IHEU has had institutional relations with the Council of Europe (CoE) since 1954 and is entitled to launch collective complaints at the European court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. IHEU was a member of the Liaison Committee from 2006 to 2008, Silvia Geise was Vice President of the Conference of international non- governmental organisations (INGOs) of the CoE, being involved in the agenda-making and background planning of the Conference of INGOs and representing it within and outside the CoE. IHEU was represented at the CoE during the period covered by this report by Silvia Geise, Michel Grosman, Georges Lienard and Keith Porteous Wood.

IHEU is member of the following committees: Civil Society and Democracy in Europe, Human Rights, and Education and Culture. The delegation attended the regular plenary sessions of the Conference of INGOs, the quarterly sessions of its thematic groupings, and in addition the sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly.

IHEU representation at sessions of the Conference of INGOs of the CoE and of the CoE’s Parliamentary Assembly
Traditionally, the sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly and of the Conference of INGOs take place in parallel. Therefore, the IHEU representative always takes the opportunity to attend both sessions and maintain contacts with members of the Parliamentary Assembly. IHEU has participated in all sessions of the:
• Conference of INGOs
• Liaison Committee meetings
• Relevant committees: Human Rights, Education and
Culture, Civil society and Democracy
• Working group on cooperation between CoE and
European Union

IHEU’s participation at some major events at the CoE

Exchange 2008 on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue: teaching religious and convictional facts (8 April 2008) The Humanist view was represented by EFH/FHE. Andrew Copson underlined in his speech the need to teach about non-religious convictions on the same basis as religious ones, making the point that education directed at increasing understanding of different beliefs and values will fail if the beliefs and values of the many non-religious people in Europe are not taught and understood.

Round table on the Rule of Law and Intercultural Dialogue (26 June 2008) This event was organised by the Conference of INGOs, Ms Gabriella Battaini, Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue of the CoE, presented the INGOs’ 2008 Activity Reports and the recently adopted Council of Europe White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, to which IHEU had contributed.

Representing the Conference of INGOs The IHEU head of delegation was invited to attend events to represent the Conference of INGOs where she made keynote speeches and chaired workshops. She spoke about Humanist topics or (at least) referred to IHEU and described its activities. These events included:
• Summer School “Baltic Practice” of the Moscow state university higher school of economics, Stockholm, August 2008
• Seminar on “Communicating Europe in partnership" Beyond borders and cultures, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Brussels, January 2009

Sylvia Geise is Head of IHEU delegation to the Council of Europe