Ministers’ Deputies

CM Documents

CM(2016)25                2 March 2016[1]

 

1251 Meeting, 15-16 March 2016

2 Democracy and political questions

 

2.4 Action Plan on Building Inclusive Societies (2016-2019)

 

Introduction

The Action Plan aims to assist member States in managing Europe’s diversity through smart policies fostering mutual understanding and respect. It is organised around activities in the fields of education, anti-discrimination and effective integration.

Several of the elements included in this Action Plan form part of the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to combat extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism. Other related work includes the recent initiatives of the Council of Europe listed in SG/Inf(2015)33: “Migration challenges for Europe: need for collective action,” as well as the new thematic Action Plan on Roma Inclusion. Finally this Action Plan also contributes to the follow-up to the Secretary General’s Second Annual report on the State of Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law in Europe.

A call for action

Diversity has become a fact of European life. This is due, in large part, to migration flows, as people continue to move around more than ever before. In many places we have also seen old prejudices give way to more modern mindsets, hastened by the Internet and allowing individuals to more easily express their different identities.

 

Europe’s cultural fabric has long been a rich tapestry, made up of many different traditions, heritages and outlooks. Diversity, however, must be managed. Integration does not happen by accident. Without smart policies to foster it and to promote mutual understanding and respect, parallel societies emerge: people living alongside one and other, rather than living together.

This is increasingly the case in many of our countries. At the same time we are witnessing a rise in racism, intolerance, discrimination, hate speech and other forms of extremist and xenophobic expression. Such trends are not only an affront to our values, but also a threat to our democratic security. Social fragmentation and mistrust between citizens always leads to tension and often violence and instability. Even before the current refugee crisis, a growing atmosphere of intolerance has been evident in many member States, with populist and xenophobic parties gaining popularity across Europe. The large-scale arrivals of asylum seekers create an even more urgent need for interventions that promote tolerance and inclusion.

 


First and foremost we must guarantee equality before the law for all citizens, as well as the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the basic rights as prescribed by the European Social Charter. Ensuring that all individuals can live free from discrimination and have fair opportunities, irrespective of their background, is one of the best ways to heal social division and drain the fear and resentment that extremists seek to exploit. On this platform of equal rights and equality before the law, we can then build inclusive societies, where individuals maintain their own identities while respecting each other’s differences, united by a set of shared, democratic values. This concept of “inclusive societies” is at the basis of this Action Plan. This is consistent with the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development of 1995 in Copenhagen, which stressed that “the aim of social integration is to create "a society for all", in which every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play. Such an inclusive society must be based on respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, cultural and religious diversity, social justice and the special needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, democratic participation and the rule of law”.

Like the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to combat extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism, there is not a single target group to which the Action plan is exclusively addressed; by nature, the activities proposed aim at having a long-term impact on societies as a whole. This being said, special attention is devoted to the integration and participation in societies of all their members in particular of children, youth, and migrants. Some of the elements and initiatives proposed in the Action Plan are addressed to national authorities; others to those who are most directly and daily involved in the issues relating to diversity: police, media, local authorities, civil society etc. 

Each member State will have its own specific needs and the Council of Europe will continue to provide targeted support, where requested, on a country by country basis.

Proposals for action

The Action Plan on Building Inclusive Societies has three main areas of focus:

1)         Education

Few fields of action are as important as education in our mission to build more inclusive societies. It is the means by which we teach our young people respect for other ways of life, while simultaneously instilling in all young citizens our shared and universal values. Moreover, education is a way to empower those who are most likely to be marginalised. Also, access to education is important to ensure that people participate as active and engaged members of a society.

2)         Combating intolerance and discrimination

The growth in racism, intolerance, discrimination, hate speech and other forms of extremist and xenophobic expression has created new challenges for governments looking to promote tolerance and provide adequate protections for potential targets. This requires renewed vigilance from member States and we must step up efforts and work across borders to tackle these dangerous phenomena and provide safeguards which meet the highest international standards.

3)         Support for effective integration policies

Governments cannot build inclusive societies alone. It is a shared endeavour which must engage all levels of government, and in particular local and regional authorities, as well as a range of non-state actors including civil society, religious and faith- based institutions, arts and sports organisations, as well as the private sector. To work together effectively we need to recognise and emphasise the role of these different actors in promoting human rights and cultural understanding, and how best to co-ordinate with public bodies to ensure that all are working towards the same ends.


