South Programme IV

Regional Support to Reinforce Human rights, Rule of Law and Democracy in the southern Mediterranean

The South Programme IV (March 2020-February 2022), co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the latter, builds on the achievements and lessons learned from its three past phases (I, II and III). Its overall objective was to continue to support democratic reforms in the Southern Mediterranean region.

More specifically, the South Programme IV aimed at:

Strengthening and pursuing efforts towards a common legal space between Europe and the Southern Mediterranean region;
Supporting the effective implementation of human rights, the respect of rule of law and improving democratic governance through improved institutional capacities;
Combating violence against women in the region;
Strengthening and expanding regional co-operation to address global challenges such as fighting economic crime and trafficking in human beings.

Objectives

Common legal space	Combating violence towards women
Institutional support	Regional actions

To reach these objectives, the Programme will used the following methodology:

A demand-driven approach applied by the Council of Europe to co-operation with regards to non member-States ensuring that any intervention is designed at the request of beneficiaries and with their consent;
Flexibility and adaptability to evolving needs and circumstances;
Multi-stakeholder approach involving government structures, independent instances, elected representatives and civil society to confront common issues;
Increased regional action, growing inspiration from the experience of beneficiaries, which have already engaged actively with Council of Europe standards, while duly considering each beneficiary specific needs;
Reinforced role of the Council of Europe field Offices in Rabat and Tunis, as regional hubs.