Strasbourg (France), 13-16 October 2025 | The Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) serves as the institutional voice of civil society within the Council of Europe (CoE) framework. It brings together all NGOs with participatory status in the CoE, including OIDEL. The Conference’s main goal is to facilitate civil society participation in the work of the Council. It convenes in plenary session twice a year in Strasbourg to set strategic priorities and action programs for INGOs, ensuring their contributions are coordinated and aligned with the Council of Europe’s mission.

During this autumn session of the Conference, challenges faced by NGOs in various countries were highlighted, and recommendations from the NGO committees were presented and adopted. These challenges ranged from excessive bureaucratic requirements imposed in the name of transparency, to penalties for being critical of governments, and even to covert attacks on NGOs’ bank accounts. This shows that the NGO space in Europe needs further protection and cannot be taken for granted.

The committee where OIDEL is expected to contribute most effectively is the Civil Society Committee on the Rights of the Child in Europe. We have already established contact with the committee chair and consider to actively engage in drafting future declarations and recommendations on issues related to parental rights and the right to education.