The protection of human rights by locally elected representatives was at the centre of the thematic debate held during the 47th session of the Chamber of Local Authorities, on 16 October.

The debate focused on the role of   locally elected representatives in safeguarding and implementing human rights in a context of recent attacks on elected officials and weakening of human rights protection. Human rights need to be considered as a concrete and tangible reality for local stakeholders, encompassing essential aspects such as education, housing, and social rights.

A guest speaker in the debate, Mattias Guyomar, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights (France), emphasised that mayors and other locally elected officials are at the front line of protecting human rights. For him, in addition to being the foundation of all democratic regimes, locally elected officials are the guardians against human rights abuses. They should therefore respect, protect, fulfil and promote human rights and act as a network for human rights protection. He also insisted on the need for continuous dialogue between the European Court of Human Rights and local elected representatives to explain the case-law of the Court and to learn about the daily implementation of human rights in municipalities.

Floriane Varieras, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg in charge of the “Inclusive City: solidarity, support for vulnerable people and anti-discrimination” campaign makes sure that conditions are met for people to live their lives with dignity. She highlighted the importance of implementing human rights at local level – for instance, by guaranteeing access to food, housing, and public services for most vulnerable citizens, especially youth residents. The Deputy Mayor also stressed that “the respect for human rights must be a compass for our day-to-day actions. This means taking action, but also promoting these rights”.

Ella Micallef, Youth delegate from Malta, highlighted the power local authorities have to react in situations potentially dangerous for human rights before they escalate, because of their proximity to   citizens. She also recalled the impact rulings of the European Court of Human Rights have on all European municipalities, and concluded by underlining that “young people rely on local and regional authorities to make the European Court of Human rights accessible for everyone”.

The speakers were followed by Congress members and youth delegates underscoring that local decisions had an essential role to play in consolidating the protection of human rights on the continent, both preventively and curatively.

Full speech Video

In 2014, the Congress became the first European assembly to involve youth delegates in its work and allowing them to speak at its sessions. Since then, the youth delegates have not only “Rejuvenated Congress politics”, but have also helped to “reinvigorate democracy”. This unique and successful example of integrating young people into political life should be replicated in all member states by elected local and regional assemblies, said the Congress in a debate followed by the adoption of a resolution.

Ten years ago, some members of the Congress remained sceptical about this outstretched hand to young people, fearing in particular that it would slow down its work. Today, said Véronique Bertholle (France, L, SOC/V/DP), Congress thematic spokesperson on youth, no one questions this participation, which is even seen as a way of strengthening the institution. “Since 2014, you have reinvigorated the prospects of the Congress”, she stressed, addressing the youth delegates: in ten years, 419 young people from all member states, one from each country, have succeeded one another in this role. 

Jani Kokko (Finland, L, SOC/V/DP), co-rapporteur on the resolution on The integration of youth perspectives in local and regional democratic life, stressed the need to further increase the role of young people in this area. The ongoing work on the Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life will take account of developments in recent years, including in communication techniques popular with young people, primarily digital tools, and will offer tools for cooperation between local and regional authorities and young people. In Finland, Jani Kokko emphasised, young people are already very much involved in political life, from the local and regional level right up to the national parliament, where they make a considerable contribution.

A session chaired by a youth delegate to talk about young people's projects

In a highly symbolic gesture, Congress President Marc Cools (Belgium, L, ILDG) handed over his seat to a youth delegate (Thomas Olsen AARHEIM, Norway) for the rest of the debate, during which several youth delegates presented concrete projects that they had carried out in their countries.

Jack O'Connor (Ireland), Sandra Slušnytė (Lithuania) and Lisa Cruz Lackner (Andorra), looked at how the cities of Tirana, Limerick, Vilnius and Andorra la Vella are applying the Charter on Youth Participation. Anna Ramkovica (Latvia) wanted to learna bout how young people from linguistic minorities - mainly Russian speakers - in the city of Jūrmala perceived their integration in relation to speakers of Latvian, the majority language. In San Marino, Maya Tentoni developed a very popular podcast to inform young people about the elections and the candidates' programmes. Henrik Harjus (Estonia) developed an application and a game enabling young people in Tartu to find out about the activities and missions of local authorities while walking around the city. Panagiotis Moumtsakis (Greece) worked on political and social engagement in cities and regions affected by the terrible fires of summer 2021. For Afia Mansoor Ahmed (Germany), summing up all the projects implemented by the 40 youth delegates in 2024, these “have enabled us to share our experiences, to improve dialogue between young people and local authorities, but also between young people themselves”. She thanked the Congress for “helping us shape our future”.

During the debate, many other youth delegates, as well as several Congress members, congratulated themselves on the success of the initiative launched in 2014. Many of the elected representatives noted that the motivation of the youth delegates had increased year on year. This was to be expected, added Hasan Akguün (Türkiye, L, SOC/V/DP), because “in our country too, the more our young people participate in local public life, the more interested they become”. 

Involving youth delegates more closely in the work of national delegations

Serbian youth delegate Jovana Milurovi (Serbia) believes that young people are still not sufficiently heard by international organisations, even though their opinions are essential for a more inclusive and democratic society. “We don't just want to participate, we also want to build”, she added. Aida Karimli (Sweden, R, ILDG) felt that “now that we have given young people a voice, we need to listen to them”.  

Soeren Schumacher (Germany, R, SOC/V/DP) strongly emphasised this point, while at the same time being critical of certain national delegations to the Congress which, in his view, did not involve young people enough in their activities: “It is not enough to invite young people to the plenary sessions; they must be genuinely involved in our work from the outset”, he said.  What's more, added two other members, “when you really work with young people, you are impressed by the quality of their commitment; they are inspiring and refreshing”.

Concluding the meeting, Véronique Bertholle hoped that other international assemblies would one day include young delegates in their composition, as the Congress is still the only one to have done so. She expressed the hope that youth delegates would be more representative of all aspects of youth.  Finally, she pointed out that one in five of the elected representatives in her city, Strasbourg, is under the age of 30, proof that the participation of young people is already a daily reality there.

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47th Session
Agenda – Web file – Photos

Having always been in favour of increasing regional autonomy, the Congress regularly studies its development and is intending to prepare a new report on the subject, as the previous one dates back to 2013.  On Wednesday 16 October, the Chamber of Regions discussed some particularly successful examples of asymmetrical regional autonomy.  From the Baltic to the Atlantic, they demonstrate all its benefits, both for the regions and for the countries they belong to.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Åland (Finland), Jörgen Pettersson, showed how the special regional autonomy of the islands, with their Swedish culture and language, had enabled them to develop since 1922 in keeping with their special features, while avoiding conflict between Sweden and Finland.  “Everyone benefits from the status, and Åland is a place of balance in the heart of the Baltic,” he said, while listing the powers of the islands, some of which were worthy of a real state, but were always in harmony with those of the Finnish Republic.

The specific features of the Azores (Portugal) stem from their geographical isolation and climate, which create living conditions that are very different from those in mainland Portugal.  “Since 1976, our special status has enabled us to fight under-development while pursuing policies better suited to the constraints of our environment,” said the Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Artur Lima.  The status had also weakened secessionist movements in relation to central government, while demonstrating perfectly that autonomy was viable under a subsidiarity approach.  In conclusion, he said that the Azores were a fully-fledged European region, and its people were proud to be Azoreans, Portuguese and Europeans, adding that no European citizens should be disadvantaged because of where they lived.

In the Basque Country, special regional autonomy is combined with fiscal and financial autonomy

Mikel Anton Zarragoitia, European Affairs Director of the Basque Government, described the operation and the specific features of his region, including the link between the “historic territory”, the three Basque provinces and the municipalities.  The Basque tax system, which was different from that in Spain, and the financial agreements and relationships between the Basque Country and Spain were unique examples in Europe that made for the effective exercise of particularly extensive autonomy.  However, the Basque government did note that these processes were sometimes threatened by a trend towards recentralisation.  In any case, he said in conclusion, the Basque example showed that a state did not need to be uniform to work well and that multilevel governance proved its effectiveness on a daily basis.  Lastly, Belgian youth delegate Boris Lennaertz pointed out that regional autonomy could also involve a linguistic status, or the status of a capital city – that was the case of Brussels, which was the Belgian capital and a fully-fledged region that was also officially bilingual, with French and Dutch being used without distinction.

Regional autonomy in Europe: progress and setbacks

In commenting on these successful models, Frédéric Bierry (France, L, EPP/CCE) nevertheless pointed out that some other regions in Europe had seen their autonomy decline or disappear.  In particular, that was the case of Alsace (France), which had lost its status as a fully-fledged region in 2015 and become part of the new “Greater East” region, “without any consultation by the French government of Alsatian elected representatives or voters.”  In his view, that was a “flagrant breach” of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.  He added that, according to polls conducted by the current European Community of Alsace (CEA), which he headed, 92% of Alsatians wanted the restoration of a fully-fledged region outside the Greater East region.  While regional autonomy eased tensions, he pointed out that, conversely, “refusing to listen to people encouraged extremes.”  In contrast, he praised the “maturity” of Swiss regional democracy, which had recently enabled the municipality of Moutier to be “transferred” from the canton of Berne to the canton of Jura.

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On October 16th, during its 47th session, the Congress adopted a resolution and recommendation aimed at ensuring access to quality social assistance for older people in the context of aging communities in Europe.

The demographics of European countries show a worrying trend: in 2024, the number of people over 65 exceeds that of young people under 15. The Congress report on the need to ensure older people's access to quality social assistance is therefore timely. Carla Dejonghe, Belgium (R, GILD), co-rapporteur, emphasized the challenges that local and regional authorities must address to achieve this: the growing demand for long-term care, rising costs of home and institutional care, staff shortages, and maintaining quality standards in a context of budget constraints. According to her, better multi-level cooperation between national, regional and local levels should lead to the adoption of more adequate legislation to finance not only sustainable care systems as such, but also innovative measures to allow older people to remain autonomous and live at home for as long as possible. In addition to its proven economic benefits, this new paradigm of home care is also less alienating, provided that cities follow comprehensive approaches in this area, as recommended by the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Cities Guide, and by providing an age-friendly living environment based on transportation infrastructure and social and health services adapted to their needs, for example.

Fully guaranteeing human and social rights to older people as full citizens would be, according to co-rapporteur Joanne Laban, United Kingdom (L, CRE), one of the priorities targeted by the Congress recommendations. A comprehensive approach should at the same time aim to improve working conditions, training and well-being of caregivers, as well as the establishment of specific funding by national governments to support local authorities in these areas.

Invited to the plenary session, Rui Moreira, Mayor of Porto, shared with Congress members the very positive experience of his city, which has joined the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities. According to him, the "demographic transition" is one of the great challenges for European local and regional elected officials in the 21st century as it tests the resilience of our societies' humanist values. The labor market and social and health systems will be impacted, hence the need to plan and implement strategies to combat poverty, isolation and discrimination of older people. The 80 projects initiated by the city of Porto, where 25% of the population is over 65, involved the participation of more than 30 local partners: parishes, schools, businesses and associations. About 10,000 older people benefited from these projects, including intergenerational activities, senior universities, taxi systems at bus ticket prices, etc. "Ensuring our populations age with dignity is one of the most important markers of civilization!" insisted the Mayor of Porto.