1.         Education

a)         Competences for democratic culture

The Council of Europe is currently developing key competences for democratic culture for use in school curricula across Europe.

This project takes as its starting point the belief that formal, public education has a vital role to play in teaching young people about democratic values and universal rights while helping them understand cultural difference.  To make this a reality, European education systems need to be able to specify the skills and knowledge students at different levels of formal education should have in order to promote democratic, active and responsible citizenship. The project describes the main competences citizens require in order to participate effectively in democratic society and in intercultural dialogue. The competences and their descriptors (i.e. indicators) are intended as guidelines: a framework that member States will be able to adapt for their own education systems.

The required competences include developing values, attitudes, skills, knowledge and critical understanding that promote tolerance, peace and intercultural dialogue. The aim is not to teach young people what to think, but rather how to think in order to live together with others in diverse societies.  The aim of the project is to produce a practical and usable framework for education policy makers and practitioners, including ministries, schools and universities, teachers, teacher trainers and curriculum developers.

The project will build on the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights, and it is also part of the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to combat extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism.

-           The competences model for democratic culture and intercultural dialogue will be completed by the end of 2015. The testing phase of the project is ongoing, with the descriptors being piloted by teachers in a number of member States. In addition, an expert evaluation of the model is underway.

-           To help ensure that the competences are widely used in schools and other educational contexts, the Belgian Government has offered to host a Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Education in Brussels in April 2016. A second, large scale test will be conducted in 2016, and training will be provided for individuals who can later be trainers within their own countries.

b)         “Junior Edition” of Council of Europe White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue

-           The Council of Europe has developed a comprehensive policy framework and a set of instruments to support local authorities in managing diversity and integration. A new and additional initiative will be taken, whereby the Council of Europe will develop a “Junior Edition” of the Council of Europe White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue to be used in schools throughout Europe and test its use, as a pilot project, in a number of primary and secondary schools in our member States.

c)         Language skills as an engine for integration

The ability of migrants and refugees to speak the primary language of the state in which they are residing is of crucial importance for effective integration. This is emphasised also by the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe in its programme 2016-2019. Language programmes for migrants (adults and young people) are currently implemented across member States, drawing upon extensive guidelines and instruments developed by the Council of Europe. Activities in this area include, inter alia:

-           The new Council of Europe web page – LIAM (“Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants”) will be further elaborated, so as to encourage exchanges of good practices and by offering a platform that enables member States to reflect on policy and practice in this area, as well as pooling and accessing useful resources.

-           A symposium on The linguistic integration of adult migrants: lessons from research will be organised in Strasbourg, 30 March – 1 April 2016.


d)         Recognising qualifications of refugees and migrants

The Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (“Lisbon Recognition Convention” ETS 165) provides for the recognition of qualifications of refugees and persons in a refugee-like situation.

-           A survey will be launched through the European Network of Information Centres (ENIC) and the Network of National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC) to provide an overview of the current situation, in particular to evaluate whether there has been an increase of requests coming from refugees and migrants, as well as how such requests are dealt with and whether public authorities provide guidelines.

-           A working group on refugee qualifications has been set up to study recognition of prior learning and non-documented qualifications on the basis of preliminary information available and to identify possible gaps. The European Commission has been invited to participate fully in the work.

e)         Access to education for migrant and refugee children and young people

-           The Secretariat will carry out a study to identify legal and administrative barriers preventing migrant and refugee children and young people from accessing education and, on this basis, the Steering Committee for Educational Policy and Practice (CDPPE) will consider the elaboration of guidelines to promote positive policy measures, remedies and actions based on good practices in member States.

2.         Combating intolerance and discrimination

a)         ECRI initiatives against hate speech, racism and intolerance

-           ECRI provides important policy recommendations on combating intolerance, hate speech and anti-discrimination, as well as promoting integration. The general policy recommendations are primarily used for monitoring, and only after monitoring visits are more specific recommendations given to member States. ECRI will now take an initiative to identify “good practices” in combating intolerance, hate speech and anti-discrimination, as well as promoting integration which will be shared with all member States.

-           ECRI will launch a new initiative to train police on the issue of racial profiling and the use of reasonable suspicion standards, as well as in the legal safeguards in force to prevent racism and racial discrimination. The expectation is that this programme will be developed by ECRI and rolled out on a regional basis. In addition, issues such as recruitment of under-represented minority groups in the police and the possibility of establishing frameworks for dialogue between the police and members of minority groups, will be highlighted.

