News of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Hungarian stakeholders commit to partnership and dialogue to advance local self-government
“Serving citizens is the highest priority for local and national governments,” recalled Dr Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Public Administration and Regional Development in Hungary at the 35th Anniversary Conference of the Hungarian National Association of Local Authorities (TÖOSZ), organised in...
Congress Spokesperson on Youth calls for combatting hate in local communities
“Hate is a slow poison that – if left unaddressed – can spread widely in our communities, affecting the most vulnerable,” stressed Véronique Bertholle (France, SOC/G/PD), Congress Spokesperson on Youth and Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, speaking in a panel discussion on the state of hate and violent...
International Day against Homophobia: Congress reiterates its commitment to combating discrimination against LGBTIQ people at local level
On the occasion of the 2024 International Day against Homophobia, Biophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), 17 May, entitled “No one left behind: equality, freedom and justice for all”, Chair of the Committee on Social Inclusion and Human Dignity (SOC) Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD),...
Congress assesses challenges of local authorities in migration management in Poland, the Republic of Moldova and Romania
Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has caused mass displacement, with over six million refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe, and in particular in neighbouring countries. While local and regional authorities are key actors in migration management as they are at the...
Congress President expresses deep concern about the draft law in Georgia
The President of the Congress of Local and regional Authorities, Marc Cools, made the following statement today: “I share deep concern expressed by the Council of Europe’s Secretary General regarding the draft law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’, adopted by the Georgian Parliament at third...
Tunç Soyer at ALDA General Assembly: Local democracy received a new boost at Reykjavik Summit
“The important role of local and regional authorities in strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law received further recognition at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik last year, which gave a stronger mandate to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities,” underlined Tunç...
High-level Congress delegation to the Second International Summit of Cities and Regions in Ukraine
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Marc Cools, Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD) and Thematic Spokesperson on Youth, Véronique Bertholle (France, SOC/G/PD), participated in a high-level visit to...
Congress Vice-President participates in 5th European conference on democracy and Human rights
“Strengthening democracy, Human Rights, the rule of law as well as good governance and democratic participation at all levels is a shared responsibility of national, local and regional authorities” Congress Vice-President Bernd Vöhringer stressed at the opening of the 5th European conference on...
Congress to participate in the ALDA General Assembly and Festival
President of the Congress’ Chamber of Regions Tunç Soyer (Türkiye, SOC/G/PD) will participate in the General Assembly and Festival of the European Association for Local Democracy-ALDA, to be held from 13 to 15 May 2024 in Barcelona (Spain), in the El Born Centre for Culture and Memory. On 13 May,...
Lviv Agglomeration: Centre of Expertise helps ten local authorities to create a new association in Ukraine
Ten local communities (hromadas) including Lviv City, representing 90% of the Lviv metropolitan area’s population, launched a new association “Lviv Agglomeration” as a platform for their future collaboration. During its inaugural meeting on 29 April 2024, Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyi was...
Congress joins calls for more international partnerships with Ukrainian local authorities
Constructive multi-level dialogue, capacity development of local and regional authorities and their national associations, and peer exchanges are key to support Ukraine’s efforts in defending the country and ensuring recovery and reconstruction. These messages were presented by Bernd Vöhringer,...
World Press Freedom Day: Congress rapporteurs call for support to local and regional media in reporting on climate change
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, Congress rapporteurs on local and regional media, Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden) and Mélanie Lepoultier (France), issued the following statement: “The global crises we are facing today bring to the fore the importance of comprehensive and accurate...
Congress Secretary General at the Committee of Ministers: One year after Reykjavik, the Congress pursues implementation of the Summit’s conclusions
In his communication to the Committee of Ministers on 30 April 2024, Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori presented the Congress action to implement the decisions of the Reykjavik Summit, notably in supporting Ukraine, fighting against democratic backsliding, upholding human rights and the...
Congress launches a curriculum on human rights and anti-discrimination for local authorities in Georgia
The curriculum on human rights and anti-discrimination was launched in Georgia to equip local authorities with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives that are essential for advancing a human-rights based local democracy. Meeting in Tbilisi on 26 April 2024, the Forum of Exchange on Human Rights...
Congress 30th Anniversary Round Table: “The local level is ideal for reinventing democracy”
Founded in 1994 – following a decision taken at the 1st Council of Europe Summit in Vienna the previous year – the Congress, which took over from the Conference of Local Authorities of Europe established in 1957, has pioneered European-level co-operation for local and regional authorities in...
Call for tenders for the provision of local consultancy services in the Republic of Moldova
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is implementing two projects, on Reinforcing the culture of dialogue and ethical open local governance in the Republic of Moldova and on “Promoting civil participation in political decision making in the Republic of Moldova”, as part of the Council...
Local democracy and the rule of law: Congress Secretary General at Cambridge University
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Congress Mathieu Mori presented the recent Congress work on the link between local democracy and the rule of law at the 2024 European Future Talks series held at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge University, on 18 April 2024. The Talks were the occasion to...
Deliberative democracy: Congress launches new project in South-East Europe
A Regional project on “Promoting deliberative democracy and innovative approaches to citizen participation in South-East Europe” was launched on 18 April 2024 in Bar, Montenegro. It brought together local elected representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North...
Congress Secretary General urged Bulgaria to advance fiscal decentralisation
“Fiscal decentralisation is not about administrative restructuring; it is about political empowerment and citizen trust”, stated the Secretary General of the Congress Local and Regional Authorities, Mathieu Mori, at closing the final conference of the EU/CoE project “Developing fiscal...
New municipalities join the Open Government Partnership local programme
The Congress congratulates all new OGP Local members, and in particular Modriča and Travnik (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Causeni and Leova (Republic of Moldova), and Kyiv and Orzhytsia – Zviahel (Ukraine). Congress remains committed to support local authorities who are championing the principles of...