"Older people should in no way be treated as a burden, but as full human beings," said Sandra Slusnyte, youth delegate from Lithuania. She would like young people to be more involved in policies to help and support older people so that intergenerational transmission is strengthened and seniors can feel able to share the richness of their experience. She drew attention to the situation of rural communes abandoned by young people, but also by public services. Maria Virginia Iliuta, youth delegate from Spain, spoke about the financial exclusion that seniors suffer in rural areas deserted by bank branches, not to mention the digital divide that often represents a subject of despair for those unable to manage online administrative procedures.

Unanimously appreciating the qualities of the report, and the resulting resolution and recommendation, during the debate Congress members emphasized the importance of the financial factor and the need for local authorities to have sufficient autonomy in managing social and medical assistance. They paid particular attention to the burden borne by women who represent the majority of caregivers and especially "informal" caregivers taking care of family members. Faced with the weight borne by women who care for seniors in the family context, Turkish delegates insisted on the well-being of informal caregivers and their social fulfillment. A social worker in France, youth delegate Marie Fritsch sounded the alarm about the distress of poor retirees sometimes forced to choose between a meal and medication, not to mention those who end up living on the street. The particular needs of LGBTIQ+ seniors who suffer more often from isolation and discrimination should be taken into account specifically, pointed out Helen Belcher from the United Kingdom (GILD).

Finally, the debate was also an opportunity for Congress members to share good practices that could inspire their colleagues: cross-border Active Seniors programs or co-housing between young people and older people in Austria, lifelong learning programs in Ukraine, the Dependency Pact in Brandenburg, Germany, Proud to Care in the United Kingdom or day centers in some cities in Turkey.

 Mediabox interview with Carla Dejonghe & Joanne Laban, Co-rapporteurs on "Ageing Communities"

Meeting on 16 October 2024 during the 47^th session, the Congress Chamber of Regions held debates on regions with a special status; the place of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in regional governance (with an emphasis on the opportunities and risks of integrating them in political decision-making, and their potential impact on democracy and human rights; as well as on the role of regions in international co-operation for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

The latter debate built upon the declaration inviting European cities and regions to explore partnership opportunities with their Ukrainian counterparts, which was adopted during the Congress’ session in March 2024.The debate focused on the humanitarian objectives, infrastructure, reconstruction of public social facilities and economic development of Ukraine, and structural reforms linked to the European integration objectives of Ukraine, henceforth a candidate for accession to the European Union.

”Local and regional authorities in Ukraine play a crucial role in the pursuit of the country’s recovery and reconstruction,” stressed Tetiana Yehorova–Lutsenko, President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils and Chair of the Kharkiv Regional Council. She pointed to the crucial importance of European and international partnerships with Ukrainian regions and cities, mostly needed in such core areas as the restoration of critical infrastructure, delivery of social services and the development of the education and healthcare sectors.

For Pavlo Zhurba, Deputy Head of Ternopil Regional State Administration, decentralised cooperation enabled the Ukrainian regions to determine for themselves ‘where their real needs lie’.  He underlined that decentralisation was an integral part of reconstruction, and added  that “international partnerships can act as a catalyst for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction process since they contribute to mobilising the necessary resources, sharing good practices, and finding innovative solutions.”

Patrick Molinoz, Vice-President of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region in France, and Anita Schneider, President of the Gießen District in Germany, detailed their respective regions’ partnerships with Ukraine’s Vinnytsia oblast and the Chernihiv rayon. Ms Schneider highlighted the importance of solidarity partnerships in the same way as technical assistance, adding that “the choice of themes and cooperation must be as close to the people as possible”.

Mr Molinoz, in his capacity as President of the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) of the European Committee of the Regions, referred to the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. He explained that the Alliance acted as a platform where local and regional authorities, their associations and civil society in the European Union and Ukraine can share information, create partnerships, and work to ensure that local and regional levels of government are involved in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction process.

Vice-President Molinoz also stressed the need for better coordination between the players involved, especially between all levels of governance, as well as a fair redistribution of resources according to the most urgent needs. In line with Ukraine's objective of European integration, he also focused on capacity-building and called for a “build back better” approach in order to comply as closely as possible with EU standards. Finally, Mr Molinoz announced that on 19 November the French Mayors' Congress would be holding a conference on regional cooperation with Ukraine, with the aim of re-mobilising local authorities on this issue.

During the debate, regional elected representatives encouraged their peers to develop co-operation projects and partnerships with regional and local actors in Ukraine, while youth delegates called on Congress members to involve young people and civil society in decision-making processes linked to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

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Speaking at the opening of the 23^rd Conference of the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy organised in Valongo on 17-19 October on “How can participatory democracy help us counter populist threats and build democratic resilience”, Konstantinos Koukas, Congress spokesperson on the European Local Democracy Week and local councillor of Mykonos (Greece) highlighted that participatory democracy is a powerful antidote to populism: “When people are actively involved in shaping public policies, they are less likely to feel disconnected or disenfranchised, and more likely to trust democratic institutions”.

Congress vice-president Koukas  stressed that institutionalising mechanisms of participation not only empowers citizens but also builds a more resilient, pluralistic democracy, better able to withstand the threats of disinformation, distrust, and populist trends. “Where populism thrives on division, exclusion, and a growing distrust in democratic institutions, participatory democracy, by contrast, offers a path toward inclusive governance”, he underlined.

He further elaborated on practical approaches to engage citizens in decision-making, such as participatory budgeting, citizens' assemblies, digital e-democracy platforms, collaborative workshops, and youth councils. These initiatives foster greater civic engagement and strengthen democratic processes at the local level.

Presenting the European Local Democracy Week organised by the Congress which aims to promote events organised by cities and regions with and for their citizens, Koukas praised the city of Valongo which has been for many years an active and innovative partner of the European Week of Local Democracy, organising every year, a wide range of such activities.

He encouraged the participants of the Valongo Conference to take the lessons learned about others’ experiences and best practices, successes and challenges back to their communities and continue the essential work of building democratic resilience through active and innovative action to promote citizen participation.

Speaking notes Mr. Koukas IOPD Conference_October 24

On 15 October 2024, during its 47th session, the Congress unanimously adopted a resolution and a series of recommendations on the circular economy.  The presentation of the report was followed by a debate that provided practical examples of the circular economy’s positive impact on the environment and also on employment and the social climate.  Being closest to citizens’ concerns and needs, local and regional authorities are set to play a key part in the process of transforming practices and mentalities in terms of production and consumption.

Drawn up by the Congress Committee on Governance, Civic Engagement and the Environment, the report on the urgent need to transform the linear economy into a circular one takes account of the latest (2023) – very alarming – data from the IPCC concerning the exhaustion of resources and degradation of the environment.  The co-rapporteur, Linda Gillham, United Kingdom (L, ILDG), stressed that it was the “take-make-dispose” economic model of linear production – and the related consumption practices – that were the source of the problem.  Hence the need to tackle it more resolutely than ever, not only to achieve the goal of a sustainable economy but also to bring about greater social and environmental justice, which would ensure better respect for human rights.  Breathing cleaner air, having better quality food and water and living together in greater harmony were the goals that should persuade people to adopt environmentally responsible consumption habits.  According to the co-rapporteur, Kristoffer Tamsons, Sweden (R, EPP/CCE), recycling waste and reusing materials and also technological products whose manufacture required the extraction of precious metals, for instance our mobile phones, could not only have an impact on the environment and solve the problem of the exhaustion of resources but also curb practices such as the exploitation of children and cheap labour.  The circular economy model relied on local producers and entrepreneurs in Europe, with emphasis on short production-consumption circuits.  That was why it was also based on the commitment of local and regional authorities on the ground, working hand in hand with business, civil society, universities and schools.

In his view, persuasion and encouragement were the keys to the success of the expected transformation.  “It is better to use the carrot than the stick,” he said, adding that the report set out a real roadmap for local and regional authorities, which could address the issue of establishing the circular economy by employing both incentive measures and educational strategies, while using the evaluation tools it included.  The recommendations on incorporating the principles of the circular economy in local authorities’ policies emphasised the establishment of public-private partnerships to adopt sustainable manufacturing methods through changes in the supply chain and eco-designing.  Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – which was a terrible scourge in both human and environmental terms – and the repercussions of the Covid‑19 pandemic had both highlighted the major weaknesses in the global supply chain, encouraging Europe to give priority to local, sustainable and resilient circuits.

The debate highlighted a series of challenges which local and regional authorities faced when it came to introducing policies to promote the circular economy, in particular the lack of adequate funding from national budgets for local authorities.  For that reason, Anthony Buchanan, United Kingdom (ILDG), believed that the polluter-pays principle should always be applied, which would act as a deterrent while also funding circular economy projects.  Several members shared details of best practice in this area from their municipalities and regions, including policies in the agrifood and construction sectors in Fribourg in Switzerland, where the universities trained specialists in the use of recycled materials, public-private partnership projects established in Cheltenham in the UK and the transformation of the chemical and textile industry in Sweden, etc.

The importance of co-ordinating policies at local, regional, national, European and, indeed, global level was emphasised, in particular in terms of regulating the market where all too often environmentally unsustainable products were cheaper and more readily available to consumers, according to Gunes Pehlivan, Türkiye (SOC/G/PD).  In this connection, Eke Fryslan Folkerts, Netherlands (EPP/CCE), commented that innovation had to be central to green policies in order to achieve innovative and less costly solutions.  Lastly, all relevant policies had to converge so as to offer the possibility of responsible and consensual choices to citizens who, as consumers, were the driving force behind transformation of the economic and social model.  The youth delegates from Romania and Albania also took part in the debate, stressing how ready the younger generation was to take up the challenge, as young people were already fully in favour of this economic model.

“The active participation of all our citizens in political decision-making , including young people, is crucial  in guaranteeing the legitimacy, credibility and functioning of our democratic systems,” stressed Congress Spokesperson on Youth Véronique Bertholle (France, SOC/G/PD) addressing the 47^th session. Speaking in a special debate to mark the 10^th anniversary of the Congress’ “Rejuvenating Politics” initiative – chaired exceptionally and for the first time by a youth delegate, Thomas Olsen Aarheim from Norway – Ms Bertholle pointed out that the initiative showed the Congress “walks the talk” when it comes to including young people in public life at local and regional levels.

Launched in 2014, the youth delegates programme brings together each year one young person for each member state to take part in Congress work, and to implement projects in their local communities. During the debate, youth delegates recalled that young people were not only shaping the foundation for the future, but also building the present. Young people should not just be invited to the table, they should be equal partners at the local level, stressed youth delegates.