-           A launch event will be held to encourage member States to make full use of the upcoming ECRI General Policy Recommendations on Combating Hate Speech and on Irregularly Present Migrants.

b)         The “No Hate Speech Movement” Campaign

The “No Hate Speech Movement” Campaign has been extended for three more years (until 2017). The Joint Council for Youth is adopting a new concept for the fight against hate speech online, in close co-operation with the National Campaign Committees. In addition, the campaign is being extended to hate speech offline. Bilateral co-operation activities to support the Campaign at the national level can be organised upon request.

 


c)         The “No Hate Parliamentary Alliance”

In January 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) launched the “No Hate Parliamentary Alliance,” in order to raise awareness and encourage co-operation among parliamentarians and civil society against hate speech, racism and intolerance. In 2015-2017, the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance will organise hearings and seminars to this end, and will support the establishment of similar networks at the level of national parliaments.

d)         Congress’ Toolkit for locally elected representatives

The 2015 edition of the European Local Democracy Week focused on the theme “Living together in multicultural societies: respect, dialogue and interaction”. Based on the recently adopted “Guidelines to combat radicalisation and manifestations of hate at grassroots level,” the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will launch a special “toolkit” for use by locally elected representatives. The aim is also to organise targeted debates and events related to the growing number of refugees and migrants.

3.         Support for effective integration policies

a)         Committee of Ministers’ Guidelines on the promotion and protection of human rights in culturally diverse societies

The Secretary General will propose a debate in the Committee of Ministers in 2016 on how to best promote and ensure an effective follow-up to the guidelines to member States on the promotion and protection of human rights in culturally diverse societies, which will be adopted next year.

b)         Parliamentary Platform on diaspora-related issues

As a follow-up to its Resolution 2043 (2015) on Democratic participation for migrant diasporas, the Assembly is considering the feasibility of establishing a platform for the development of parliamentary dialogue on diaspora-related issues, including promoting political participation in countries of residence and origin.

c)         Youth and Children

-           The implementation of the Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation on Access to social rights for youth in disadvantaged neighbourhoods will be promoted and supported through targeted co-operation activities with a specific focus on municipal youth policy and youth work practice, and on facilitating the transition to autonomy and working life. A methodology for the systematic assessment of effectiveness of national youth policies in this respect will be developed and applied. 

-           The European Youth Foundation will in 2016 support as a matter of priority local and national youth NGOs in projects aiming at building inclusive societies. Funds will be allocated to initiatives supporting social inclusion strategies for young migrants and refugees, initiatives strengthening social cohesion in multicultural settings, and activities responding to stigmatisation and discrimination of/by young people based on religion or ethnic grounds.

-           The new Strategy for the Rights of the Child, to be adopted by the Committee of Ministers in 2016, will notably address issues such as age determination, appointment of legal guardians and access to justice and social services. Specific attention will in this respect be paid to the situation of migrant children.

d)         Intercultural Cities

-           The Intercultural Cities national networks will be strengthened by increasing the number of partner cities – currently more than 70 in Europe – as well as reinforcing their ability to interact with national authorities in helping develop and implement modern integration policies.

-           New projects will be implemented with the purpose of fighting stereotypes against persons of immigrant origin, promoting diversity in media and stimulating migrant entrepreneurship.


-           Another focus area will be the development of special programmes targeting diversification of political bodies and municipal staff, dealing with intercultural conflict and developing the intercultural competence of staff at local municipalities.

-           Building on the experience of cities within the ICC network, activities  will be organised to facilitate the dissemination of good practices in developing cities’ competences in refugee reception (including as regards how to meet refugees’ practical needs and establish local solidarity networks) and long-term integration of those who have been granted asylum. 

e)         Civil society

-           Promote the development of cross border partnerships between NGOs that have a proven track record in bridging cultural divisions and promoting diversity.

-           Foster the use of new working methods for intercultural dialogue at the level of local communities assisted by civil society, along the line of existing relevant initiatives such as the Bielanski Cultural Centre in Warsaw or the network of networks of the Anna Lindh Foundation in Alexandria, Egypt. Facilitate the dissemination of good practices throughout the member States.

-           Integration via sport of migrants will be a thematic priority of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) for 2016. A political conference on this subject will be organised to discuss how participation in local sport activities can represent an important way to create tolerance and understanding within communities and to build social networks. The conference will showcase good practice examples currently being implemented across Europe.

