generated income. [22/04/2013]

Monitoring Interculturalism in Cities: From Concept to Policy Implementation

A workshop held at the University of Québec in Montreal brought together on 12 April European and Québec experts and partners of the Intercultural cities programme. The main objective of the workshop was to explore the concept and practical implementation of interculturalism in Europe and in Québec and in particular the capacity of intercultural policy to welcome (culturally, socially and economically), newly arrived migrants. [22/04/2013]

 Programme

Research Seminar "Roma in the Post-Soviet Countries: History, Ethnography, Policy"
A Research Seminar entitled: "Roma in the Post-Soviet Countries: History, Ethnography, Policy” took place in Chisinău (Republic of Moldova) from 2 to 4 April 2013. The seminar organised in partnership with the Asociaţia "POROJAN" was hosted in the building of the scientific library "Biblioteca Ştiinţifică Centrală Andrei Lupan" in Chisinău. The opening of the seminar was attended by the local officials: Mr Ruslan Stângă, advisor of the prime-minister of the Republic of Moldova in issues related to Roma, social protection and inter-confessional relations and by Mr Silviu Tabac, the director of the Cultural Heritage Institute of the Academy of Science of Republic of Moldova. 4 teachers and 17 participants among them 14 Roma participated in the research seminar. [05/04/2013]
Programme (Russian only)

7th Conference on the European Landscape Convention
The 7th Council of Europe Conference on the European Landscape Convention organised under the auspices of the Andorran Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg from 26 to 27 March 2013. The Conference was the occasion to examine the work accomplished for the implementation of the Convention in order to promote populations’ quality of life and well-being. [29/03/2013]
 Draft agenda

Meeting of the Group of Specialists on the European Diploma of Protected Areas
The Group of Experts on the European Diploma of Protected Areas meet in Strasbourg on 26 March 2013 for their annual meeting. The Group examined the reports from the independent experts’ visits further to the applications for the Diploma received for the Khosrov Forest State Reserve (Armenia) and the Irish Burren region. Based on the expert visit carried out, the Group also discussed a Draft Resolution concerning the renewal of the Diploma for the Retezat National Park in Romania. Two new applications for the award of the Diploma were also  presented, one for Desertas Islands in Portugal and the other one for Karadag Nature Reserve in Ukraine. [27/03/2013]

Special file

Preparing for the 2013 Compendium Authors’ meeting – Vienna, November 2013
On 11 March the Secretariat met with representatives from the Austrian Ministry of Culture and Education in Vienna to prepare for the 2013 Compendium Authors event. The meeting will be held at the Semper Depot in Vienna in mid-November in the framework of the Austrian Presidency of the Committee of the Ministers. On the agenda will be the follow-up of the 2013 Ministerial Conference (“Governance of Culture - Promoting Access to Culture”, Moscow, 15-16 April 2013) through the Compendium tool (i.e. regarding indicators on participation/ access and indicators on culture’s contribution to democracy) and a public hearing as well as celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Compendium cultural policy information and monitoring system. [19/03/2013]

30th Council of Europe Art Exhibition "Desire for Freedom"
Art in Europe since 1945" in Milan After Berlin, the exhibition travels to Milan and was opened on 13 March at the Palazzo Reale in the presence Of Claudia Luciani, Director for democratic governance and the Mayor, Giuliano Pisapia. The exhibition will stay open until 2 June 2013. [18/03/2013]
Special file

The Faro Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society
Mr Manuel Jacoangeli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Italy at the Council of Europe, signed the Faro Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society on Wednesday 27 February at 10am in the offices of the Deputy Secretary General. This latest signature brings the number to 21. Several promotional activities are currently taking place in various member states to increase the Convention’s visibility and to encourage further signatures and ratifications. [26/02/2013]

Belarus becomes the 51st Party to the Bern Convention
Belarus deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) on 19th February 2013 and will become the 51st Party to the Convention on 1st June 2013. The Bern Convention, Europe’s treaty on nature conservation, is a binding international legal instrument which covers most of the natural heritage of the European continent and extends to some States of Africa. (more...) [19/02/2013]

Making Diversity Work for Cities

The Intercultural Cities milestone event "Making Diversity Work for Cities" took place in Dublin on 6-8 February, under the Irish EU Presidency and the Andorran CoE Chairmanship. The 250 participants, including 42 Mayors and other elected officials, explored the results and achievements of the intercultural Cities initiative and cities involved in it, and examined implications for adopting a diversity-based approach in national and international integration policy and practice. [11/02/2013]

Special file

3rd Bureau meeting of the Steering Committee on Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP)

The third Bureau meeting of the CDCPP took place in Strasbourg on 7 and 8 February 2013. The members of the Bureau took note of the progress made in the preparation of the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture "Governance of Culture - Promoting Access to Culture" (Moscow, 15-16 April 2013). They exchanged on the Committee’s future work and working methods for 2013 and beyond, and were updated on the programme of activities supervised by the CDCPP for 2012-2013. The Bureau also prepared the CDCPP's Plenary Session in May 2013. [11/02/2013]

CDCPP website

Cultural Routes - Meeting with the Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Madrid

The Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, Penelope Denu, met Talib Rifai during a series of meetings at the World Tourism Organisation in Madrid on 29 and 30 January. The two organisations decided to formalise their cooperation during the Advisory Forum of Cultural Routes in Colmar last November. The UNWTO has offered technical advice on training and on the tourism development of the routes. In Madrid, common priorities were identified with the Secretary-General, in particular the promotion of responsible tourism and sustainability policies. The UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism will be the object of a joint initiative and training on cultural routes will benefit from the contribution of the UNWTO Themis Foundation. [30/01/2013]

3rd Task Force on the 2013 Conference of Ministers of Culture

The Task Force preparing for the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture on "Governance of Culture – Promoting Access to Culture" (Moscow, 15-16 April 2013) met on 25 January in Paris. The conference will analyse the challenge for governments in promoting access to and participation in culture at a time of social, economic and financial change, also reflecting the specific opportunities generated by the digital era in this area. The event will feature novel policy approaches and stimulate exchange of experiences and good practices among political leaders. At the same time, it will highlight the CoE’s role as a European intergovernmental forum on culture and laboratory of democratic governance. [28/01/2013]

Art Exhibition "The Desire for Freedom. Art in Europe since 1945"

The 30th Council of Europe Art Exhibition "The Desire for Freedom. Art in Europe since 1945" is shown at the German Historical Museum in Berlin until 10 February 2013. The exhibition shows the role of the artists in relations with Council of Europe values. 113 artists from 28 countries illustrate through their works their engagement with a belief in universal human rights, freedom, equality and democracy and raise questions about the meaning of our social existence. After Berlin, the exhibition will be shown in Milan, Tallinn and Cracow in 2013/2014. [23/01/2013]

Special file

Cultural Policy Review of Turkey : experts meeting

In the framework of the Cultural Policy Review of Turkey, experts met on 17 January 2013 in Paris to finalise their report. This 29th Council of Europe Cultural Policy Review will give a comprehensive appreciation of the Turkish cultural policies and latest trends and developments. The results of the review (both national report and expert report) will be presented at the Plenary Session of the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (PP) in spring 2013. [21/01/2013]

CDCPP website