Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy
Stockholm/Sigtuna, Sweden 13–15 June 2007
Hosted by Sveriges Riksdag – the Swedish Parliament,
the Government of Sweden and
the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions
FFD(2007)1 E fin.
Stockholm/Sigtuna, 12 June 2007
Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy
Stockholm/Sigtuna, Sweden, 13–15 June 2007
Power and empowerment – the interdependence
of democracy and human rights
PROGRAMME
Wednesday 13 – DAY ONE
Morning Registration at Arlanda Airport
Information will be available until 18.00 in terminals 2 and 5. Registration will take place at Arlanda Conference and Business Centre where there are also lounge facilities. Luggage will be taken care of and transported to the hotels.
11.30
12.00
15.00
17.30 Bus departures from Arlanda Airport to the Riksdag
As from Riksdag building accessible to participants
12.30 (Refreshments will be available)
13.30 Opening of the Forum for the Future of Democracy 2007
in Stockholm/Sigtuna
Welcome by
- Mr Per WESTERBERG, Speaker of the Riksdag
Opening Speeches
- Mr Vuk JEREMIĆ Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serbia, Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers
- Mr René van der LINDEN, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
- Ms Nyamko SABUNI, Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender Equality
- Mr Terry DAVIS, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
- Mr Anders KNAPE, President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions
- Mr Halvdan SKARD, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
- Follow-up to the Forum for the Future of Democracy 2006 in Moscow
Ms Svetlana ORLOVA, Deputy Speaker of the Council of Federation, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Head of the Russian Delegation to the Congress
- Statement by a representative of the European Commission
Ms Danièle SMADJA on behalf of the European Commission
Keynote speech on the theme Power and empowerment
– the interdependence of democracy and human rights
Mr Thomas HAMMARBERG, Commissioner for Human Rights,
Council of Europe
Empowerment – the role and responsibility of parliamentarians: the perspective of PACE
Mr Andreas GROSS, member of the Swiss Parliament, Rapporteur of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly on the state of democracy in Europe
15.30 Refreshments
16.00 Parallel panel sessions on the theme Empowerment – the role and responsibilities of parliamentarians
Panel session one
The role of the opposition and changing from being in government to being in opposition
Moderator: Ms. Elisabeth HEDBORG
Panellists:
- Mr Rudolf BINDIG, former member of the German Bundestag, former Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Ms Ene ERGMA, President of the Estonian Parliament
- Mr Leif LEWIN, University of Uppsala, Sweden
- Mr David WILSHIRE, member of the House of Commons, United Kingdom, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (EDG)
Panel session two
The responsibilities of the opposition for establishing dialogue and initiating political decision-making
Moderator: Ms. Britt-Marie MATTSSON
Panellists:
- Mr Luc VAN DEN BRANDE, Belgium, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (EPP/CD)
- Ms Lydia ERR, MP, Luxembourg, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (SOC) and member of the Venice Commission
- Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (SOC)
- Mr Tomas RIES, Director of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm
18.00 End of parallel panel sessions
Invitation to Sigtuna
Mr Anders JOHANSSON, Mayor, Sigtuna
A 10-minute guided walk to the jetty, by the City Hall
19.00 Departure by boat to Sigtuna
Dinner, hosted by the Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality,
will be served on board
22.00 Arrival in Sigtuna
A short welcome to Sigtuna and then bus transfer to the hotels
Thursday 14 – DAY TWO
09.30 Four parallel sub-theme panels with break-out sessions
The four sessions will take place at different venues in Sigtuna
Sub-theme 1 - Representative democracy for a new era
Venue: Sigtunahöjden
Arranged by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions
This sub-theme focuses on the local and regional representative institutions and the dilemmas to combine democracy and efficiency. Using the “World Café” method, only the theme is set in advance –it is the participants themselves who determine the agenda and the outcome.
Moderators:
- Ms Lärke JOHNS, Sweden
- Mr Calle KARNERUD, Sweden,
Rapporteur: Ms Brith FÄLDT, member of the Congress, Sweden
Keynote speaker
Mr Erik AMNÅ, professor, University of Örebro, Sweden
Sub-theme 2 - Empowerment of the individual – non-discrimination
Venue: Sigtunastiftelsen
Moderator: Ms Alice BAH KUHNKE, Sweden
Rapporteur: Ms Laura MORALES, University of Murcia, Spain
Panellists:
- Ms Ana Isabel LEIVA DIEZ, State Secretary of Territorial Co-operation, Ministry of Public Administrations, Spain
- Mr Marco GIUGNI, University of Geneva, Switzerland
- Mr Anders WESTHOLM, Associate professor, Uppsala University, Sweden
Break-out session 2.1: Gender equality and shared power - Equal representation and beyond
arranged by the Swedish Women’s Lobby
Moderator/Rapporteur:
Ms Eva FAGER, Chair of the Swedish Women’s Lobby
Panellists:
- Ms Victoria POPESCU, Ambassador of Romania to Sweden, former member of the UN Commission on the status of women
- Ms Diane BUNYAN, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Ms Drude DAHLERUP, University of Stockholm, Sweden
- Ms Kirsti KOLTHOFF, President of the European Women’s Lobby
- Ms Karin NORDMEYER, Director of ZONTA International
Break-out session 2.2: Democratic inclusiveness – Empowering the individual by abandoning discrimination
Moderator/Rapporteur:
Ms Reinhild OTTE, Head of Intercultural Affairs, Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Chairperson of the Council of Europe Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights
Panellists:
- Mr György FRUNDA, Romania, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (EPP/CD)
- Ms Tatjana PAPIC, Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade, Serbia
- Ms Laura MORALES, University of Murcia, Spain
Break-out session 2.3: Listening to the silent voices
Moderator/Rapporteur:
Mr James GOMEZ, International IDEA, Stockholm, Sweden
Panellists:
- Mr Giovanni ALLEGRETTI, Centro de Estudos Sociais, University of Coimbra, Portugal
- Mr Michael RAFAEL, Campaign Manager “All Different – All Equal”, Council of Europe
- Ms Laura FINNE-ELONEN, President, European Centre of the International Council of Women
Sub theme 3 - The involvement of civil society – the respect for freedom of expression and freedom of association
Venue: Hotel Kristina
Moderator: Mr Jean-Marie HEYDT, Vice-President of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe
Rapporteur: Ms Helene LAHTI EDMARK, University of Lund, Sweden
Panellists:
- Ms Nina BELYAEVA, Russian Federation, NGO Coalition “We, the citizens!”