-           The Secretary General is convening a group of leading figures to draw up a reference document for better understanding of religious and convictional issues. This document will be broadly distributed and made available for a number of different purposes, including education and training. In addition, the format of Annual Exchanges on the Religious Dimension of Intercultural dialogue will be adapted to make it a forum for discussion on the contribution of this dialogue to the building of more inclusive societies, including with respect to the prevention of radicalisation.

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Implementation of the Action Plan

The proposed actions take into account complementarity and co-operation with the European Union and other international actors.

Gender, civil society and social cohesion dimensions are mainstreamed as relevant throughout the activities.

Co-operation in the framework of the policy towards neighbouring regions will, where relevant, take account of issues relating to fighting discrimination and promoting social inclusion.

Member States are encouraged to continue on a regular basis the sharing of “best practices,” as well as other types of relevant information.

Internal and external co-ordination of the Action Plan will be ensured at central level within the Secretariat and the Committee of Ministers will receive regular updates on the progress and results of the Action Plan through interim and final reports.

Funding will be provided from the Council of Europe’s Ordinary Budget, as well as voluntary contributions from member states and international organisations and partner institutions.

The Secretary General will submit to the Committee of Ministers an interim report on the progress and results of the Action Plan at the end of each year, and a final report by end 2019.


APPENDIX I

Action Plan  sectors

Relevant references in P&B

Status of the activity

Costs 2016-2017

Indicative annual costs expected after 2017

Budgetary resources (1)

Extrabudgetary resources (needs)

1. Education

1 073 200

200 000

480 000

Competences for Democratic Culture

Education for Democratic Citizenship, OB, expected result 1 (page 110)

Already ongoing

“Junior Edition” of the White Paper

Building Inclusive Societies, EB, project 3541 (page 106)

To be financed with extra budgetary (EB) resources

Language skills for integration

Building Inclusive Societies, OB, expected result 3 f (page 106)

Already ongoing

Recognising qualifications of refugees and migrants

Education for Democratic Citizenship, OB, expected result 2 (page 117), EB project 3541 (page 112)

Partly ongoing. To be completed with EB resources

Access to education for migrant and refugee children and young people

Education for Democratic Citizenship, OB, expected result 2 (page 111), EB, project 3541 (page 106)

Partly ongoing. To be completed with EB resources

2. Combating intolerance and anti-discrimination

740 000

1 605 300

536 000

ECRI initiatives (good practices, training, launch of GPRs)

Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), EB, project 3540 (page 37)

To be financed with EB resources

No Hate Speech Campaign

Youth for Democracy, OB, expected result 3 (page 124), EB projects 3529 and 3542 (Page 119)

Ongoing, to be further developed with EB resources

No Hate Parliamentary Alliance

EB project 3670 (Page 119)

Already ongoing. 

Congress initiatives

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, OB (page 96) 

Planned 


3. Support for effective integration policies

1 801 600

695 000

510 000

CM Guidelines on HR in culturally diverse societies

Enhancing the effectiveness of the ECHR system at National and European Level, OB, Expected Result 2 (page 29) and Committee of Ministers, OB (page 138)

Guidelines to be adopted end 2015, dissemination planned for 2016.

PACE Platform on diaspora-related issues

EB project 3523 (page 95)

In discussion, to be financed with EB resources. 

Access to rights for youth in disadvantaged neighbourhoods

Youth for Democracy, OB, expected result 3 (page 118), EB project 3528 (page 119)

Ongoing, to be further developed with EB resources

European Youth Foundation

European Youth Foundation, expected result 1 (page 120)

Ongoing

Children’s rights

Children’s rights, OB, expected result 1 (page 42)

Strategy to be adopted end 2015

Intercultural cities

Building Inclusive Societies, OB, expected results 1 (page 105) and 4 (page 106), EB project 3184 (page 106)

Ongoing, to be further developed with EB resources

Civil Society - NGOs

Building Inclusive Societies, EB project 3541 (page 106)

To be financed with EB resources

Integration through sports

Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sports (EPAS), expected result 2 (page 87)

Planned

Religious and convictional issues, including the inter-religious dimension of intercultural dialogue

Building Inclusive Societies, OB, expected result 2 (page 105)  

Already ongoing

Total

3 614 800

2 500 300

1 526 000

(1)   These figures only refer to non-staff appropriations


APPENDIX II

Council of Europe sources of justification

Overall sources of justification

-           Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ETS no. 9), Article 2

