Newsletter

March 2018 - October 2018

Newsletter No 1 | Highlights March 2018 - October 2018




The South Programme III is a European Union/Council of Europe regional joint programme co-funded by both Organisations* and implemented by the Council of Europe. This newsletter presents key events held between 1 March 2018 and 31 October 2018.

7th UniDem Med Seminar: improving the relations between the administration and the citizens

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Moroccan Ministry of the Reform of the Administration and the Civil Service, organised the 7th UniDem Med regional seminar on 23-26 April 2018 in Rabat. The seminar brought together senior public officials and experts from Europe and the Southern Mediterranean to debate about existing international and national standards, mechanisms and good practices increasing user satisfaction. Participants discussed issues such as procedure simplifications, change management, e-governance and digital transformation, access to data and various complaints management systems.

8th UniDem Med Seminar: transformation and innovation in the senior civil service

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Presidency of the Government of Tunisia, organised the 8th UniDem Med regional seminar on 24-27 September 2018 in Tunis. The seminar entitled “Transformation and Innovation in the Senior Civil Service: challenges and opportunities” gathered some 50 senior servants and experts from 11 European and southern Mediterranean countries, namely Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine* and Tunisia. They exchanged best practices as regards the process of innovation in the civil service against a backdrop of respect for rule of law and basic civil service values and principles.

Conclusions of the event ›

Morocco - Regional Conference on "Women in Politics, how to progress towards equality?"

Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation

At the invitation of the Moroccan Parliament, a regional conference was organised on 5 July 2018 in cooperation with the PACE Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination. It was open to representatives of the Parliaments of southern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, as well as members of the PACE. The discussions focused on the issues of equality and political representation of women, mechanisms to promote the representation of women, the role of political parties in promoting the representation of women, as well as the equality issues in electoral campaigns.

Regional Conference on preventing and combating violence against women

Combating violence against women

A regional conference on preventing and combating violence against women was organised by the PACE’s “Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence” as well as PACE’s Equality Committee on 20 September 2018 in Paris. Participants of southern Mediterranean Parliaments holding Partner for Democracy status with the PACE, namely Morocco, Jordan and Palestine*, as well as of the Assembly of People's Representatives of Tunisia discussed topics such as the achievements and challenges in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), as well as the initiatives to tackle violence against women. Furthermore they exchanged views on the role of national parliaments in advancing legislation and policies to combat violence against women.

Regional Conference on "Platform for Cooperation Policies, role of Diaspora Associations and Synergies with Public Authorities"

Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation

At the invitation of the Ukrainian Parliament, the PACE Parliamentary Network on Diaspora Policies organised a regional conference in Kyiv on 24 September 2018. The main theme discussed was the role of diaspora associations, and their synergies with public authorities, as a platform for co-operation. Participants examined the co-operation of diasporas with public authorities: the role of national parliaments and the legal frameworks regulating the work of diasporas; government policies concerning diasporas and their implementation in co-operation with diaspora associations, and the cooperation of local authorities with diaspora associations.

Morocco - Compliance training for the Central Bank of Morocco

Combating corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

On 22-24 October 2018, Council of Europe experts held an anti-corruption compliance training for the Moroccan Central Bank (BKAM). Some sixty participants including deputy directors, control managers and internal auditors of BKAM were trained in the application of anti-corruption compliance standards as well as the detection and investigation of corruption in the banking sector.

Tunisia - Capacity building for Tunisian corruption and fraud investigators on investigative techniques

Combating corruption, money laundering and terrorism

A two-day training on techniques to investigate corruption and public procurement fraud for the Tunisian Anti-corruption Authority (INLUCC) was organised on 25-26 July 2018 in Tunis. 15 investigators from INLUCC were trained on the basic principles of financial forensics and procurement fraud investigation. The training was conducted by a team consisting of both international and national Council of Europe consultants: the experts provided theoretical presentations and practical exercises in order to promote a solid understanding of the subject matter, as well as insight into widespread examples of corruption and public procurement fraud in Tunisia based on cases examined by the Court of Auditors (Cour de Comptes) and the Competition Authority (Conseil de la Concurrance) in Tunisia.

