Conference of national associations of local and regional authorities
Innovation to help us live together better
The round table on “Local innovation for stronger local authorities” held on 13 September during the Congress Conference showed that social and technological innovation is as much about incorporating human rights into local policies as it is about how we approach climate change, the fight against...
Representation of women and young people: how to boost democratic participation at local and regional level?
Making local and regional democracy more inclusive means first and foremost increasing the proportion of women among elected representatives, but also opening up assemblies to young people and allowing groups such as people with disabilities, the elderly and migrants to make their voices heard...
Congress conference supports democracy, resilience and reconstruction in Ukraine
News from the front line featured constantly in the debate on co-ordinating the aid provided to Ukraine by associations of local and regional authorities in Europe and making it more effective. Brought together by the Congress, their representatives were able to exchange views directly with...
Congress and national associations: advance the cause of local and regional democracy
The 4th Conference of National Associations of Local and Regional Authorities held in Strasbourg on 12 and 13 September gave the associations an opportunity to set out what they expect from Congress members while also taking stock of implementation on the ground on a daily basis of the various...
Local innovation is a catalyst for empowering communities
“We are living through unprecedented crises that pose new challenges and require innovating in response to them; local authorities are at the forefront of responding to these new challenges,” underlined Melanie Lepoultier, Deputy Permanent Rapporteur of the Congress on human rights and Mayor of...
Boosting citizen participation
A round table on “Boosting democracy by engaging all citizens”, held in Strasbourg on 13 September 2024, focused on the challenges faced by democratic societies such as a crisis of trust in representative democracy, a low level of engagement by young people and low rates of women’s participation...
Congress and national associations: Renewed commitment to upholding democratic values in cities and regions
At the close of the two-day conference in Strasbourg, the Congress of the Council of Europe and national associations of local and regional authorities from the 46 member states reiterated their shared commitment to upholding democracy, the rule of law, and human rights at the grassroots. In...
Resilience and reconstruction of Ukraine: Call for expanded partnerships with Ukrainian municipalities
There is a need for expanding municipal partnerships and co-operation between Ukrainian and other European municipalities, and for sharing good practices of municipal support for rural and small communities to increase their resilience; European local authorities must also pass a common motion of...
Council of Europe Bank committed to strengthening resilience of local communities
"Strengthening subnational governments’ capacity is a priority for the Council of Europe Bank, to scale up investments and social impact,” stressed the Bank’s Vice-Governor Tomáš Boček during the debate on the financing of local projects, in Strasbourg on 12 September 2024. According to him, the...
Congress President meets Mayor of Istanbul
On 12 September 2024, Congress President Marc Cools met Ekrem Imamoglu, President of the Union of Turkish Municipalities and Mayor of Istanbul, on the occasion of the Conference of associations of local and regional authorities. The President welcomed the ongoing co-operation with the Union and...
Associations of local and regional authorities stress the need for having a stronger role in multilevel governance
“Associations of local and regional authorities play a strategic role in promoting multilevel governance. They are crucial actors at national and international levels in strengthening elations between central and local authorities, which is of utmost importance for the health of our democracies,”...
Congress strengthens co-operation with the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils
On 12 September 2024, on the margin of the Conference of National Associations of Local and Regional Authorities, the Congress signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UAROR) to increase co-operation and contribute to building...
Democracy is built from the grassroots: Statement by the Congress President on International Day of Democracy (15 September)
“Democracy is our common asset which is built from the grassroots, and local and regional authorities can make a valuable contribution to maintaining democratic stability,” stressed Marc Cools, President of the Congress of the Council of Europe, addressing national associations of local and...
Conference of associations of local and regional authorities opens in Strasbourg
The role of local and regional authorities in effectively responding to the challenges facing European democracies, and their role in supporting Ukraine, stopping democratic backsliding, protecting human rights, saving the environment, and enabling young people’s involvement in democratic action...
Congress and associations of local and regional authorities: renewed partnership in strengthening grassroots democracy
On 12 and 13 September 2024, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will host a Conference of national associations of local and regional authorities from the 46 member states, at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. Organised on the occasion of the 75th...
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