The Lisbon Forum is a platform for dialogue and for sharing experiences, expertise and good practices between Europe and the other continents, especially the Middle East, Africa and the countries on the south of the Mediterranean. The Forum has been held by the North-South Centre since 1994. It focuses on issues at the heart of the mandate and actions of the Council of Europe: human rights, democracy, the rule of law and intercultural dialogue. It has been enriched since 2006 by partnerships with the Council of Europe’s Commission for Democracy through Law – also known as the Venice Commission - and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and, most recently, with the Alliance of Civilizations, operating under the aegis of the United Nations.

During the 2008 session, a new process was launched devoted to a particularly topical issue, the principle of universality of human rights and its implementation at international and regional level. On 10-11 November 2008, the participants carried out a general analysis of the situation 60 years after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. On the basis of this analysis, a work programme was adopted for the upcoming years, focussing on the promotion, understanding and strengthening of human rights, as well as on present and future challenges in this field.

The following subjects were selected:

. The impact of globalisation on human rights
· The principle of equality between women and men
· Freedom of expression, conscience and religion (2010)
· Human rights as a basis for the integration of cultural diversity
· Security and freedom
· Creating a culture of human rights through education (2009)
· The abolition of the death penalty.

For the 2011 Lisbon Forum the theme chosen was : "The "Arab spring": a major step towards making human rights real".
Under the theme "The Arab Spring: a major step towards making universal human rights real”, the Lisbon Forum 2011 brought together more than 200 participants from 50 countries. In addition to its co-organisers, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and the Alliance of Civilizations United Nations and its host, the Aga Khan Development, the Forum was able to count on the participation many relevant international actors, such as the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, the African Union, UNESCO, the International Federation of human Rights or the euro-Mediterranean for human Rights. It also count with the financial suport of the European Commission and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
. Programme
. Background document
. General conclusions
. More