The Presidency Project “Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the World” began in 2019.
The project represents a joint journey with the CONCORD members, and especially with their National Platforms, in the countries that host and will host the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
This project allows the respective National Platforms and CONCORD to work in closer synergy with shared advocacy and awareness-raising objectives.
As of 1 July 2024, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union comes to an end and Hungary will take the helm. Over these next six months, this join venture will continue in close collaboration between CONCORD and their member, HAND Association, the Hungarian national development platform.
Want to know more about the EU Presidency Project? Check our website for the latest information and updates!
HAND’S PROGRAMME FOR THE HUNGARIAN PRESIDENCY
Hungary is assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU starting 1st July 2024 – an exciting semester ahead branded by an iconic Hungarian intervention: the Rubik’s cube. Much like the cube coming together from 27 individual pieces, this Presidency is expected to revolve around 27 Member States’ joint work in the institutional renewal following the European elections.
In parallel, the Hungarian government is putting seven priorities on the Presidency agenda, one of them aiming to stem illegal migration. This objective brought several development cooperation areas in the spotlight, such as strengthening the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in fragile contexts, addressing the root causes of migration and tackling issues of global food security. Africa and particularly the Sahel will be regarded as a regional focus.
HAND Association, the Hungarian national development platform identified three priorities on its own for the semester:
global education
role and enabling environment of civil society and
development effectiveness coupled with PCSD
These will manifest in coordinating Hungarian activities around the annual Global Education Week and organising HAND’s flagship event: the international conference Shaping Tomorrow through Global Education at the end of November 2024. In addition, HAND will continue the capacity-building of local CSOs through individual and group trainings, especially in light of several new members joining the umbrella; the platform also carries on to advocate for an enabling environment for CSOs through initiating discussion with Hungarian and EU decision-makers. Finally, matching the official Hungarian priorities’ regional focus, HAND will participate at the Hungary-Africa Week, which is organized by its member and coupled by a large-scale thematic art project involving professional video and interview testimonies from the Global South and Europe alike, thus shedding light on common challenges through individual stories.