Egypt - Regional conference on the right to vote

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

In Cairo, the Egyptian Council of State organised, in collaboration with the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the Arab Union of Administrative Judiciary, an international conference entitled “Voting in Elections and Referendums – between Right and Duty”. This event gathered judges and academia from Egypt and other southern Mediterranean countries, as well as European experts. Together they discussed issues such as guarantees of voters’ participation in elections, measures to enhance participation in elections and issues related to compulsory voting and international standards in the electoral field.

This newsletter has been produced using the funds of a joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe.The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

Council of Europe, Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00

South Programme III website

November 2018 - February 2019

South Programme III

Newsletter No 2 | Highlights November 2018 - February 2019




The South Programme III is a European Union/Council of Europe regional joint programme co-funded by both Organisations* and implemented by the Council of Europe. This newsletter presents key events held between 1 November 2018 and 28 February 2019.

Tunisia - Awareness-raising workshop for children on the “do not touch here” rule

Children's rights

The Council of Europe together with the Tunisian Ministry of Women, Family Affairs, Children and the Elderly, and the Association Ado+, organised a workshop on the drafting of a child-friendly Tunisian version of the principles comprised in the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) in December 2018 in Tunis.

The aim was to raise-awareness amongst children and to involve them in the decision-making process regarding topics concerning them through their pro-active participation during the event. Around 70 children of different age groups and regions participated in the art workshops and drafting activities. The workshops were hosted by amongst others, artists specialised in puppets and cartoons, and the children were accompanied by teachers and psychologists.

The art workshops on the creation of puppets and cartoons (for children aged 3 to 13) were based on characters inspired from the awareness-raising book of the Council of Europe “Kiko and the Hand” that helps children understand that their bodies belong to them, that there are good and bad secrets and good and bad touches. Thus the “do not touch here” rule has been taught to the children through artistic activities. The drafting workshop (for children aged 14 to 18) aimed at developing a child-friendly Tunisian version of the principles comprised in Lanzarote Convention so that Tunisian children could understand them.

6th Intercultural Workshop on Democracy

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The Venice Commission, in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, organised the 6th Intercultural Workshop on Democracy from 13 to 14 November 2018. This regional event held in Tunis brought together leading European experts and senior officials representing independent bodies of Tunisia and other southern Mediterranean countries. Together they shared experiences on this issue, which is of major importance in Tunisia and in the region, through debates focusing on themes such as the relations of independent bodies with the executive, legislative and judicial powers, as well as the composition, technical skills, accreditation and funding of these independent bodies.This event paved the way for further cooperation in this area with Tunisia, notably through the bilateral joint programme “Project to support independent bodies in Tunisia (PAII-T)” funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the latter since 1 January 2019.

Conclusions of the workshop ›

World forum on Democracy 2018

Schools of Political Studies

With the support of South Programme III, delegations of the Moroccan and Tunisian Schools of Political Studies participated in the World Forum on Democracy 2018 held during 19-21 November 2018 in Strasbourg, France.
This annual event once again gathered around 2500 intellectuals, politicians, activists, experts and young people from all over the world to discuss the topic “Gender equality: whose battle?”. 3 plenary debates, 8 round tables, 13 labs and a series of side-events allowed them to exchange on a variety of specific issues related to women’s rights, gender equality and combating violence against women.

Final report on the event ›

Many of these activities featured civil society initiatives born in southern Mediterranean partner countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco.
For instance, an independent Moroccan NGO, presented a civil society initiative aiming at raising awareness amongst Moroccan girls and women regarding national and international laws on sexual harassment, violence and extortion, as well as at teaching them ways to share their stories on social media (LAB 11), and a representative of the Resource Centre for Gender Equality (ABAAD) in Lebanon, presented their national awareness-raising campaign “A White Dress Does Not Cover the Rape” that led to the Abolition of Article 522 on rape marriage in June 2017 (LAB 3).

Video summary report ›

Morocco - Protecting children from unsafe use of the internet

Children's rights

In February 2019 the Council of Europe and the Moroccan Centre for Polytechnic Research and Innovation (CMRPI) organised a series of activities on the advantages and challenges of using the internet and social networks, especially in regards to children.

Morocco - Training for CSPJ members

Independence and efficiency of justice

In December 2018, a training course on strategic planning tools and techniques, as well as on administrative and budgetary management practices, has been organised for members of several services of the High Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ).

