In January 2006, Silvia Geise, was elected as one of the three vice president of the Liaison Committee of the Conference of Council of Europe’s (COE) International NGOs. Silvia, who had served as deputy to IHEU’s main representative Alexandre Marius Dées de Sterio for the past five years, switched functions with him this January. She was also contact person for the Liaison committee towards the COE youth advisory council, a function which she now passed on to another young person.
Around 400 International International Non-Governmental Organisations have participatory status with the Council of Europe (CoE), and these INGOs constitute the ‘Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe’, one of the four pillars of the CoE. The Council of Europe focuses on human rights in Europe and has an own parliament just as the European Union (EU). It is much larger than the EU with over 50 member states.
Silvia will devote her three year mandate to increase the public relations of the ‘Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe’. She looks forward to be in touch with humanists and receive feedback on the Council of Europe’s activities or blind spots. When you have any suggestions, questions or comments, you can e-mail them to IHEYO’s secretariat who will then forward them to Silvia: [email protected]