To this date, almost 420 young people have benefited from this programme. Together, they have implemented 268 projects in around 343 municipalities across all of Europe. Among others, a podcast on elections in San Marino, an exploration game in Estonia and research on national integration in Latvia were presented by youth delegates during the special debate.   

The debate concluded with the adoption of a resolution, presented by co-rapporteurs Jani Kokko (Finland, SOC/G/PD) and Randi Mondorf (Denmark, SOC/G/PD). Adopted unanimously, the resolution commended the pioneering role of the Congress in engaging young people at local and regional level and welcomed the renewed commitment of Council of Europe member states to young people’s participation in democratic life. Member states were encouraged to make sure that youth policies were designed at the national level with adequately resourced measures.

The resolution also called on local authorities to implement co-management structures such as youth councils, to use means of communication adapted to young people’s practices and to build partnerships with educational institutions to raise young people’s awareness of the role they can play in public democratic life.

 Mediabox Interview with Vérionique Bertholle

 Mediabox Interview with Afia Mansoor Ahmed

 Mediabox Interview with Ivan Donev

 Congress Rejuvenating Politics Initiative: 10 years of making democracy younger

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Türkiye should revise the restrictions on the right to vote and stand in elections as well as on the freedom of expression, enhance the accuracy of electoral rolls, strengthen the participation of women and youth in elections and pursue efforts to ensure accessibility of polling stations.

These were the key recommendations adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, based on the findings of the report of the Congress mission to observe local elections in Türkiye on 31 March 2024.

Presenting the report, David Eray (Switzerland, R, EPP/CCE) and Vladimir Prebilič (Slovenia, L, SOC/G/PD) pointed out that the elections were conducted in a calm and professional manner, despite deficiencies observed during the pre-election period and against the background of a challenging economic situation and post-earthquake reconstruction. They commended the level of commitment of voters and candidates to local democracy down to the level closest to the citizens and welcomed the wide acceptance of results. They also noted that the electoral campaign was highly competitive and offered voters with substantial alternatives, and welcomed the fact that the post-electoral developments seemed to show a successful democratic transition of power.

At the same time, the Congress delegation found that most 2019 Congress recommendations remained unaddressed – in particular measures to guarantee an equal level playing field for all candidates, which remain a prerequisite for genuine democratic elections at local and regional levels. The campaign also remained excessively focused on national politics and marred by widespread allegations of misuse of public resources and official positions. Finally, the Congress delegation deplored the decision of the Ministry of the Interior to resort to controversial articles of the Municipality Law to appoint a trustee in lieu of an elected mayor.

 Full speech (David Eray)

 Full speech (Vladimir Prebilič)

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The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has reiterated its call on the Georgian authorities to reverse the recently adopted anti-human rights legislation and to refrain from taking any action that would further threaten political pluralism, infringe on human rights or undermine the foundations of democracy, all of which would also be detrimental to local self-government in Georgia.

The Congress recalled that the national authorities of Georgia must fulfil the obligations and commitments they renewed in the Reykjavik Declaration in May 2023, and that they can be held accountable by the Council of Europe’s statutory bodies if they fail to do so.

In a Declaration adopted following an urgent debate on the situation in Georgia during its 47^th session, presented by Congress Vice-President Xavier Cadoret (France, L, SOC/G/PD), the Congress expressed deep concern over clear signs of democratic backsliding and the weakening of human rights in Georgia, marked by increased polarisation of society and the enactment of legislation that runs counter to Council of Europe standards.

The Declaration reiterated the need for effective protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including non-discrimination and freedom of assembly; local authorities must not be put in a position when they are required by law to violate human rights and fundamental freedoms or to implement anti-democratic policies to the detriment of inclusivity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence within their communities. The Congress also underlined its commitment to pursuing constructive political dialogue with the Georgian authorities, notably in the framework of a high-level visit to Georgia, and its continued support to the efforts of Georgian authorities at all levels of government, in collaboration with civil society, to safeguard human rights, uphold the rule of law, and promote democracy.

 Mediabox interview with Xavier Cadoret

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47th Session
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On 16 October 2024, the Congress held a debate on the key challenges faced by local and regional authorities in Europe over the past five years, based on the findings of its monitoring and election observation missions.

Inadequate financial resources for local and regional authorities, a restricted scope of local self-government, and insufficient consultation processes – all factors weakening local democracy and therefore democracy as a whole – have persisted or worsened. Virulent online hate speech and disinformation towards local and regional elected representatives, as well as physical and verbal aggressions against them were on the rise, which created a hostile environment for the execution of their mandates. This pattern, particularly evident during elections, had become more pronounced in recent years, exerting paralysing effects on European democracies and political life at the local and regional levels. In particular, they were detrimental to local democracy as they challenged the conditions of office required for elected representatives to be able to freely exercise their local mandates, and had a chilling effect on future candidates in elections.

These were findings of the third periodic report on recurring issues revealed by Congress monitoring and election observation missions, presented by Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, R, ILDG) and Thibault Guignard (France, L, EPP/CCE). Intended to serve as an early warning mechanism to detect negative developments and reinforce positive ones, in order to prevent and counteract democratic backsliding at local and regional levels, the report raised an alarm about ripple effects that multiple successive crises over 2021-2024 had on grassroots democracy and elections in all member States. The crises challenged voters’ trust in their institutions and in representative democracy at all levels of government; in many cases, they led to recentralisation of competences and temporary suspension of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. Their consequences had to be addressed without delay to stop democratic erosion.

The rapporteurs pointed in particular to the strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as climate change and their related consequences – such as internal displacement, inflation, cyberattacks, disinformation and interference, among others.

At the same time, positive steps in the implementation of the Charter were noted, including the strengthening of participatory and consultation rights of associations of local and regional authorities as well as measures aimed at enhancing citizen participation in local public affairs. On electoral matters, the report highlighted progress made on the inclusivity of elections and on more professional and transparent electoral procedures.

   Mediabox interview of Stewart Dickson

On 15 October 2024, the Congress debated the situation of local and regional democracy around the world and the relevance of the European Charter of Local Self-Government for inspiring decentralisation processes in non-member states.

Addressing the 47^th session, Congress Vice-President Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE) presented the Outcome Statement adopted in September by the UN Forum of Mayors – chaired by Congress member Danela Arsovska, Mayor of Skopje (North Macedonia) – and endorsed by the Congress Bureau the day before the debate. Referring to Congress Recommendation 511 on “The UN Pact for the future: the essential role of local and regional authorities in global sustainable development”, the Outcome Statement called for granting local and regional governments a special status within the United Nations and for formalising their dialogue with the UN political bodies, to foster the decentralisation of power, decision-making and resource management worldwide.

Vice-President Helgesen highlighted the recent Congress co-operation with global partners in promoting multilevel governance and its contribution to the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York, the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Geneva and the Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments set up by the UN Secretary-General.

A guest speaker in the debate, Sami Kanaan, former Mayor of Geneva and President of the Global Cities Hub, insisted on the need for local and regional authorities to have a more institutionalised role in global decision-making processes and welcomed the Congress cooperation with the Forum of Mayors,  pointing out that it was the only official and recognised body allowing mayors to sit in their own capacity within the UN.

Noting that Europe was one of the most decentralised world regions where local democracy was accepted as a core value – thanks to the European Charter of Local Self-Government – other guest speakers, from non-European countries, emphasised considerable advantages offered by strong local self-government and the crucial role of decentralisation of power, also for ensuring citizens’ participation in political decisions. Deputy Mayor of Rabat (Morocco) Rahima Ouzzani Taibi and member of the Regional Council of Nouakchott (Mauritania) Ahmed Salem Ahmed Dekle, as well as Deputy Mayor of Athens (Greece) Georgios Giannaros shared their experiences of practicing local self-government in their countries.

 Video recording

 Mediabox Interview of Ahmed Salem Ahmed Dekle & Rahma Ouazzani Taibi

 Mediabox Interview of Georgios Giannaros

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2024 will be the year when Europe will count more people aged over 65 years than those younger than 15 years, and most Council of Europe member states are affected by this trend. These demographic changes are not without consequences, in particular for local and regional authorities, who face a growing need for the creation of more accessible public spaces, for more elaborate social services and for active ageing policies. To ensure older people’s autonomy and quality of life in this context, multidimensional and multilevel responses are needed.

This was the conclusion of a Congress report presented by co-rapporteurs Carla Dejonghe (Belgium, ILDG) and Joanne Laban (United Kingdom, ECR) at a debate on “ageing communities” held during the 47^th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on 16 October 2024.

The report called for investing in older people’s autonomy at the level of local communities, fostering volunteering work and community-based initiatives and improving the working conditions and skills of formal and informal carers, often women. National governments were invited to develop specific support programmes for local and regional authorities, which are often responsible for providing, commissioning or overseeing long-term care services. Governments were also asked to provide sufficient funding for such systems, including through equalisation funds aimed at overcoming territorial gaps, and to foster a favourable national context for working in the care sector.

The co-rapporteurs underlined the importance of engaging older people themselves in improving the design of services for their generation and in making use of innovative measures, such as IT-based solutions, to preserve their independence.

A guest speaker in the debate, Mayor of Porto (Portugal) Rui Moreira presented his city’s commitment for the development of more age-friendly communities and the numerous initiatives taken by Porto in recent years as a member city of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities, encouraging Congress members to join this global movement.

 Full speech

 Mediabox Interview with Carla Dejonghe & Joanne Laban

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Addressing the 47^th session, Vice-Minister of the Interior of Lithuania Arnoldas Abramavičius, speaking on behalf of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, underlined the paramount role of the Congress in protecting the values of the Council of Europe.

He acknowledged the Congress's monitoring work as an ‘early warning system’ to signal potential democratic erosion, noting that its efforts had not only produced stronger local governance but were also helping to give a new boost to democratic practices in Europe. The recent conference on multilevel governance in Vilnius produced concrete recommendations in this respect. The Vice-Minister also praised the Congress support for the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine.

Recognising the crucial role of youth in shaping the future of democracy, Vice-Minister Abramavičius welcomed the 10th anniversary of the Rejuvenating Politics initiative, as a milestone in integrating young people into political life – the importance of which was affirmed by the Reykjavik principles.

Referring to the high-level Conference on the revised European Social Charter, held in September in Vilnius, the Vice-Minister pointed out that the Vilnius Declaration attached great importance to dialogue with local authorities in promoting policies based on social rights, and welcomed the Congress' focus on guaranteeing the right to adequate housing and addressing the housing crisis as a commitment to stronger social rights.

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Strasbourg, 16 October 2024 – In a recommendation adopted today, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe welcomed the 2019 local government reform in Malta, the lowering of the minimum age for local elections to 16, and Malta's ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.

At the same time, the Congress expressed concerns about the limited scope of local self-government, the ineffectiveness of consultations with local authorities, and the excessive supervision of local self-government by the central authorities, particularly through executive secretaries.