Israel - Study visit to the Supreme Court

Independence and efficiency of justice

In February 2019, upon request of the Supreme Court, members and experts of the Council of Europe went to Israel for a study visit on the israeli case-weighting system. They also organised a workshop on judicial time-management using the CEPEJ case-weighting tool.

Regional Parliamentary Conference on building democratic security in the Mediterranean

Inter-parliamentary cooperation

Photo: Hina/Baldo Barunčić

A regional parliamentary conference held on 6 November 2018 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, gathered parliamentarians from the MENA region together with parliamentarians from Council of Europe member States, as well as Council of Europe and Croatian top-ranking officials and experts. It was organised by the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in co-operation with PACE’s Parliamentary Project Support Division, in the framework of the Croatian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe.

The Conference was opened with PACE’s President Liliane Maury Pasquier‘s speech, in which she evoked the principles of “democracy, human dignity and fundamental rights, as well as the rule of law” to which both Europe and the Mediterranean region aspire. She also presented the Assembly’s “Partnership for democracy” status, that allows sharing experience and good practice between Council of Europe member and non-member States and which is currently held by the parliaments of Morocco, Jordan and Kyrgyz Republic, as well as the Palestinian National Council*.

The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, also underlined that the current cross-border challenges faced by both Mediterranean shores can be faced jointly. She recalled that to that end, the Council of Europe has provided in the past, and still provides opportunities and tools for cooperation. For example joint programmes financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe such as the South Programme, as well as bilateral partnerships with Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, which have shown concrete results.

In the spirit of this discourse, the conference was an opportunity for representatives of the MENA region to contribute in discussions during working sessions tackling various topics such as the challenges to the stability of the Mediterranean region, strengthening democratic institutions through constitutional and legal reforms, or the concept of democratic security and the Council of Europe’s contribution in the process.

Conclusions of the event ›

Morocco - Towards a National Referral Mechanism for victims of trafficking in human beings

Fight against trafficking in human beings

Council of Europe experts organised the first reflection workshop on the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for victims of human trafficking in Morocco on 11-12 February 2019 in Rabat.

Tunisia - Closing of the comprehensive five-week “FormaCtion” training for INPT members

Prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment of human beings

The co-operation between the Council of Europe and Tunisia has been very intensive in the area of prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment of human beings. Launched in June 2018, the “FormaCtion” training programme for members and staff of the Tunisian National Authority for the Prevention of Torture (INPT) allowed consolidating the know-how of participants in terms of preparing, conducting and reporting on preventive visits to prisons. Five training sessions, each of them lasting one week, were conducted by a team of eminent practitioners from France and Switzerland in June, July, September, and October 2018, and lastly in January 2019. The specificity of this type of training is that it combines training (“formation”) and action (“action”), hence the name “FormaCtion”, which means that trainees prepared, conducted and reported on actual visits to prisons in Tunis, Mahdia and Bizerte, while being observed and coached by trainers who provided concrete and detailed personal and group advice. The final training session was held from 21 to 25 January 2019 in the Civilian Prison of Beja and it ended with a session where the trainees gave feedback to the trainers and the Council of Europe on the five-week training programme. Both trainees and trainers expressed the view that significant individual and collective progress had been made.

This last training session was co-funded by the South Programme III and the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme "Project to support independent bodies in Tunisia (PAII-T)".

Morocco - Awareness-raising workshop at the University of Mohammedia

Combating violence against women

In December 2018 the Council of Europe organised an awareness-raising workshop at the University of Mohammedia to present the Istanbul Convention and to discuss the existing mechanisms to prevent gender-based violence and the ways to protect and avoid the stigmatisation of victims.

Morocco - Parliamentarians examine the Istanbul Convention

Combating violence against women

In December 2018 the Equality and Parity thematic group of the House of Representatives hosted a meeting to present and discuss the main provisions of the Istanbul Convention and compare them to the national law 103.13 on combating violence against women adopted in February 2018.

