The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe participated in the Development Education & Awareness Raising (DEAR) multi-stakeholder meeting (MSG) which was held at and chaired by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DevCo) on 15th and 16th March 2016.

The MSG meeting in Brussels, the first in 2016, involved 26 delegates representing the major stakeholders in DEAR in the EU, including CONCORD (development NGOs), PLATFORMA (local and regional authorities), GENE (ministries and government agencies), EADI (development research institutes), the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and DG DevCo B2 DEAR sector (European Commission). This MSG builds on the work of a similar group that was supported by CONCORD and which was involved in, amongst others, establishing the ‘Development Education Consensus’ (2007) and the ‘DE Watch’ report on development education in the EU (2010).

The renewed MSG plans to support and promote dialogue and collaboration between different stakeholder groups engaged in EU focussed awareness raising, education and public engagement for global development.

The main outcome of the meeting consisted in the agreement to develop a document with suggestions on priorities for different DEAR stakeholder groups in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular in respect of target 4.7: by 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

This objective is in line with the strategic recommendations of the GE Congress that the North-South Centre organised in Zagreb in November 2015 which stipulate, among other, a coordinated approach of the SDGs monitoring, in particular of target 4.7.

Since this was the first meeting of the MSG, the gathering also established a modus operandi for an optimal coordinated work among the group, discussed opportunities to include other parties relevant to DEAR in the EU, and established how constituents of the different stakeholder groups will be informed of, and enabled to collaborate in, the work the MSG.

The DEAR programme aims to inform EU citizens about development issues, mobilise greater public support for action against poverty, give citizens tools to engage critically with global development issues, to foster new ideas and change attitudes. It is implemented by civil society actors and local authorities in EU and acceding countries