These were the main conclusions of the monitoring report on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Malta, presented during the 47^th session by Cecilia Feliczitasz Friderics (Hungary, L, ECR) and Matthias Gysin (Switzerland, L, ILDG).

The rapporteurs highlighted financial constraints to which local authorities were subject, including the lack of adequate financial own resources allocated to them and dependence on earmarked grants. Additionally, the regions recently recognised as the level of local self-government under domestic law could not be considered genuine regions within the meaning of the Charter since their members were not directly elected and they lacked financial autonomy.

The Congress recommended that the national authorities of Malta, among other measures, increase local authorities' competences, ensure effective consultation process, limit administrative supervision to supervision of compliance with the law, review the system of financing local authorities, and diversify local funding. It also recommended granting local councils more administrative freedom, enhancing their powers to manage executive secretaries independently, and allowing mayors to choose between full-time or part-time work. Conferring special status on Valletta should also be considered to enable it to meet the specific needs associated with its role as the capital.

Addressing the session, Malta’s Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Alison Zerafa Civelli stressed that the amendments to the Local Government Act following the 2019 reform were a key step to providing increased autonomy to local and regional authorities. “While there is still work to be done, it reflects the progress made by successive governments that have remained committed to fostering active citizenship,” she said.

 Full speech 

 Video recording 

 Mediabox interview with  Cecilia Feliczitasz Friderics and Matthias Gysin

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The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has called on Latvia to increase revenue potential at the local level, align local financial resources with local competences, simplify supervision and clarify the division of competences.

In its recommendation based on a monitoring report by Jorge Sequeira (Portugal, L,SOC/G/PD) and Gobnait Ní Mhuineacháin (Ireland, L, ILDG) on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the Congress welcomed the  opportunities for residents to engage in budgetary and decision-making processes and the ongoing digitalisation but raised concerns about the heavy reliance of local authorities on central funding, limited capacity for local resource generation and excessive earmarked grants.

The rapporteurs called for signing and ratifying the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.

The debate was followed by an exchange of views with Inga Bērziņa, Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development of Latvia, who stressed that the new Local Government Law in her country provided for more active public participation in decision-making and in the functioning of local government.

 Video recording 

 Mediabox interview with Gobnait Ní Mhuineacháin and Jorge Sequeira

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On the occasion of the 47^th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Chamber of Regions has elected a new President to fill the vacant position.

Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) has been elected as President during the sitting of the Chamber of Regions on the 16^th of October. She is a member of the regional council of Västra Götaland and was previously serving as 5^th Vice-President of the Chamber of Regions and a member of the Social Inclusion Committee.

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In a recommendation adopted today, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe concluded that Icelandic municipalities lead globally in terms of female voting and representation, and welcomed the high level of fiscal autonomy in the country’s local self-government. However, despite previous Congress recommendations, Iceland did not incorporate local democracy and self-government principles into its law to ensure a clear division of responsibilities between central and local authorities.

These were the main conclusions of the third monitoring report on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government since Iceland ratified it in 1991. The report was presented during the 47^th session by Matthias Gysin (Switzerland, L, ILDG) and Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, L, SOC/G/PD).

The rapporteurs welcomed the increase in state grants to municipalities and noted the planned improvements to the consultation procedures on public finances and equalisation systems. However, they drew particular attention to insufficient financial resources for local authorities to effectively perform their tasks, and mostly single-purpose inter-municipal co-operation (IMC). They also noted that Reykjavik had not been granted a special status to address its specific needs as the capital city compared with other municipalities.

The Congress recommended that Iceland clarify the division of responsibilities, adopt legislation to give the Charter legal force, ensure adequate financial resources for local authorities, modernise the equalisation mechanism, further promote municipal mergers, improve IMC and grant Reykjavik a special status as the capital city and enhance consultation on financial matters.

 Video recording 

 MediaBox interview with Matthias Gysin and Gudrun Mosler-Törnström

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The destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage by the Russian Federation was at the heart of the debate of Congress members on Tuesday 15 October.

Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine,  stressed that “the destruction and looting of cultural heritage is a deliberate attempt to destroy Ukraine’s culture and identity.” He called upon local and regional authorities in Europe to help protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage, pointing out that it is a shared responsibility. The Minister further noted that his administration is documenting any type of crime against Ukrainian cultural heritage and that the evidence will be used to demand reparations for the damage inflicted by the Russian Federation to historical, cultural and religious heritage.

“The Russian Federation is trying to wipe out our history and national identity through the destruction of cultural heritage, which is our link with past generations,” underlined Mykola Lukashuk, Chair of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council in Ukraine, while commenting of the ‘weaponisation of culture’ by the Russian Federation. He also pointed out that the Russian Federation’s propaganda war continues, aiming to destroy Ukrainian identity.

The co-rapporteurs of the Declaration adopted by the Congress, Martine Dieschburg-Nickels (Luxembourg, L, ILDG) and Gunn-Marit Helgesen (Norway, R, EPP/CCE), concluded that “it is our common duty to preserve and restore Ukraine’s cultural heritage” and encouraged local and regional authorities to establish cultural heritage partnerships with Ukrainian villages, towns and cities to support them in this quest.

 Video recording

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“Transitioning to a circular economy is no longer a matter of choice; it has become a necessity. A circular economy offers not only a solution to environmental degradation but also a pathway to economic prosperity and job creation,” underlined Congress rapporteurs Linda Gillham (United Kingdom, ILDG) and Kristoffer Tamsons (Sweden, EPP/CCE) presenting their report on fostering a circular economy at local and regional levels, during the 47^th session on 15 October 2024.

In the resolution and recommendation adopted following a debate, the Congress emphasised that local and regional authorities were well placed to minimise the release of toxic substances and reducing waste through circular economy practices whereby resources were conserved, reused and recycled, with a focus shift to the use of local supplies. The report also stressed that by promoting equitable resource distribution, the circular economy fosters inclusive participation in economic opportunities, and supports healthier environments. Such type of economy is already fully endorsed by the young generation, as highlighted by the Congress youth delegates during the debate.

The rapporteurs pointed out that fostering the circular model would help to ensure cleaner air, soil, and water for all and to enhance community well-being, resulting in significant social benefits.

Adopted resolution

Adopted recommendation

 Video recording 

  Mediabox interview with Linda Gillham & Kristoffer Tamsons

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During its 47^th session, the Congress held a debate on 15 October 2024 on local democracy as a pillar of stability in South-East Europe. Dušan Raičević, Mayor of Bar (Montenegro) and President of the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), recalled that the Association was created 20 years ago with the support of the Congress to promote a reconciliation mechanism in the aftermath of the Balkan war, at a time when communities in South-East Europe were torn apart along ethnic lines.

According to him, as the Association was marking its 20^th anniversary, it had become an influential network supporting local democracy, decentralisation and self-government in South-East Europe, helping the region’s applicant countries with their accession to the European Union. “Today, NALAS provides crucial technical assistance to over 7,000 local governments, helping to foster a strong sense of solidarity between its members and strengthen their co-operation in response to current and future challenges,” stressed President Raičević.

 Video recording 

 Mediabox interview with Dušan Raičević

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The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has noted the overall positive application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government principles  in Finland, but expressed concern about the weak constitutional foundation for the new tier of local self-government at regional level and its limited financial autonomy.

These were the main conclusions of the fourth recommendation evaluating the Charter’s implementation in Finland since its ratification in 1991, based on a report by Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, L, EPP/CCE) and Rachel Bailey (United Kingdom,  R, ECR).

The rapporteurs noted as positive the establishment of a second tier of local government (“wellbeing services counties”), the extensive responsibilities of local authorities, and the effective collaboration between central and local governments. However, they recommended that national authorities reinforce the constitutional basis for the wellbeing services counties, enhance their financial autonomy, establish clear consultation procedures for municipalities facing compulsory boundary changes, and grant Helsinki a special status reflecting its role as the capital city.

The recommendation was adopted during the 47^th Session of the Congress, following a debate which included a statement by Kristiina Kokko, State Secretary to the minister of local and regional government.

Contact: Päivi Suhonen, Communications officer, Council of Europe, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89

 Video recording 

 MediaBox interview with  Konstantinos Koukas and Rachel Bailey

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Addressing the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities at its 47th plenary Session today, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos highlighted the most pressing challenges the Assembly and the Congress both needed to face, including democratic backsliding, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the global environmental crisis, gender inequalities, the impact of AI on democracy and human rights, and the migration crisis.

“The direct access to citizens' concerns and expectations regarding democracy, human rights and the rule of law that you have makes your Congress a crucial local and regional dimension to governance,” he emphasised, evoking this body’s 30th anniversary.

The PACE President welcomed the Congress’s revised priorities following the Reykjavik Summit, in particular the strengthened monitoring of local democracy and respect for the rule of law. “This serves as an important element of an early warning system to signal signs of democratic erosion in our member states,” he said.

“As in any parliament, battles are fought within the Parliamentary Assembly, and in this Congress as well, but our weapons are not bullets, they are the words that combine to create arguments,” Mr Rousopoulos concluded.

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The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted on 15 October 2024 a Declaration on the destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine, presented by Martine Dieschburg-Nickels (Luxembourg, L, ILDG) and Gunn-Marit Helgesen (Norway, R, EPP/CCE).

The Congress reiterated its condemnation of the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.

It deplored the Russian Federation’s continued attacks on cultural heritage sites in Ukraine, in violation of international humanitarian law, and in particular of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954 Hague Convention) and its two Protocols. Noting that more than a thousand cultural sites had been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war, the Congress underlined that the targeting and looting of cultural sites appeared to reflect a systematic policy aimed at erasing Ukraine’s historical and cultural identity, consistent with a genocidal intent.

The Declaration emphasised that the Russian Federation must pay reparations for damage to historical, cultural and religious heritage; in this context, the Ukrainian local and regional authorities had an important role to play in promoting the work of the Register of Damage and in submitting claims to the Register within the scope of their competencies.

The Congress stressed that safeguarding cultural heritage helped connect the past to the future through a shared sense of identity and that as such the European cultural heritage was intrinsically linked to human rights; it was therefore time to put Ukrainian cultural heritage and its recovery high on the political agenda, including at the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Rome.

In its Declaration, the Congress called on local and regional authorities throughout Europe to step up their efforts to help Ukraine by setting up genuine cultural heritage partnerships that could address not only the current need for restoration and urgent protection but also damage and risk assessments. Such partnerships could also support plans for recovery, which should encompass tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The Congress also called on member States to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention) and the Council of Europe Convention on Offences to Cultural Property (Nicosia Convention), as well as to raise awareness about stolen and looted Ukrainian cultural assets, including from Crimea, and to step up efforts to return them to Ukraine.

Congress members reiterated that they stand by the Ukrainian people and reaffirmed their commitment to a common, democratic future based on respect for international law and a just peace.

