Council of Europe Development Bank

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate. Its mission is to promote social cohesion in Europe, defined as the capacity of a society to ensure the well-being of all its members, minimising disparities and avoiding marginalisation. The CEB pursues this mission by financing social investment and projects that serve vulnerable people across three lines of action: investing in people and enhancing human capital; promoting inclusive and resilient living environments; and supporting jobs and economic and financial inclusion. It is active in sectors including health and social care, education and vocational training, administrative and judicial infrastructure, historic and cultural heritage, social and affordable housing, urban rural and regional development, natural or ecological disasters, environmental protection, MSME financing, and microfinance. Three cross-cutting themes guide its activities: climate action, gender equality, and digitalisation. The Strategic Framework 2023-2027 sets its strategic directions, with objectives including responding to evolving social development and inclusion challenges, investing in the assistance and integration of refugees and migrants, and supporting the reconstruction and rehabilitation needs of Ukraine's social sectors. The CEB has 43 members, of which 26 are EU members and 8 are official or potential candidates for accession to the EU. It cooperates with the European Union and other international financial institutions and United Nations specialised agencies.

The CEB has its origins in the political upheavals that Europe experienced following the Second World War. It is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate, whose mission is to promote social cohesion in Europe. The Strategic Framework 2023-2027 serves as the reference framework for the CEB's activity and sets its strategic directions, with three overarching objectives for the period: respond to evolving social development and inclusion challenges in a flexible manner; invest in the assistance and integration of refugees and migrants, in their host communities, and in preparedness for future migratory dynamics; and support the reconstruction and rehabilitation needs of Ukraine's social sectors. Over the years, the CEB has forged partnerships with other international organisations and donors, and has become a partner of choice to the European Union, regularly cooperating with other international financial institutions and several United Nations specialised agencies.

A multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate, promoting social cohesion in Europe.

1. 1CEB: the social development bank for Europe | CEBcoebank.org
2. 2Mission and history | CEBcoebank.org
3. 3Partnerships | CEBcoebank.org
4. 4CEB Sustainability | CEBcoebank.org