- Mr Aleksandër BIBERAJ, Albania, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Ms Basak DEMIR, Youth Advisory Council of the Council of Europe
- Mr Christer HALLERBY, State Secretary, Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality, Sweden
Break-out session 3.1: How to encourage civil society engagement
Rapporteur/Chair table 1:
Ms Helene LAHTI EDMARK
Chair Table 2:
Ms Gaja BARTUSEVICIUTE, Vice-President of the European Youth Forum
Break-out session 3.2: How to bridge gaps between citizens and decision makers
Rapporteur/Chair table 1:
Mr Igor KOHUT, Director of the School of Political Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
Chair Table 2:
Ms Nina BELYAEVA
Sub theme 4 - Fostering democracy, human rights and social networks – ways forward
Venue: Stora Brännbo
Moderator:
Mr Ibrahim WANI, Chief, Research and Right to Development Branch, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Rapporteur: Mr Hans-Otto SANO, Director, Research Department, Danish Institute for Human Rights
Panellists:
- Mr Thomas HAMMARBERG, Commissioner for Human Rights,
Council of Europe
- Ms Maria Luisa SILVA, UNDP, Skopje, “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
- Ms Ann MACINTOSH, Research Co-ordinator DEMONET, Napier University, United Kingdom
- Mr Marcus BRIXSKIÖLD, Director, Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality, Sweden
Break-out session 4.1: Systematic work for human rights – National action plans, and other methods
Moderator: Ms Sonja BISERKO, The Helsinki Committee, Belgrade, Serbia
Rapporteur: Mr Dimitris CHRISTOPOULOS, Associate professor, Department of Political Science and History, Panteion University of Athens, Greece
Panellists:
- Mr Jonas ČEKUOLIS, Lithuania, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Mr Thomas HAMMARBERG
- Ms Louise NYLIN, Human Rights Policy Specialist, UNDP, Bratislava Regional Centre
- Mr Ibrahim WANI
- Ms Tanja RASPOPOVIC, Legal Adviser, Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, Montenegro
Break-out session 4.2: e-Democracy – key role in facilitating and strengthening democratic processes?
Moderator:
Mr Thomas BUCHSBAUM, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Austria, Chairman of the Council of Europe’s Ad Hoc Committee on e-democracy (CAHDE)
Rapporteur: Ms Evika KARAMAGIOLI, GOV2U, Athens, Greece
Panellists:
- Mr John GØTZE, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Ms Miranda BRUGI, IT General Manager, City of Siena, Italy and Chair of the eRights Working Group, Eurocities Knowledge Society Forum
- Ms Ann MACINTOSH
- Mr Víctor GARCÍA SEGADOR, Director General of Citizen Participation, Madrid City Council, Spain
- Mr Christoforos KORAKAS, Project Coordinator, access2democracy, Greece
13.00 – 15.00 Lunch
15.00 – 17.30 Continuation of break-out sessions (see above)
19.45 Departure by bus to Steninge Palace
(www.steningeslott.se)
20.00 Dinner at Steninge Palace
Friday 15 – DAY THREE
From 07.30 Shuttle buses from hotels to Arlanda Airport
09.30 Plenary session at Arlanda Conference and Business Centre;
results from day one parallel panel sessions
and day two sub-theme discussions
Presentation by sub-theme rapporteurs
11.00 Coffee
11.30 Continuation of plenary session
speakers include
- Mr Jean-Marie HEYDT, Vice-President of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe
- Mr Vidar HELGESEN, Secretary-General of International IDEA
12.00 Summary of results and conclusions
of the Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy 2007
Observations by the general rapporteurs
- Mr Andreas GROSS, Member of the Swiss Parliament, Rapporteur of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly on the state of democracy in Europe
- Mr Keith WHITMORE, President of the Institutional Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Manchester Metropolitan City Council, United Kingdom
- Mr Daniel TARSCHYS, Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Stockholm, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Sweden
Presentation of the Forum conclusions
by Daniel TARSCHYS
13.00 Closing of the meeting and invitation to the Forum 2008 in Madrid
by Ms Ana Isabel LEIVA DIEZ, State Secretary of Territorial Co-operation, Ministry of Public Administrations, Spain