 Mediabox interview with Gunn-Marit Helgesen and Martine Dieschburg-Nickels

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“At a time of the continued war of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, at a time of growing concerns over democratic backsliding in some member states, we must stand firm in defence of democratic values in our towns, cities and regions,” stressed Congress President Marc Cools at the opening of the 47th session in Strasbourg today.

The agenda of the 3-day session, which was opened to the sound of the European and Ukrainian anthems played by musicians from the Strasbourg University Orchestra, features debates on protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage during Russia’s war of aggression, with the online participation of Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi, as well as on the key challenges faced by local and regional authorities over the past five years. A special debate on Wednesday 16 October will mark the 10th anniversary of the pioneering ‘Rejuvenating Politics’ initiative aimed at engaging youth delegates in the Congress work and integrating youth perspectives in local and regional democratic life. An urgent debate on the situation in Georgia in the light of its democratic backsliding will be held on Thursday 17 October.

The Congress will also debate monitoring reports on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Finland, Iceland, Latvia and Malta, as well as on the observation of local elections in Türkiye on 31 March 2024. Congress members will exchange views with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, who will address the Congress for the first time since taking office, as well as with Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of the Interior Arnoldas Abramavičius on behalf of his country’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, and President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Theodoros Rousopoulos.

Ageing communities (ensuring quality social care for older persons), fostering circular economy at the grassroots (with an emphasis on reuse and recycling of resources to fight overconsumption), the situation of regions with special status, local democracy as a pillar of peace and stability in South-East Europe, the role of local elected representatives in protecting human rights and the role of regions in Ukraine’s reconstruction, as well as efforts to expand the outreach of the Local Self-Government Charter to cities in non-member states (such as Kazakhstan, Mauritania and Morocco) are among other themes of session debates.

Among other invited guests are Latvia’s Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa; Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalisation of Ukraine Anastasia Bondar; State Secretary to Finland’s Minister of Local and Regional Government Kristiina Kokko; Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (France) Mattias Guyomar; Chair of the Kharkiv Regional Council (Ukraine) and President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils Tetyana Yehorova-Lutsenko; and Speaker of the Parliament of Åland (Finland) Jörgen Pettersson.

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The three statutory committees of the Congress met in Strasbourg on 15 October 2024, on the first day of the Congress 47^th session and all held exchanges on Congress action on human rights at local and regional levels.

The Monitoring Committee was updated about post-monitoring in Türkiye and Ireland, and about a fact-finding visit to Romania on 23 October for the last local elections in June. The Committee was also informed about recent election observation missions to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the occasion of local elections in these two countries.

The Governance Committee elected Judith Compagner (Netherlands, EPP/CCE) as 5^th Vice President and approved a report on “Water resources under stress: towards better local and regional governance” to be debated at the Congress session in March 2025. The Committee also approved the terms of reference for new reports on cultural heritage and memory, on history teaching at regional level and on innovative methods of action-oriented participation.

The Social Inclusion Committee approved a report on empowering local and regional authorities to combat trafficking of human beings, to be debated by the Congress in March 2025, and was updated about progress made towards the report on social housing innovations and the revision of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, as well as.

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A new project aimed at improving governance and human rights delivery at local level across Bosnia and Herzegovina was launched by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on 9 October 2024 in Sarajevo. “This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering local authorities to implement democratic innovations and human rights standards,” stressed Congress Director Claudia Luciani speaking at the first meeting of the project’s Steering Committee.

Implemented jointly with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, the Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the country’s two associations of local authorities, the project will provide for local capacity development and a baseline assessment of human rights protection and delivery at local level.

On 10 October 2024 in Sarajevo, two grant agreements, each valued at €40,000, were signed with the Association of Municipalities and Cities of the Federation of BiH (SOGFBiH) and the Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska (SOGRS). The associations are expected to strengthen their co-operation and to enhance the capacities of local authorities to represent their communities more effectively.

These activities were organised within the framework of the project “Strengthening democratic innovations and promoting human rights at local level in Bosnia and Herzegovina” implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.

“We strongly believe in the role of local and regional authorities in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, and they should also play a key role in making the Register of Damage for Ukraine (RD4U) an effective tool,” stressed Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori in Strasbourg on 11 October.

Speaking at the Conference of participants of the Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, he pointed out that local and regional authorities were already key players in the administration of the Ukrainian national register through the “Diia” mobile platform and  as a result, RD4U had received more than 10,000 claims from 621 cities, towns and villages across 20 regions in Ukraine under the category of damage and destruction of residential housing.

“Local and regional authorities are well placed to encourage the use of the Register across their population. The Congress will continue raising their awareness for the submission of claims and developing their capacities to support citizens in this process, in particular for new categories,” continued Secretary General Mori.

He welcomed in this regard the initiative of the Association of Ukrainian Cities to establish a Community Recovery Academy for training municipal staff on recovery and reconstruction, and underlined that co-operation and dialogue with local NGOs was instrumental for better outreach to local residents.

 Full speech 

On the occasion of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (13 October), the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Marc Cools, has made the following statement:

“In the current times of climate change, local and regional politicians must look into any disaster risks that their territories are facing and start acting now, including by investing into young people’s education and empowerment. Only if the young generations are well prepared respond to future risks and disasters, will we manage to make our cities and regions resilient and future-proof.

“The number of natural and climate-related risks and disasters has been increasing across Europe, and local and regional authorities are almost always among the first to respond to their consequences. Strategies and action against disasters must not only be initiated when a catastrophe has arrived, but well before, by developing the crisis preparedness, be it because communities are directly affected or because their solidarity will be needed.

“This is the approach promoted by the Congress in its Resolution 500(2024) and  Recommendation 510(2024) on local and regional responses to natural disasters and climate hazards, adopted in March 2024 and calling for developing a comprehensive crisis response. This response would be based on co-operation between local authorities and higher levels of governance as well as among local authorities themselves, and would include plans for action before, during, just after and well after a crisis, in the anticipation of risks and disasters. The Congress itself is currently preparing a tool for local and regional authorities aimed at increasing risk preparedness at the grassroots.”

Out of Ukraine’s 1 469 communities, 356 have already concluded international partnerships. These partnerships are lifelines, offering access to European programmes, funding mechanisms, youth and cultural exchanges, capacity-building opportunities, and – most importantly – solidarity and trust in a time of crisis.

Over 700 Ukrainian municipalities are urgently seeking international partnerships, which are crucial for providing much-needed resources and support. Discover the Cities4Cities United4Ukraine initiative and CEMR’s Matchmaking platform to connect with Ukrainian local and regional authorities.

The ambitious goal of 1,000 new partnerships for the coming year is within reach, and you can play a key role in achieving it. Take this message to your community and help build these vital connections.

Like Barcelona (and soon Vienna), every year a different city is selected as the European Capital of Democracy (ECoD) by a jury of currently 4,000 European citizens, hosting a year-long programme of exciting events, festivals and activities. All cities with a population of over 100,000 within the Council of Europe member states and Kosovo* can apply for the title.

The Congress supports this civil society initiative and the call for applications for the European Capital of Democracy 2026.

European Capitals of Democracy reap a wide range of benefits, such as an enhanced international reputation as a centre of innovation, the chance to host international events and meetings, and a boost to civic pride. All applicant cities join the European City Network and profit from mutual exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as access to international expertise and cooperation.

Does your city  want to be next?
Apply here to join ECoD!

Need more information?
Check out our flyer and watch this short explainer-video.

How to become European Capital of Democracy:

1. Cities submit their application between 1 September and 15 November 2024

2. Experts evaluate all applications and presents a shortlist in February 2025

3. Over 4,000 citizens select the next European Capital of Democracy in mid-March 2025

Thank you for strengthening European democracy together!

_______________________

*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

At the invitation of the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe deployed a mission to observe the local elections held on 6 October 2024 throughout the country. The Congress mission was led by Carla Dejonghe (Belgium, ILDG) and involved 25 Congress observers from 20 countries, including one expert and four members of the Secretariat.

The deployment on the ground on election day was preceded by preparatory meetings on 4 and 5 October in Sarajevo with the Central Election Commission, members of the diplomatic corps, media representatives, domestic and international NGOs, as well as representatives of various political parties. A briefing with the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Core Team was organised together with the delegation from the European Parliament.

On election day, 12 Congress teams were deployed to different districts across the country. “We welcome the technical improvements resulting from the 2024 amendments on the Electoral Law, which aimed to ensure that some technical aspects of the electoral process are more in line with past Congress recommendations and provide for stronger integrity safeguards,” said Carla Dejonghe at the joint press conference with OSCE/ODIHR and the European Parliament on 7 October 2024.

The delegation regretted that the short timeframe to carry out the changes brought by the amendments and the lack of resources of the election administration did not provide sufficient time for practical implementation and training.

“For Bosnia and Herzegovina’s local democracy to continue to progress, efforts to increase public engagement and trust are needed, as yesterday’s low turnout indicates. In that regard, we particularly regret that the number of female candidates for mayoral positions remains very low, underlining the need for targeted efforts to improve the representation of women in local leadership,” stated Ms Dejonghe.

The Congress draft report and recommendation will be submitted for adoption at the 48th Congress session in March 2025.

 Speech by Carla Dejonghe

 Preliminary statement of findings

Press release from the International Monitoring Mission

Flickr

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will hold its 47^th session from 15 to 17 October in Strasbourg, France. On this occasion, the Congress will hold a special debate on Wednesday 16 October to mark the 10^th anniversary of its ‘Rejuvenating Politics’ pioneering initiative aimed at engaging youth delegates in its work and integrating youth perspectives in local and regional democratic life.

The session’s agenda features debates on protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage during Russia’s war of aggression, with the online participation of Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi, as well as on the key challenges faced by local and regional authorities over the past five years. The Congress will also debate monitoring reports on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Finland, Iceland, Latvia and Malta, as well as on the observation of local elections in Türkiye on 31 March 2024. 

Ageing communities (ensuring quality social care for older persons), fostering circular economy at the grassroots (with an emphasis on reuse and recycling of resources to fight overconsumption), the situation of regions with special status, local democracy as a pillar of peace and stability in South-East Europe, the role of local elected representatives in protecting human rights and the role of regions in Ukraine’s reconstruction, as well as efforts to expand the outreach of the Local Self-Government Charter to cities in non-member states (such as Kazakhstan, Mauritania and Morocco) are among other themes of session debates.

Congress members will exchange views with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, who will address the Congress for the first time since taking office, as well as with Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of the Interior Arnoldas Abramavičius on behalf of his country’s Committee of Ministers Presidency, and President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Theodoros Rousopoulos.

Among other invited guests are Iceland’s Minister of Infrastructure Svandís Svavarsdóttir; Latvia’s Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa; Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalisation of Ukraine Anastasia Bondar; State Secretary to Finland’s Minister of Local and Regional Government Kristiina Kokko; Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (France) Mattias Guyomar; Chair of the Kharkiv Regional Council (Ukraine) and President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils Tetyana Yehorova-Lutsenko; and Speaker of the Parliament of Åland (Finland) Jörgen Pettersson.

