The Directorate of Programme Co-ordination helps set the priorities of the Council of Europe activity programme and ensures they are translated into coordinated co-operation programmes in the member and non-member countries. In doing so it makes use of another advantage of the Organisation, the multitude of different Council of Europe services involved in cooperation programmes from their respective angles. As a result, the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI), the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity (DG II), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Directorate of Political Affairs and External Relations (DPAER), together with the Council of Europe offices in the field, have a distinct role in defining the cooperation.

The Directorate of Programme Co-ordination ensures strategic programming mainly by country (Country Action Plans). These strategic documents define priority actions with a basis in the monitoring recommendations. They are adopted by the Council of Europe’s governing body, the Committee of Ministers, following consultations between the Organisation and the national authorities concerned.

The interest of the Council of Europe’s technical co-operation lies in the unequalled dynamic triangle of "setting international standards ⇒ monitoring them ⇒ ensuring relevant co-operation activities to address shortcomings".

This triangle links together:

• the standards developed by the Council of Europe since 1949 for human rights, rule of law and democracy;
• the conclusions and recommendations of the Council of Europe's monitoring mechanisms, which single out the areas where improvements are needed, particularly under various international conventions;
• the technical co-operation programmes established largely on the basis of the monitoring conclusions and recommendations in order to assist the beneficiaries in their efforts to apply the standards.

The Directorate of Programme Co-ordination acts as a platform for co-operation by providing a comprehensive view, co-ordination of projects and delivery of effective responses to emerging challenges.

The Directorate of Programme Co-ordination is responsible for raising funds that complement the Organisation’s ordinary budget while guaranteeing their efficient use. It manages a proactive strategy to mobilise resources by building and coordinating strong partnerships with the donors and fostering synergies with other organisations.

More information on resource mobilisation and donor relations.

The European Union is a main political and financial partner of the Council of Europe's cooperation activities. A very close partnership has been built up over more than two decades in supporting activities founded on common values and goals which advance democratic governance, human rights, democracy and rule of law in Europe and beyond. The strategic approach to this partnership was recently strengthened by the signature of the “Statement of intent for the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Commission in the EU enlargement region and the Eastern Partnership and Southern Mediterranean countries (EU neighbourhood region)” in April 2014.

More information on cooperation with the European Union.