The conference of INGOs is the body of the Council of Europe which gathers all international INGOs with “participatory status”. This status is granted by the Secretary General and is regularly revised. The Conference of INGOs currently groups more than 300 international NGOs working together:
- To strengthen European citizen’s access to human rights
- To protect democratic values and systems based on the Rule of Law.
The purpose of the Conference is therefore to commit itself to the participation of civil society in public life and to the right to freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression (which are closely linked) and are essential elements of a dynamic civic space and sound democratic governance. The Conference is committed to preserving an enabling environment for NGOs in member States and to facilitate dialogue between civil society, the public authorities and other stakeholders. This is a fundamental axis of its work in the Council of Europe and in all member States.
As a representative body, the Conference of INGOs constitutes an institutional connection between the Council of Europe institutions and more than 800 million Europeans. Through the Conference of INGOs, the Council of Europe recognises a vibrant, pluralistic and dynamic civil society to be an indispensable actor of the democratic system, aiming to safeguard a civic space, acting for open, diverse and inclusive societies and accountable governments. It is essential that the Conference’s activities achieve impact within the Council of Europe and in its member States.
www.coe.int/en/web/ingo/conference
On February 11, 2021, euroart was granted by the Council of Europe the “Participatory Status with the Council of Europe”, as such euroart is a member of the “education for democracy” commission.