“Promoting intercultural dialogue:
issues and perspectives of the Council of Europe”

On 22-24 June 2007, the Council of Europe – in co-operation with the North-South Centre and the Aga Khan Development Network – organised a high-level expert colloquy in Lisbon on intercultural dialogue.

Main topics of the event, which concluded the consultation phase of the “White Paper” preparations, were the “Alliance of Civilizations” initiative of the UN Secretary General and the activities of other international institutions in the area of intercultural dialogue. Participants also reviewed the most important consultation results and discussed a first outline of the envisaged structure and the main messages of the “White Paper”.

From right to left: Mrs Maud de Boer-Buquicchio (Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe), Mr Claude Frey (Chairman of the Executive Council of the North-South Centre), Mr Jorge Sampaio (High Representative of the UN Secretary General for the Alliance of Civilizations) and Mrs Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni (Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue, Council of Europe)

Programme

Saturday 23 June 2007

Morning	Opening of the Colloquy · Mr Claude Frey, Chairman of the Executive Council of the North-South Centre · Mrs Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General, Council of Europe (speech, in PDF format) · Mr Pierre Corneloup, Member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe · Mr Nazim Ahmad, Aga Khan Development Network
	First working session: “The challenges of intercultural dialogue” Chair: Mr Erik Nyindu, Journalist Keynote address: · Mr Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio, High Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations for the Alliance of Civilizations (speech, PDF format) Introductions to the debate: · Mrs Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Co-ordinator for Intercultural Dialogue, Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport, Council of Europe · Mr Henri Rouillé d’Orfeuil, author, Chairman of “Coordination SUD” · Mrs Firouzeh Nahavandi, Professor, Director of the Research Centre on International Co-operation and Development, Free University Brussels Discussion
Afternoon	Second working session: “Co-operation, synergies and added value – the role and priorities of international institutions active in intercultural dialogue” Chair: Mr Robert Palmer, Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, Council of Europe Introductions to the debate: · Mrs Katerina Stenou, Director of the Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, UNESCO · Ambassador Ömür Orhun, Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims (speech) · Mr Mongi Bousnina, Director General, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) · Dr Ahmed Saïd Ould Bah, Head of the Private Office of the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) (speech) · Mr Gregory Kehailia, “Anna Lindh Euromediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures” (speech, in French) Discussion
Sunday 24 June 2007
Morning	Third working session: “After the consultations – what are the perspectives for the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue?” Chair: Mr Michel Villan, Member of the European Committee on Migration “The main orientations of the White Paper: messages and recommendations” Introduction : Mrs Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Co-ordinator for Intercultural Dialogue, Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport, Council of Europe (speech, in French) Presentations by experts who participated at various stages of the consultation process: · Mr Robin Wilson, Expert consultant (Belfast) (presentation, in PowerPoint format) · Prof. Jean-Paul Willaime, Director of the European Institute for Science and Religion (Paris) (speech, in French) · Mrs Pascale Mompoint-Gaillard, Expert consultant (Strasbourg) (speech, presentation in PowerPoint format) · Prof. Pierre Salama, Group of Research on the State, Internationalization of Techniques and Development (Paris) Discussion Presentations and reactions by the representatives of the Steering Committees of the Council of Europe Chair: Mr Ulrich Bunjes, Directorate General IV, Council of Europe · Mrs Deniz Akçay, Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) · Mrs Athanassia Ioannou, European Committee on Migration (CDMG) · Mr Matthias Traimer, Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC) · Mr César Birzéa, Steering Committee for Education (CDED) · Mr Norbert Riedl, Steering Committee for Culture (CDCULT) · Mrs Isabel Romao, Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG) (speech, in French) Discussion
Afternoon	General debate Closing session