The 3rd General Assembly of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) of Arab countries

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

In February 2019, the Organisation of Arab EMBs organised, with the support of the Venice Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Independent High Electoral Commission of Jordan, the 3rd General Assembly of the Arab EMBs and an international conference on "Electoral appeals and complaints in the Arab Region" in Sweimeh, Jordan. The two day international conference allowed participants to discuss the challenges facing the Arab EMBs and the judiciary regarding electoral dispute resolution, to compare national experiences on several topics such as gender considerations in complaints and appeals mechanisms or the role of Judiciary in enhancing trust in the electoral process, and to have fruitful exchanges of views on the international principles and standards in the field of electoral complaints.

Video on the 3rd General Assembly of Arab EMBs ›

This newsletter has been produced using the funds of a joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe.The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

Council of Europe, Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00

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South Programme III website

March 2019 - June 2019

South Programme III

Newsletter No 3 | Highlights March 2019 - June 2019




The South Programme III is a European Union/Council of Europe regional joint programme co-funded by both Organisations* and implemented by the Council of Europe. This newsletter presents key events held between 1 March and 30 June 2019.

First HELP Training of Trainers under the Project "HELP in South Mediterranean"

Training in human rights, rule of law and democracy

The Council of Europe's European Human Rights Training Programme for Legal Professionals (HELP) organised the first training of trainers for legal professionals from Morocco and Tunisia on 25 and 26 March 2019 in Strasbourg. The event was the first step in the expansion of the HELP Programme beyond the borders of the Council of Europe, particularly in the fields of combating violence against women, child-friendly justice, the fight against trafficking in human beings and data protection.

CEPEJ first co-operation with the Egyptian Council of State

Independence and efficiency of justice

Following a request made by the Vice-President of the State Council of Egypt, a CEPEJ delegation conducted a fact-finding mission in Cairo on 14 and 15 May 2019.

Regional interprofessional dialogue on media treatment of violence against women

Fight against violence towards women

As part of the World Forum on gender equality held in Tunis from 24 to 26 April, the Council of Europe, the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication in Tunisia (HAICA) and the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication in Morocco (HACA) organised a session of interprofessional regional dialogue on the treatment of violence against women by the media, which took place on 26 April.

Gender equality and deconstruction of gender stereotypes: awareness raising workshop for kids

Gender equality / Children's rights

The World Forum on gender equality also hosted an awareness-raising workshop for children and teenagers.Through a proactive approach, nearly 80 participants aged 3 to 18, took part in artistic workshops aiming at deconstructing gender stereotypes and at encouraging them to reconsider the roles traditionally assigned to girls and boys by society, and to revalorise both genders.

South Programme III Steering Committee meeting in Tunisia

Coordination

The South Programme III bilateral Steering Committee meeting in Tunisia was held at the invitation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in its premises on 11 April 2019.

In presence of the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sabri Bachtobji, of several representatives of Tunisian ministries and independent bodies, of the Council of Europe, as well as of the European Union Delegation in Tunisia, discussions were held in a friendly atmosphere of mutual trust. The meeting focused on the main areas of intervention of the Programme in Tunisia which are the consolidation of a common legal space, the fight against violence towards women, and Tunisia’s contribution to regional activities organised through the Programme.

Towards a public service closer to the citizens: 9th UniDem Med regional seminar

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Ministry of Reform of the Administration and the Civil Service of the Kingdom of Morocco, organised the 9th UniDem Med Regional Seminar entitled "Towards a public service closer to the citizens: models and good practices ". This seminar held on 12-14 June brought together senior officials and experts from Europe and the Southern Mediterranean (Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Palestine*, Tunisia) to exchange national experience and best practices in terms of bringing the administration and users closer together. Participants namely discussed issues such as administrative deconcentration/decentralisation, accessibility and digitalisation of administrative services.

Conclusions of the event (French only) ›

Jordanian and Palestinian* anti-corruption authorities trained on the investigation of proceeds of corruption

Fight against corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

This training session was held in Amman on 23-24 April. It allowed participants to enhance their knowledge and skills on conducting investigations into proceeds of corruption and their laundering with a view to ensure their successful recovery and repatriation, as well as to exchange experience and good practices at a sub-regional level.

Study visit of the Jordanian Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (JIACC) to Romania

Fight against corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

The Council of Europe organised a study visit to Bucharest for officials of the JIACC on 12-14 March 2019. Representatives of the integrity, investigation and prosecution units met with their Romanian counterparts, namely the National Integrity Agency (ANI), the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and the Ombudsperson’s office, to exchange good practices in the areas of prevention and fight against corruption.