Also addressing the session will be Mayor of Bar (Montenegro) and President of NALAS (network of local authorities’ associations in South-East Europe) Dušan Raicevic; Mayor of Porto (Portugal) Rui Moreira; Vice-President of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region (France) Patrick Molinoz; as well as Deputy Mayor of Astana (Kazakhstan) Yesset Baiken, Deputy Mayor of Rabat (Morocco) Rahma Ouazzani Taibi and member of the Regional Council of Nouakchott (Mauritania) Ahmed Salem Dekle.

The Congress session is open to media strictly upon prior accreditation. The deadline for applying for accreditation is Monday, 14 October 2024, 12h00 CET.

The session can be followed live in English, French, German, Italian, Turkish and Ukrainian at https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/home.

Draft agenda and the session’s documents as well as videos and photos are available on the Session’s dedicated page.

Contact: Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, Media Officer, Directorate of Communications, Council of Europe, +33 3 88 41 21 41.

The Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is launching a call for participants to take part in the training programme on Deliberative Democracy. This initiative aims to create a pool of 25 trainers across the South-East Europe who will be equipped with comprehensive skills and knowledge in Deliberative Democracy, participatory processes, and capacity development at the local level.

By end of the course, the participants will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of participatory practices and deliberative processes based on Council of Europe’s and other standards in this field;
• Increase their knowledge and skills in organising citizens' assemblies at various levels of governance ;
• Further enhance their training and facilitation skills.

The course will be composed by a series of sessions conducted through a blend approach of in-person and online formats providing a comprehensive learning experience focused on Deliberative Democracy.

All training-related expenses, including travel, accommodation and per diems are covered by the organisers.

Applicants should be based in one of the six beneficiaries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia). They are required to submit an electronic application form and CV (in Word and/or PDF) in English. Detailed information on the training course, eligibility requirements, application, selection criteria can be found here.

The applications should be sent to the relevant contact point in the Project Team Sofija Lubarda: [email protected]  with CC to [email protected]

Applications must be submitted no later than Sunday 20 October 2024 (23:59 CET).

The call is launched within the framework of the Council of Europe project ‘’Promoting deliberative democracy and innovative approaches to citizen participation in South-East Europe’’, implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance (CEMG) at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, with the financial support of Germany.

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*All references to Kosovo, weather the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without the prejudice to the status of Kosovo. 

“The importance of social justice and social rights, including the right to adequate housing, for maintaining democratic stability has been recognised by all Council of Europe member States, both at the 2023 Reykjavik summit and the 2024 conference on the European Social Charter in Vilnius. However, it is only by following a joint, multilevel approach that we will overcome the current housing crisis in Europe,” stressed Congress Rapporteur Doris Kampus (Austria, SOC/G/PD), in Geneva on 2 October 2024, adding that this was the approach promoted by the Congress in its upcoming report on social housing innovations.

Speaking at the 85^th session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management, she recalled that the right to adequate housing remained a fundamental human right, enshrined in key international and European standards, including the Revised European Social Charter of the Council of Europe.

The Rapporteur underlined that the current crisis was partly due to the retrenchment of welfare states and the decline in social housing, and highlighted the imperative of strengthening public, social, community and co-operative housing as possible responses supporting both the European middle class and the most vulnerable groups (such as elderly people, youth, national minorities or migrants and refugees) in their access to affordable housing.

On the occasion of International Day of Non-Violence (2 October), Bernd Vöhringer, Congress Rapporteur on combating violence against local and regional elected representatives, has made the following statement:

“Over the last ten years, we have witnessed an alarming rise in violent attacks against local and regional councillors and mayors, elected representatives and their staff in European cities and regions. This trend seems to be closely interlinked with the polarisation of society and with a clear deterioration of working conditions of local and regional authorities and mayors in particular.

“Pressures and intimidation can affect local officials everywhere and can take many shapes including verbal and physical attacks, hate speech, spread of misinformation and fake news, insults and slander, online threats, and degradation of offices and residencies. Social media also allow users to confront local politicians more directly and further disseminate hateful content. During electoral campaigns, the confrontational tone of debates can also amplify threats and discourage contenders to stand in elections. The fact that local politicians are more accessible to voters makes them more likely to become victims of such acts.

“This crisis has a chilling effect on local democracy as it is becoming increasingly difficult for mayors to perform their duties but also for political actors to recruit people into local politics, in particular amongst women, youth and representatives of minorities who remain predominantly targeted by these attacks.

“The Congress has been raising alarm about this situation for over five years. We will now address this issue in a new report putting forward proposals for action on how to combat and counter this violence and thus preserve grassroots democracy.”

Debate on violence against local and regional elected representatives – October 2023

Debate on mayors under pressure – November 2018

A 20-member delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will carry out an election observation mission from 3 to 7 October to observe the local elections throughout the country.

Prior to the election day, the delegation, led by Carla Dejonghe, Belgium (R, ILDG), is expected to meet representatives of the Central Election Commission, the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Congress, the Municipality of Sarajevo as well as representatives of political parties and candidates running in the elections.

The delegation will exchange views with international and domestic NGOs as well as media representatives and joint briefings are also scheduled with the OSCE/ODIHR Core Team.

On election day, twelve Congress teams will be deployed throughout the country to monitor the election procedures in polling stations.

The preliminary conclusions will be presented at a joint press conference with the OSCE/ODIHR and the European Parliament, which will take place in Sarajevo on 7 October 2024 at 15h00 CETS (Venue: Hotel Europe, Vladislava Skarića 5, Sarajevo 71000).

Congress delegation:

Ms Carla DEJONGHE, Belgium, ILDG, R, Head of Delegation

Mr Marcin GOLASZEWSKI, Poland, EPP/CCE, L, Deputy Head of Delegation

Ms Kirsten Morild ANDERSEN, Denmark, SOC/G/PD, R

Mr Zdenek BROZ, Czechia, ILDG, L

Ms Christa CARPELAN, Finland, EPP/CCE, R

Mr Joao ESTEVES, Portugal, EPP/CCE, R

Ms Jana FISCHEROVA, Czechia, ECR, L

Ms Cecilia FRIDERICS, Hungary, ECR, L

Mr Truls GIHLEMOEN, Norway, NR, R

Mr Vents Armands KRAUKLIS, Latvia, ILDG, L

Mr Dominique LEVEQUE, France, SOC/G/PD, L

Mr Alberto MAZZOLENI, Italy, ECR, L

Ms Gobnait NI MHUIMNEACAIN, Ireland, ILDG, L

Ms Günes PEHLIVAN, Türkiye, SOC/G/PD, R

Mr Soeren SCHUMACHER, Germany, SOC/G/PD, R

Ms Amanda SERJEANT, United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD, L

Ms Ganimet SHALA, Slovenia, SOC/G/PD, L

Ms Irina TALVISTE, Estonia, ILDG, L

Ms Karin THOMASSON, Sweden, SOC/G/PD, R

Mr Hannes WENINGER, Austria, SOC/G/PD, L

Expert

Mr Giammaria MILANI, Professor, Congress expert on electoral matters

See also: Congress webpage on the observation of local and regional elections

Contact:  Stéphanie POIREL, [email protected], + 33 3 90 21 51 84 

Speaking at the UN 4th Forum of Mayors, in Geneva on 30 September 2024, Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Pact for the Future and the important role of local and regional authorities in delivering a renewed multilateral system. He also welcomed the Forum’s Outcome Statement and its call for including the local and regional governments directly in the work of the UN.  "Sixty-seven years ago, my own institution, the Council of Europe, took the very first steps to institutionalise the dialogue with local and regional authorities by creating a conference of local and regional authorities which was invited to take part in the political dialogue of the institution", said Mr Mori. It was crucial for the construction of Europe then and remains just as crucial for global transformation today.

The Secretary General underlined the essential role of this event as a platform for the exchange of best practices, knowledge, and experience of cities from all over the world and expressed full support of the Congress to its actions.

 Secretary General's speech

A five-member Congress Election Observation Mission completed its mission to monitor the early municipal elections in Podgorica, which took place on Sunday 29 September in 212 polling stations.

On election day, four Congress teams led by Randi Mondorf (Denmark, R, ILDG) visited 55 randomly selected polling stations across the municipality. The teams observed the entire electoral process, from the opening of the polls to the closing and counting of the votes.

Overall, the delegation observed a calm and orderly election day, with some minor procedural issues, particularly during the opening and closing procedures. The delegation noted that the use of electronic identification worked effectively throughout the election day, with some minor issues regarding the accuracy of voter lists, which calls for clearer residency requirements. The delegation welcomed the gender balance in most of the polling stations visited, in particular the number of women chairpersons.

The preliminary conclusions highlight the need for a comprehensive legal framework to address the existing loopholes and gaps. "We fully appreciate the work being done to reform the electoral law and encourage the authorities to adopt the new legislation as soon as possible," stressed Head of Delegation Randi Mondorf.

The Congress delegation recommends steps to professionalise election administration, including systematic and compulsory training for all officials and the requirement for visible accreditation badges for authorised personnel. The delegation also noted concerns about the secrecy of the ballot and accessibility for persons with disabilities, as many polling stations were not accessible for persons with mobility impairments, and the positioning of polling booths sometimes compromised the privacy of the ballot.

In addition, the Congress delegation recommends a single election day for all municipalities in order to strengthen local democracy and highlight the important role of municipalities in the daily lives of citizens.

This was the first time the Congress observed local elections in Montenegro. It was preceded by a series of meetings on 27 and 28 September with the Election Commission, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Municipality of Podgorica, members of the diplomatic corps, the media, NGOs and candidates from the parties running in the elections.

The draft report and recommendation will be submitted for adoption at the 48th session of the Congress of the Council of Europe in March 2025.

Upon request of the competent authorities, the Congress observes local and regional elections in Council of Europe member States and sometimes beyond. To date, more than 115 election observation missions have been conducted by the Congress. The observation of local elections is one of the priorities of the Congress's action. It is complementary to the political monitoring process of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which is the cornerstone of local democracy in Europe.

Randi Mondorf' statement 

Contact: Mirjam KURENT, Mobile +33 6 50 39 29 07, [email protected]

   Photo gallery

Meeting in Strasbourg on 26-27 September 2024, the Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government – an advisory expert body for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe – examined the questions of foreign interference with local and regional electoral processes in Europe, a proposal for a report on combatting violence against local officials, and a proposal for an Additional Protocol on environment to the European Charter on Local Self-Government, among priority issues for future Congress reports and recommendations.

Chaired by Angel M. Moreno (Spain), the Group of 46 experts (one for each Council of Europe member state) also considered preparation of reports on recurring issues with the application of the Charter in Europe, the situation of human rights at local and regional level, the role of local and regional authorities in the execution of judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as artificial intelligence and digitalisation of local governments. The Group heard a presentation by Andrew Forde from the Dublin City University (Ireland) of his book “European Human Rights Grey Zones – the Council of Europe and Areas of Conflict Zones” In addition, the experts discussed future co-operation with the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission in strengthening the rule of law at the grassroots, based on the presentation of Congress Constitutional Advisors Tania Groppi (Italy) and Nikos Chlepas (Greece).