-           European Cultural Convention (ETS 18) Articles 2 and 4

-           Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ETS 157)

-           European Social Charter (revised) (ETS 163), Article 17, no. 2

-           ECRI’s Statute, country reports and 14 GPRs

Sources of justification for specific actions

1.         Education

a.         Competences for democratic citizenship

-           Recommendation Rec/CM(2012)13 on ensuring quality education

-           Recommendation Rec/CM(2010)7 on the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

-           Recommendation Rec/CM(2007)6 on the public responsibility for higher education and research

-           Declaration of the 24th session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education (Helsinki, Finland, 26-27 April 2013)

-           Declaration of the 2nd session of the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for social cohesion, (Istanbul, 12 September 2012)

-           Declaration of the 23rd Session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education (Ljubljana and Brdo, 4-5 June 2010)

-           Declaration of the 22nd Session of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education (Istanbul , 4-5 May 2007)

c.         Language skills as an engine for integration

-           European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ETS 148)

-           Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ETS 157)

-           European Social Charter (revised) (ETS 163), Part II Article 19

-           CM Resolution (68) 18 on the Teaching of languages to migrant workers

-           CM Recommendation No. R (82) 18 concerning Modern Languages and Appendix

-           Recommendation CM/Rec (2008) 10 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on improving access of migrants and persons of immigrant background to employment

d.         Recognising qualifications of refugees and migrants

-           Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (ETS 165)

-           Recommendation CM/Rec (2011) 2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on validating migrants’ skills

-           Recommendation on Criteria and Procedures for the Assessment of Foreign Qualifications, adopted by the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee (2010)

-           Recommendation on the use of qualifications frameworks in the recognition of foreign qualifications, adopted by the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee (2013)


e.         Access to education for migrant and refugee children and young people

-           Recommendation Rec/CM(2012)13 on ensuring quality education

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)3 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights

-           Declaration of the 23rd Session of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education (Ljubljana and Brdo, 4-5 June 2010)

-           Council of Europe Strategy and Action Plan for Social Cohesion (2010)

-           Council Of Europe Strategy For The Rights Of The Child

2.         Combating intolerance and anti-discrimination

a.         Fighting hate speech, racism and intolerance

-           CM/PV(2015)125-add1 / 19 May 2015     (Item 2.b) 125th Session, 19 May 2015 - Item 2 - A shared responsibility for democratic security in Europe: a. Report by the Secretary General on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe - b. The fight against violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism - c. The Council of Europe's role in response to the current crises and conflicts in Europe - d. The Council of Europe contribution to democratic security in Ukraine

-           CM(2015)74-final / 19 May 2015 - 125th Session of the Committee of Ministers (Brussels, 19 May 2015) - Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe “United around our principles against violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism”

-           Reports of the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

3.         Support for effective integration policies

c.         Youth

-           CM Recommendation Rec(2015)3 on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights

-           Draft Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016 to 2019/21)

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)4 on strengthening the integration of children of migrants and of immigrant background

-           CoE Guidelines on child friendly justice

-           CM/Rec(2011)12 on children’s rights and social services friendly to children and families

-           CM/Rec(2012)2 on the participation of children and young people under the age of 18.

d.         Intercultural Cities

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)1  of the Committee of Ministers to member States on intercultural integration

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)1 of the Committee of Ministers on interaction between migrants and receiving societies

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)2 of the Committee of Ministers on validating migrants’ skills

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)4 of the Committee of Ministers on strengthening the integration of children of migrants and of immigrant background

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)10 of the Committee of Ministers on improving access of migrants and persons of immigrant background to employment

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2001)19 of the Committee of Ministers on the participation of citizens in local public life

-           Recommendation R(97)21 of the Committee of Ministers on the media and the pro¬motion of a culture of tolerance

-           Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue. Living Together As Equals in Dignity


e.         Civil Society

-           Recommendation No. R (92) 13 rev of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the revised European Sports Charter (adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 24 September 1992 at the 480th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies and revised at their 752nd meeting on 16 May 2001)

-           Recommendation Rec(2001)6 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the prevention of racism, xenophobia and racial intolerance in sport (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 18 July 2001 at the 761st meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

-           Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)12 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the dimension of religious and non-religious convictions within intercultural education



[1] This document has been classified restricted until examination by the Committee of Ministers.