Ensuring democratic security and a strong culture of democracy are key to securing peace and prosperity in Europe. Although 2022 will be remembered for the terrible violence and seismic change caused by the Russian Federation’s aggression in Ukraine, the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance (CEGG) made a positive contribution to promoting respect for the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance across Europe.
The 2022 Annual Report of the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance attests to the efforts made to strengthen democratic culture and build the governance capacities of actors at all levels of governance in our member states. More than 200 capacity-building activities were organised in 25 member States ensuring that almost 10 000 participants developed their capacities in all aspects of good democratic governance, including performance management, resilience building, strategic planning, leadership, local finances, and human resource management.
In 2022, the CEGG was responsible for managing the implementation of projects and activities for a total budget of over €12 million in 25 Council of Europe member States (up from €10 million in 2021). Large scale projects were implemented in 10 member States – including 6 new projects launched in Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, and Hungary – while smaller scale projects / activities were implemented in a further 15 member States.
In the past year, the CEGG also invested in updating several existing toolkits, reinforcing its current repertoire of 25 toolkits, all available on the CEGG webpage. The updated and new editions include toolkits on Human Resource Management, Strategic Municipal Planning, and the Peer Review Process. The e-learning Course: 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance (coe.int) can be accessed from the Council of Europe HELP platform.
Peers, experts, and public authorities from about 30 member States contributed to the implementation of the projects including several members of the European Committee on Democracy and Governance (CDDG) who participated in peer reviews and other activities of the Centre. These activities contributed to new or improved legislation, better implementation of reforms, and strengthened capacities of public authorities at all levels in our member States.
In 2023, as the Council of Europe prepares for the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik, Iceland 16-17 May 2023, the CEGG will continue to implement its Strategic Plan for 2022-25. These priorities are fully aligned with the Strategic Framework of the Council of Europe for 2022-25 and the 2022-2025 Terms of Reference of the CDDG.
More about the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance (CEGG) 2022 report
