On 6-7 April 2009, almost 2000 people gathered in the capital of Turkey, Istanbul, for the 2nd Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Heads of government. Ministers and policy-makers. Business leaders and philanthropists. Civil society activists. Religious leaders. Journalists. Thinkers and scholars. Young people.

Thorbjørn Jagland has today been elected as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe. He enters his new position October 1, 2009.

From September 21-25, history teachers from 13 different countries such as Georgia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal and Slovenia gathered in Oslo to discuss and analyze the image of the other in history lessons.

The Autumn edition of the European Language Gazette is now online. This issue contains news from the ECML, the Language Policy Division and other relevant sectors of the Council of Europe covering the period January-September 2009.

The report on key human rights challenges and best practices in Norway was recently submitted to the UN Human Rights Council. It was drawn up by several ministries with input from civil society. The European Wergeland Centre is listed in the report as an initiative to improve human rights education in Norway, and other European countries.