Election Dispute Resolution - 16th European Conference of Electoral Management Bodies

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The Venice Commission organised the 16th European Conference of Electoral Administrations on "Electoral dispute resolution" in Bratislava on 27 and 28 June, in cooperation with the Public Administration Section of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic and the National Commission for Elections and Monitoring of Political Party Financing. Representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Palestine* participated and contributed to the discussions. Through the presentation and analysis of several national examples and of the existing international and domestic instruments, this conference allowed them to share best practice and recommendations on a series of issues linked to election dispute resolution with European and southern Mediterranean counterparts.

Morocco - Efforts towards the operationalisation of the National Referral Mechanism

Fight against trafficking in human beings

Following the first technical workshop on this topic held on 11-12 February, a second meeting was organised in Rabat on 11-12 March 2019. It allowed participants to examine the operational aspects of the future National Referral Mechanism (NRM), as well as to analyse the standardised operational procedures steering the cooperation between the different actors involved, at the national and local level, when identifying and referring the victims of human trafficking to further stages of care.

Morocco - Awareness-raising on the Council of Europe Convention at the universities of Settat and Béni-Mellal

Fight against trafficking in human beings

On 16-17 April 2019, the universities of Settat and Béni-Mellal opened their doors for two meetings aimed at increasing awareness amongst students, teachers and other professionals regarding the national and international framework for the fight against trafficking in human beings, as well as the role of the main stakeholders. These meetings allowed to remind the definition of human trafficking according to international standards, to insist on the institutional arrangements for coordination and to clarify the role of the judiciary, the lawyers and civil society in the protection of victims.

10th meeting of Committee of the Mediterranean School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (MedSPAD)

Combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking in drugs

The MedSPAD Committee, currently made up of representatives from 14 countries (Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia, Turkey) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction held its 10th meeting in Paris, on 10-11 April 2019. During the meeting, the Committee agreed on the steps forward concerning the 2019 MedSPAD regional report which will contain information on substance use prevalence in the participating countries, including age of first use, availability of substances and socio-economic context.




* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe and European Union member States on this issue.

This newsletter has been produced using the funds of a joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe.The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

Council of Europe, Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00

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South Programme III website

July 2019 - October 2019

South Programme III

Newsletter No 4 | Highlights July 2019 - October 2019




The South Programme III is a European Union/Council of Europe regional joint programme co-funded by both Organisations* and implemented by the Council of Europe. This quarterly newsletter presents key events held between 1 July and 31 October 2019.

4th Meeting of the Council of Europe Šibenik Network of Corruption Prevention Agencies

Combating corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

This meeting which was held on 16-17 October 2019 in Tunis gathered representatives of the anti-corruption and prevention agencies from 15 countries, including Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. It aimed at enhancing cross-Mediterranean partnerships and exchanges of good practices in the anti-corruption field. On this occasion, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia officially joined this Network. In addition, the Tunisian Anti-corruption Authority (INLUCC) also signed Memorandums of Understanding with its Moroccan and Jordanian counterparts.

Tunisia at the gates of the Istanbul Convention

Fight against violence towards women

On 16 October 2019, an exchange seminar entitled “From Law no.2017-58 to the Istanbul Convention” was held in Marsa. This seminar was organised after Tunisia had officially expressed the wish to be invited to accede to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) on 30 September 2019.

Tunisia joins the Lanzarote Convention

Children's rights

On 15 October 2019, Tunisia became the 45th State, but also the first non-member State of the Council of Europe, to join the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention). The Convention will enter into force with regard to Tunisia on 1 February 2020 and the Committee of States Parties, the Lanzarote Committee, will follow its effective implementation.

7th Intercultural workshop on democracy

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The 7th Intercultural workshop on democracy, organised by the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) in co-operation with the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) was held on 28-29 October 2019 in Strasbourg. Leading experts on the independence of the judiciary from Europe and the southern Mediterranean had the opportunity to exchange and share experiences on issues linked to the establishment and functioning of High Councils of the Judiciary and on the independence of justice.

