The North-South Centre's main aim is to raise public awareness in Europe of issues of global interdependence and solidarity and its mandate notably includes strong advocacy of pluralist democracy and respect for human rights as fundamental elements of sustainable development.

The Centre was set up in 1988 after a European-wide campaign on interdependence and solidarity which had contributed to raising public awareness in Council of Europe Member States of Europe's many relations and complex interlinkages with the continents of the South. The Centre now plans to launch a new 1988 awareness-raising campaign in which it is expected that institutions and organizations from countries of Central and Eastern Europe, especially local authorities and NGOs, play an important part.

The aim of the Warsaw workshop is thus to bring together organisations/programmes (around 50 participants are expected to attend the workshop) aiming at raising awareness on issues of global concern (environmental awareness and protection, development, human rights and democracy) with a special focus on projects implemented through joint action by local authorities and NGOs.

The project is expected to contribute to the dissemination of information and the exchange of experience between local authorities and NGOs from the Council of Europe member states. Participants will also benefit from the contribution of some Southern Mediterranean local partners. The identification of good practice cases that might serve as examples for all participants as well as for general public will provide the basis for a book to be published after the workshop.

For further information:

Mr Mehdi Remili
North-South Centre-Avenida da Liberdade
229-4-1250 Lisbon
PORTUGAL
Tel.: +351.1.352 4954
Fax: +351.1.352 4966
E-mail: mremili@nscentre.org