Improving participation, a clear distribution of competences between levels of governance, and dynamic dialogue between all actors can help ensure that effective multilevel governance counters populism and the polarisation of society.  These were among the key takeaways of a conference  organised in Vilnius on 25 September 2024 by the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

Aimed at promoting the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy and sharing multilevel governance practice to build resilience and strengthen democracy in Europe, the Conference was opened by Agnė Bilotaitė, Minister of the Interior of Lithuania, who recalled that the event was organised as a direct follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit to contribute to the work of the Council of Europe in developing new guidance, instruments, and co-operation formats to meet the challenges of the future.  Congress Director Claudia Luciani recalled the support in Reykjavik for the role of the Congress in promoting good multilevel governance. 

The Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance (CEMG) at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will support the reform of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, helping it to transition to an administrative body close to the prefecture type. Namely, the Centre will assist with piloting a form of supervision over legality of local authorities’ acts which is voluntary and ‘light’ in nature, as well as the introduction of a consultation mechanism at regional level.

This pilot project was announced on 23 September 2024 during the Local Self-Government Forum in Ukraine’s western Ternopil region. The event brought together almost 140 participants, including senior officials from 55 communities, as well as the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada and its Specialised Parliamentary Committee on Local Self-Government, of the Ministry in charge of regional development and of the national associations of local authorities.

“Legality supervision over local authorities’ acts should be proportional to its objectives. This pilot project shall be implemented with engagement of local authorities on a voluntary basis and should in no way create a culture of subordination. On the contrary, it should enable Ukrainian authorities to estimate the implication of the up-coming reform of Local State Administrations and the size of the effort needed to introduce such a mechanism nationwide, as well as to create a culture of co-operation between different levels of government”, underlined Daniel Popescu, Head of the Promoting Local Democracy Department of the Congress Secretariat, addressing the Forum.

This reform falls under Article 8 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation on the issue of administrative supervision. It should facilitate the implementation of the Council of Europe’s recommendations laid out in its Opinion on the draft law on the reform of Local State Administrations. Moreover, the project will help to meet the requirements of the Ukraine Facility mechanism launched by the EU to assist Ukraine in its recovery, reconstruction and modernisation efforts, in the face of the Russian Federation’s ongoing war of aggression and on its path towards EU membership.

The pilot project shall be carried out until 31 December 2024 within the Council of Europe Programme “Strengthening Good Democratic Governance and Resilience in Ukraine” under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.

Speaking at the Conference on the principles of good democratic governance, in Nicosia (Cyprus) on 23 September 2024, Congress Spokesperson on the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) stressed the need to deliver tangible, meaningful outcomes for citizens at local level by engaging them more actively in improving democratic governance.

Addressing the conference organised by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance (CEMG) at the Congress, Mr Koukas recalled the importance of continuous learning and exchange between local authorities and residents of their communities as essential to ensuring that democracy thrives and that citizens experience the benefits of good governance in their daily lives. He pointed out that the Congress offers to municipalities such tools as the ELDW and the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) to boost citizen participation, improve democratic governance practice and measure performance.

Elikkos Ilia, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior in Cyprus, highlighted the relevance of the Council of Europe’s 12 principles of good democratic governance for both national and subnational governments, noting that they form the foundation of the ongoing local government reform in Cyprus. Local authorities in Cyprus were committed to adopting new processes to help them navigate the ongoing reforms and improve governance and service delivery, he said.  

The Conference was organised under the project "Enhancing the Local Government Reform in Cyprus," funded by the Government of Cyprus under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and implemented by the CEMG.

A five-member delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will carry out an election observation mission from 26 to 30 September to observe the elections for the City Assembly of Podgorica, Montenegro.

Prior to the election day, the delegation, led by Randi Mondorf, Denmark (R, ILDG), is expected to meet representatives of the State Election Commission of Montenegro and of the Municipal Election Commission of Podgorica, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption as well as with representatives of political parties and candidates running in the elections.

The delegation will exchange views with domestic elections observers and local NGOs as well as media representatives.

On election day, four Congress teams will be deployed in Podgorica to monitor the election procedures in polling stations.

The preliminary conclusions will be presented by Head of delegation, Randi Mondorf, at a press conference in Podgorica on 30 September 2024 at 11h00 CET (Venue: Ramada Hotel, Room Medun, 74 Bulevar Save Kovačevića, 81000 Podgorica).

Congress delegation:

Ms Randi MONDORF, Denmark (R, ILDG), Head of delegation

Ms Bryony RUDKIN, United-Kingdom (L, SOC/G/DP)

Mr Jimmy MOLONEY, Ireland, (L, ILDG)

Mr Emilian OPREA, Romania, (L, EPP/CCE)

Mr Kristoffer TAMSONS, Sweden (R, EPP/CCE)

Expert
Ms Alenka VERBOLE, Congress Expert on electoral matters

See also: Congress webpage on the observation of local and regional elections

Contact: 

Mathilde GIRARDI, Mobile +33 (0) 6 50 39 29 13

Mirjam KURENT, Mobile +33 (0) 6 50 39 29 07

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 cyberbullying or the use of AI to make the process of integrating Ukrainian refugees in host countries more effective. Sharing good practice in these areas remains a priority for the Congress and associations of local and regional elected representatives.

Deputy Permanent Rapporteur on human rights Mélanie Lepoultier opened the discussion by talking about the priority given by the Congress to mainstreaming the notion of human rights in local and regional policies. And the ensuing decision to appoint a permanent rapporteur and two deputies, who had carried out a series of study visits within the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights to produce a list of possible actions and synergies to be developed. At present, local and regional elected representatives were recognised as full-fledged bearers of shared human rights obligations, but there was still a great deal of work to be done to raise awareness. This particularly applied to the perception of the notion, which was not a legal concept but a tangible, everyday reality requiring concrete acts of governance on the part of local elected representatives. In order to map the degree of integration of human rights in local and regional government throughout Europe, the Congress was therefore preparing a report that would enable it to refine its strategy in this area. Sharing the information contained in Congress human rights handbooks with examples of good practice could provide a source of inspiration here. This was an area in which innovation, including technological innovation, could offer unexpected solutions to challenges such as hate speech, polarisation, violence against girls and women, persistent discrimination against LGBTI people, people with disabilities, etc.

Talking about the use of AI and digital tools to receive, and manage the integration of, Ukrainian refugees in Wroclaw (Poland), the Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw Jakub Mazur warned his colleagues that the human factor and the individual approach must always come first. AI, however, had the potential to help his administration in the 3 key phases of the refugee reception process, which had seen the city’s population swell by 300 000 inhabitants in just two years. Firstly, to find host families via a digital contact platform, then to find jobs that were compatible with the skill levels of the new arrivals, and lastly to identify the most suitable areas of the city to build housing without placing undue strain on the urban infrastructure.

Today, however, building housing required close attention to be paid to the challenges associated with climate change. Ji Soo Yoon, a policy analyst at the OECD specialising in sustainable buildings, pointed out that the sector was responsible for almost 37% of the world's energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Yet buildings were primarily local infrastructure, whose quality varied from city to city and region to region. Decarbonisation strategies should therefore be tailored to the specific needs of existing infrastructure and the needs of citizens, which was why the role of local government was so important. She recommended three approaches: an assessment of existing buildings by each municipality; the implementation of a green policy that moved forward incrementally, without upsetting local residents; and, last but not least, vertical and horizontal co-ordination between local, regional and national governments to ensure that changes were consistent with overall energy and housing policies. Concluding that national associations of municipalities had a crucial role to play in this context, Ji Soo Yoon gave the example of the step-by-step co-ordination of the Dutch “Natural Gas- Free Neighbourhoods” (PAW) programme where local authorities were moving forward one district at a time. 

Lastly, Alicia Ann Blount, Congress Youth Delegate for the United Kingdom, spoke about the role of local and regional authorities in combating cyberbullying. After talking at length about the meteoric technological and social evolution of Internet practices, she highlighted the inability of national jurisdictions to provide appropriate and timely responses. Hence the need for innovative approaches involving local and regional authorities. Firstly, they could launch educational programmes for young people, immigrants and other groups to instil responsible behaviour and respect for sexual or cultural differences. Secondly, a legal approach could involve co-operation between local authorities and the police with anonymous reporting systems on cyberbullying such as ChildLine or e-Enfance, but also in order to create awareness and re-education programmes. Lastly, setting up secure online gaming platforms for children could be an appropriate solution for the youngest members of society.

Moderated by Elina Rotaru, Congress Youth Delegate for Romania, the floor debate also raised the issue of the use of AI by local authorities to deal with an ageing population by installing security alarms and night-time surveillance cameras in the homes of the elderly. These technologies could also be used to put in place mechanisms for the rapid evacuation of the population in the event of war or natural disaster, or to help increase citizen participation in local policies, particularly in relation to climate change. AI-assisted platforms could also facilitate the return of refugees to Ukraine after the war, as well as making the exchange of best practice between local elected representatives more effective, including in the context of aid to Ukraine.

In conclusion, special thanks were extended to the Congress for including its youth delegates as moderators and very active participants in the Conference debates.

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 their Ukrainian counterparts, while taking in the gripping emotion of the youth delegates, whose future is being played out every day on the front line and also elsewhere in the country or abroad.

The time has come for concrete and resolute action.  In her message to participants, Svenja Schulze, German Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development, called on all European municipalities which had not yet done so to join the initiative of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC).  Set up by her country this year, the network enabled municipalities throughout Europe to join forces and help local authorities in Ukraine through an unbureaucratic mechanism for the swift transfer of medicines and other basic necessities.  The German government provided financial and administrative support for the partnerships but by summer 2025, when the next URC meeting would be held in Italy, it was important to include small municipalities, which were often excluded.

Having been detained by urgent business relating to the damage caused by Russian bombing, Vitali Klitschko, President of the Association of Ukrainian Cities and Mayor of Kyiv, also addressed the participants in a video message after a minute’s silence for the Ukrainian victims.  He expressed his gratitude for the unrelenting support for Ukraine and its decentralisation efforts.  His thanks went to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Council of Europe, but also to the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, the European Committee of the Regions and all his colleagues from European associations of local authorities.  The mayor stressed that preserving and restoring local self-government were crucial for Ukrainian democracy, which was why a plan for rebuilding local self-government in Ukraine had been developed with international partners.  Having already successfully completed various reconstruction projects for the municipalities and regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson and Chernihiv, and also Mariupol, the Association of Ukrainian Cities shared with its counterparts the hope that the democratic world would soon be victorious.