South Programme III regional Steering Committee meeting

The South Programme III regional Steering Committee meeting was held in Brussels on 16 and 17 September 2019. It brought together more than 70 participants, including government officials, parliamentarians and representatives of the judiciary and civil society organisations from the Southern Mediterranean region, as well as representatives of the European Union and Council of Europe. Participants took stock of success stories and lessons learned from the implementation of the programme, and also exchanged views on new prospects for co-operation.

Awareness-raising of Moroccan authorities on European anti-corruption standards

Combating corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

On 24-25 September 2019, two consecutive actions aimed at raising-awareness of Moroccan authorities on European anti-corruption standards were organised. In particular, the Council of Europe Criminal (ETS 173) and Civil Law (ETS 174) Conventions on Corruption and the related monitoring mechanism, the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO), were presented.

Young Moroccan and Tunisian representatives participate in the "Enter! Youth Week, Nos droits, notre vie"

Participatory democracy and civil society

The "Enter! Youth Week, Nos droits, notre vie" was organised on 7-11 July 2019 in Strasbourg by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, in charge of elaborating guidelines for the development of youth policies at local, national and European levels. The aim of the event was to associate young people and youth workers from Europe and beyond in order to review the process of the implementation of the "Enter!Recommendation on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights" by member States of the Organisation. Moroccan and Tunisian participants involved in this activity exchanged and shared experiences relevant for this matter with their European peers.




* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe and European Union member States on this issue.

This newsletter has been produced using the funds of a joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe.The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

Council of Europe, Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00

South Programme III on Facebook

South Programme III website

November 2019 - February 2020

South Programme III

Newsletter No 5 | November 2019 - February 2020




The South Programme III is a European Union/Council of Europe regional joint programme co-funded by both Organisations* and implemented by the Council of Europe. This newsletter presents key events held between 1 November 2019 and 29 February 2020, end date of the programme.

Debate among journalists from the MENA region on women's rights and gender portrayal in the media

Media and freedom of expression

A networking study visit for media professionals and representatives of journalist’s union from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Lebanon was held on 27-31 January in Tunis. The objective was to raise awareness and strengthen participants’ capacities to produce ethical journalistic content and to ensure non-stereotypical and non-sexist media coverage. Participants also issued a list of recommendations aiming at facilitating an efficient regional collaboration to fight against sexist speeches on media and electronic platforms in the region.

Cross-border launch of the HELP course on violence against women and domestic violence

Human rights education for legal professionals

This transborder event was organised on 25-26 November 2019 in Rabat in order to launch the HELP online course on violence against women and domestic violence in Morocco and Tunisia. It involved partners from Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine*.

Cross-border launch of the HELP course on trafficking in human beings

Human rights education for legal professionals

Similarly, the HELP online course on trafficking in human beings was launched on 13-14 February 2020 in Tunis. This event allowed to present international and national standards in this area, as well as the contextualised courses for Morocco and Tunisia to legal professionals from Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon.

Regional workshop on cooperation between Anti-Corruption Agencies, Civil Society and the Media

Combating corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

On 12-14 February 2020, the Council of Europe organised a regional workshop which aimed to promote a strategic approach to cooperation between anti-corruption agencies, civil society and the media. The activity brought together the Moroccan, Jordanian, Palestinian* and Tunisian anti-corruption authorities with their European counterparts, as well as representatives of media organisations and NGOs involved in combating corruption.

Intercultural Integration Academy in Morocco

Intercultural Cities

The Intercultural Integration Academy organised in Marrakech on 18-19 February 2020 brought together participants from ministries, cities and NGOs from Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine* and Jordan in order to provide them with tools aiming at promoting interculturalism in policymaking and city strategies, the role of the intercultural cities’ national network and to introduce the anti-rumours methodology.

Publication of the MedSPAD 2019 regional report

Combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking in drugs

In November 2019, the MedSPAD 2019 regional report containing information on the prevalence of substance use among young populations of 13 countries of the Mediterranean rim (Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia) was published. It touches upon age of first use, substance availability, and socio-economic and policy context of the observed country, among other issues. The aim of such a report, and of the MedSPAD Committee overall, is to provide opportunities to share national experiences and to use the collected data to develop pertinent national prevention policies, as well as to evaluate them.

