The North-South Centre participates in the 26th session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education “The Transformative Power of Education: Universal Values and Civic Renewal”, on 28 and 29 September 2023 in Strasbourg, France.

The main themes are the renewal of education's civic mission, education in times of emergency and crises, and harnessing the potential of digital transformation in education. The Conference counts 280 participants, among them thirty five Ministers or State Secretaries for Education. Fifty one countries are represented to address the priority set out at the Reykjavik Summit of Heads of State and give learners the opportunities to benefit from an empowering education that prepares them to become active and informed citizens in democratic societies. The Minister’s resolutions also contribute to the implementation of the Dublin Declaration on Global Education towards 2050. The Ministers' resolutions, which will be adopted at the end of the Conference, include reaffirming the critical role of education in promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, recognising the need for decisive action to address global challenges, strengthening the Council of Europe's education implementation mechanisms, and focusing on the democratic future for all learners. 

The launch of the new Council of Europe Education Strategy 2030, a preparatory phase of a European Civic Education Area Framework Convention, a piloting phase of a toolbox for ensuring education rights in emergencies, the launch of the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education in 2025, and the start of work on an instrument on the use of artificial intelligence systems in education systems are among the key proposals. 

The Chair of the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, Ambassador Camilleri-Vettinger, highlighted the importance of bridging formal and non-formal education, recognising that there are many ways of developing a culture of democracy and that education is a lifelong endeavour. She calls for a strong partnership with civil society organisations to design impactful interventions. She also spoke in favour of the continued involvement of young people in decision-making, as well as for cooperation with other parts of the world as a response to an increasingly globalised and interdependent world.

For over two decades, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe has been dedicated to promoting and disseminating the principles and methodologies of Global Education. The iLEGEND Joint Programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, is actively strengthening advocacy, capacity building, awareness raising, and partnerships in the EMEA region, on the basis of the Global Education Guidelines.

 More information about the 26th session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education.