In the meantime, as stressed by the Mayor of Mariupol, particular emphasis had to be placed on rebuilding towns liberated recently or in the conflict zones where mayors were forced to manage support for soldiers and displaced persons.  In this connection, the rebirth of Mariupol would be an “unprecedented and visionary experiment” in rebuilding a ghost town that had been completely evacuated and destroyed.  Above all, the particular context called for the rapid building of social housing with the advice and support of European associations so as to encourage the displaced inhabitants to move back.  Having been traumatised by the destruction of their property, they also needed to have their losses recognised and recover faith in justice.  The mayor therefore called on his European counterparts to work for a diplomatic solution to release the Russian assets frozen in Europe for use in reconstruction in Ukraine.

Pointing out that at the very time at which the conference was taking place, Kharkiv was being threatened with destruction and the city authorities were working relentlessly to free women and children trapped under rubble, Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils and Head of Kharkiv Regional Council, focused in particular on the challenge involved in saving Ukrainian cultural heritage as an essential component of the country’s identity.  The Ukrainian authorities were therefore calling for assistance from volunteers, non-governmental organisations, international foundations and professionals with experience of saving heritage in emergency situations.  They were also seeking the support of international partners for the conservation, restoration and repair of heritage sites because of the high costs involved and also to develop digital archives and launch awareness-raising and fund-raising campaigns.  At the same time, since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a process to change place names and dismantle monuments and memorials associated with the Russian state had been launched by public initiative, driven by an urgent need to restore justice as a precondition for the success of reconstruction.

On behalf of Mr Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi, Executive Director of the Council of Europe Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Ms Petra Neumann described in detail the mechanism of the register, which received claims from individuals, companies and state and municipal entities.  Between 300 000 and 600 000 compensation claims were expected, but the register would include more, as new categories of losses and damage would soon be added.  A co-ordination platform would provide support for relevant stakeholders, including local and regional authorities, through regular exchanges and flows of information for the various groups of people affected in different geographical areas.  An interactive toolbox would soon be provided in the form of a dynamic document.  Lastly, the register was also relying on training of trainers by the Council of Europe in liaison with local and regional authorities in order to produce a multiplier effect under an interinstitutional approach.

Delivering justice also meant sharing the complex emotions raised by the ongoing tragedy.  The statement by Sofiia Bohdanova, Ukrainian youth delegate, touched the participants’ hearts.  Focusing on both the hope and despair of Ukrainian young people, who were moving on a tightrope, at times driven by a strong will to survive and, at others, faltering and tempted to give up, she succeeded in highlighting the need to combat the indifference and weariness that were now setting in in European countries given the length of the war.  She referred, in particular, to the need for European support for efforts in terms of education for all and for diverse support in the field of mental health, and was warmly applauded by the participants.

Her colleague, Liana Ioannides, youth delegate from Cyprus, then took over as moderator and gave the floor to representatives of European municipalities to share concrete examples of co-operation with their Ukrainian counterparts.  The delegates mentioned the need to support small farmers in Ukraine and also to set up a European instrument to fund the reconstruction of infrastructure and public services in Ukraine, while transferring equipment and water supplies to border communities where life had to be restored quickly after Russian attacks.

Lastly, logistical, educational and moral support for Ukrainian immigrants in Europe’s towns and cities was mentioned as a strategic aspect of the support for Ukraine, while not forgetting the holding of events to raise public awareness in Europe.  In conclusion, Ms Véronique Bertholle, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, therefore invited participants to visit the exhibition staged at the Council of Europe by the city’s authorities, in which Ukrainian and Alsatian children showed “their ability to design peace better than adults.”

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 texts and recommendations drawn up by the Congress.

In his opening address, Congress President Marc Cools began by stressing the vital role played by the around 60 associations attending the Conference, primarily in supporting and advancing the cause of local and regional democracy, before adding that their task was all the more crucial since “Europe’s stability also depends on the local level.”

Speaking on behalf of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of the Interior Arnoldas Abramavicius praised the commitment of the associations and the role of networks of associations, in particular in south-eastern Europe, in better co-ordinating local and regional policies.

Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge said that he was counting on local and regional authorities to reverse the trend towards democratic backsliding and stressed the great cost of moving away from democracy, starting with repression at home followed by aggression against neighbouring countries, as tragically demonstrated by the Russian example.  In addition to its commitment and its projects, he stressed the key part played by the Congress in publicising and operating at local level the register that would provide compensation to Ukraine once the war was over.

Lastly, the opening ceremony was also addressed by Andorran youth delegate Lisa Cruz Lackner, who called for young people to be more closely involved in policies and decisions that affected them most, for instance as regards the climate or digital technology.  She said that would bring them closer to local and regional politics, pointing out that “young people are not just tomorrow’s leaders but also partners today.”

Charter of Local Self-Government working for Europe’s towns, cities and regions

Ekrem Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul, described how his city had evolved and transformed itself on the basis of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.  In his view, the Charter had strengthened local democracy in general throughout Türkiye, while also bringing about reform of local authority funding, more transparent decision-making and improved management of local budgets.  To enable citizens to take part in the management of public funds, Istanbul had launched an initiative called “Your budget” in 2019, with competitions and referendums aimed at modernising it.  The city also wanted to involve young people more closely in politics, in particular through its digital tools and websites, with their 28 million followers and users.  Lastly, he paid tribute to the mutual support between local authorities which had been forthcoming immediately after the earthquake in 2023, enabling prompt and effective co-ordinated action to be taken.

Gunn Marit Helgesen, who heads the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities and is a member of Telemark County Council, also described the benefits which the Charter had brought her country.  She referred to the effectiveness of the multilevel interregional co-operation, punctuated by regular consultations between regions and central government.  Local self-government was also included in the Norwegian Constitution, which showed how important it was in the country.

 Rebalancing relations with governments

Moderated by Hungarian youth delegate Zsuzsa Vido, the debate first looked at steps taken by the associations to involve young people from isolated and rural areas in local and regional action programmes.  In reply to questions about how the associations operated in the Netherlands, former Congress President Leen Verbeek called for improved relations between associations and governments, stating that it was time to move from verticality to real horizontality so as to achieve better balance.  Lastly, Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska, who is also head of the North Macedonian delegation to the Congress, condemned the underrepresentation of women among mayors – there were only two in her country, including herself – and also in national associations.  Several other representatives agreed that this was an “unacceptable” situation and called for genuine parity in local authorities and within their associations.

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 and express themselves. The second round table of the Conference, on citizen participation in local and regional political life, highlighted a number of cases where efforts had been made to achieve these goals. 

Long reserved exclusively for men, the right to vote had been expanded to include women, thereby making elected officials more representative. Bryony Rudkin, Chair of the Congress Committee on Social Inclusion and Human Dignity and councillor at Ipswich Borough Council (UK), believed that the same should be done with other groups that were under-represented or poorly represented in assemblies. In her view, increasing diversity in this way would also help to stem democratic backsliding and reduce political polarisation.

A member of the Greek Parliament, Eirini Dourou had served in the Congress for many years. She was outraged by the sexism and gender-based violence that still went on in political life, and pointed out that women remained under-represented among mayors in many countries: in Greece, there were only 22 women mayors out of a total of 322, a level of participation that could be increased, she believed, if women were secure in the knowledge that they would not be subjected to bullying or verbal and sexist abuse during election campaigns or while serving in office. In her view, it was up to local authorities to foster an environment that was more conducive to women's participation in political life.

Young people also needed to feel listened to by policymakers, and that they had a voice in the political process. Tobias Flessenkemper, head of the Council of Europe's Youth Department, referred to the Council's efforts starting in the 1980s to lower the voting age in member states. He described the structures - the only ones of their kind in the world - created by the Council of Europe to encourage youth participation, the chief examples being the European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest. The Youth Delegate for Finland, Maria Markkula, talked about her “dream” of seeing youth and children's councils and parliaments spring up in all countries, so that their voices could be heard everywhere, and urged both the Congress and national associations to work towards making this dream a reality.

Well-organised local elections encourage participation

In addition to inadequate citizen representation, other factors were detrimental to voter turnout, foremost among them the belief that elections were not fair or that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Stewart Dickson, Chair of the Council for Democratic Elections of the Council of Europe and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, believed that in order to restore voter confidence, elections must be organised in a way that was beyond reproach, including in practical terms. Whatever the outcome of a ballot, it would be accepted if that ballot were conducted transparently, pointed out Mr Dickson. That, indeed, was why the Congress observed local and regional elections in all the member states, and then published opinions and recommendations to improve the way they were conducted.

During the debate, Abdelaziz Derouiche, President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Councils of Prefectures and Provinces, outlined the steps taken by his country to improve the participation of women and young people in political life. Very rare only a few years ago, more and more Moroccan women were now serving in local elected assemblies. The Youth Delegate for Cyprus, Liana Ioannides, believed that women were still not sufficiently involved in political life and hoped that the role of women in her country's history, particularly during the 1974 war and then in the peace process, would be better studied and highlighted.

Ukrainian local and regional government associations went on to describe some initiatives to help young people in rural and isolated regions, as well as in Crimea. In the view of Soeren Schumacher, Chair of the German delegation to the Congress, the most effective way to boost youth participation was to lower the voting age to 16. This was already the case in several Länder, but each Land determined its electorate as it saw fit.

Elected representatives powerless in the face of social media

Lastly, a number of speakers talked about the influence of social media, with many elected representatives noting with regret that young people often trusted TikTok more than local authorities and echoing Eirini Dourou’s call for the Congress to prepare a report and a toolbox to help them tackle this complex issue.

Véronique Bertholle, deputy mayor of Strasbourg and Congress Spokesperson on youth, noted that exclusive use of social media and lack of reliable information were not only an issue among young people and recalled how, while manning a polling station in the summer, she had discovered that half the voters did not know how to vote, or even how to tell the difference between the first and second rounds. As a number of local elected representatives at the Conference explained, this proved that there was an urgent need to reintroduce civic education in schools and in general.

As a forum for debates and peer exchanges between local and regional elected representatives from across Europe, the Congress responded to increasing extremism with proposals for action against hate speech and fake news. These were notably stemming from its 2022 report, and a 2024 debate against antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, stressed Chair of the Congress’ Committee on Social Inclusion and Human Dignity Bryony Rudkin (SOC/G/PD, United Kingdom) in Heidelberg (Germany) on 23 September 2024.

Speaking in a panel discussion on “Cities United against Rising Right-Wing Extremism in Europe”, during the general conference of the European Coalition of Cities and Regions against Racism (ECCAR) held to mark the Coalition’s 20^th anniversary, she underlined that local authorities played a crucial role in countering racism and extremism and fostering social inclusion and non-discrimination. It was notably up to them to offer a different narrative to their citizens.

The ECCAR event organised under the motto “Don’t Let Europe go Backwards” gathered numerous European human rights organisations, international organisations as well as experts from more than 100 municipalities, research institutions, and specialist agencies from all over Europe. In a three-day event, they will discuss practical examples of how to shape diverse and inclusive cities and better protect human rights at the local level.