MedSPAD 2019 regional report ›

10th UniDem Med Seminar: "Leading innovation in the civil service: from rule of law standards to leadership"

Constitutional reform, new legislation and new governance bodies

The 10th UniDem Med Seminar co-organised by the Venice Commission in cooperation with the authorities of Jordan and Palestine* on 4-6 November 2019 in Amman, Jordan, gathered senior public officials from Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine* and Tunisia to exchange best practices in terms of innovation and leadership in the civil service.

Final report ›

Peacebuilding: supporting local youth engagement in the Southern Mediterranean region

Participatory democracy and civil society

On 5-6 December 2019 in Sweimeh, Jordan, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe organised a follow-up seminar to the Lisbon Forum 2018 that seeked to promote the establishment of a policy dialogue process with young people on issues related to peace and security. This seminar aimed at identifying the “take-ins” of interregional cooperation, promoting exchanges of knowledge and good practices between different stakeholders (international agencies, national governments, local authorities and civil society) and at contributing to the definition of a more youth-inclusive global agenda for peace.

Lisbon Forum 2018 report ›

Egypt - Workshop on conducting satisfaction surveys aimed at court users

Independence and efficiency of justice

The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) organised a workshop targeting judges and staff of the Egyptian Council of State to provide support in the conduct of satisfaction surveys aimed at court users. This workshop was held in Cairo on 18 February 2020.

Morocco - Training on the organisation and management of public prosecution services

Independence and efficiency of justice

The CEPEJ and the Presidency of the Public Prosecution organised on 11 and 12 February 2020, respectively in Fez and Casablanca, two training sessions for Heads of public prosecution and officials of the Presidency of the Public Prosecution on the organisation and modern methods of management of public prosecutor's offices.

Violence against women and domestic violence in Morocco: a strengthened role for prosecutors

Combating violence against women

The Council of Europe and the Presidency of the Public Prosecution of Morocco organised on 12-13 December in Marrakech and on 16-17 December in Agadir, two activities aiming at strengthening the role of prosecutors in the fight against violence towards women and domestic violence. These activities allowed participants to deepen their approach to issues linked to this problematic at the level of the judicial chain, as well as their knowledge on national regulations, international standards and best practices applicable in this field. These activities also took place in the context of the implementation of Law 103-13 on the fight against violence towards women, of Law 13-2012 identifying the conditions for domestic labour, as well as of the efforts made by representatives of the Public Prosecution in combating child marriage.

Morocco - Corruption Risk Assessment of the Banking Sector

Combating corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

In the framework of the corruption risk assessment of the Moroccan banking sector launched with the support of the Council of Europe, an on-site visit has been organised on 25-27 November 2019 in Casablanca. The purpose was to verify and analyse replies provided by commercial banks and the Central Bank of the country following the dissemination of risk assessment questionnaires developed by the Council of Europe. Additional information on experiences and perceptions of corruption in the sector were also collected. The data collected will be used to carry out a corruption risks analysis and to provide recommendations on risk mitigation measures.

Palestine* - Corruption Risk Assessment of the Judiciary

Combating corruption, money-laundering and terrorism

The preliminary findings of the corruption risk assessment of the Palestinian* judiciary were presented in Strasbourg on 10-11 February 2020 in the presence of representatives of the judiciary and of the Palestinian* Anti-Corruption Commission. These conclusions are based on the answers provided by representatives of the judiciary to the risk assessment questionnaires developed with the support of the Council of Europe. The information gathered will feed into the analysis of corruption risks in the Palestinian* judiciary and the recommendations on risk mitigation measures prepared by the Council of Europe.

25th Lisbon Forum: Achieving together the Sustainable Development Goals

Participatory democracy and civil society

The 25th Lisbon Forum was held on 25-26 November 2019 on the topic of Sustainable Development Goals ("Bridging the Paradigm: the relation between Development and Human Rights, the Rule of Law and Democracy - Achieving together the Sustainable Development Goals"). Each year this forum establishes a privileged platform for reflection and dialogue between representatives of governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society from Europe and the Southern Mediterranean. In 2019, participants among others reflected on how the Council of Europe contributes and could further contribute to the fulfilment of the 2030 agenda. It was also agreed that it is essential to address these issues in the light of the need to combine efforts at international, regional, national and local levels, in a multilateral and inclusive perspective.

Final report ›




* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe and European Union member States on this issue.

This newsletter has been produced using the funds of a joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe.The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

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