The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held its 42nd Session from 22 to 24 March 2022, in Strasbourg, France.

A debate on the situation in Ukraine took place on Tuesday afternoon, March 22nd, and the Congress adopted an institutional declaration. On this occasion, Ukrainian Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksiy Chernyshov, Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, and Mayor of Mykolaiv City, Oleksandr Senkevych addressed remotely the Congress members. 

Also on the agenda were reports on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Germany, Luxembourg, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The competent ministers were invited to participate in the debates: Juliane Seifert, Germany, Taina Bofferding, Luxembourg, and Neil O’Brien, United Kingdom.

Congress members also considered reports on the observation of the latest local elections in Armenia and Georgia, and local and regional elections in Denmark, and Morocco. They held two debates: one on the use of deliberative methods in European municipalities and regions, in which the Mayor of the City of Mostar Mario Kordić participated, and the other on the situation of independent candidates and opposition in local and regional elections.

Debates were also held on the participation of children in the sustainable development of their cities, democratic pluralism in regional governance, regions and diaspora, rural youth and the role of local and regional authorities, as well as on "Fake news, threats and violence - pressures on mayors in the current crises in Europe". In addition, as at every session since the launch of the Congress' "Rejuvenating Politics" initiative in 2014, youth delegates participated in the debates.

Among the invited personalities were also Mariastella Gelmini, Minister of Regional Affairs and Autonomy, on behalf of the Italian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Marija Pejčinović-Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome, Italy, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions, Jean-Claude Marcourt, President of the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE) and President of the Walloon Parliament, Belgium, and Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)

 Agenda and documents: 42nd Session webpage

 Webcast recording available on the session's web file

 Interpretation: English, French, Italian, German, Russian and Turkish

 Multimedia: photos and videos will be available for download on the session's web file

 Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine | special page