On the margins of the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe Member States in Reykjavík (Iceland), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe co-organised a high-level political conference, together with the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities and the City of Reykjavík, on “Embedding democratic values at grassroots level”. The conference took place on Monday 15 May 2023 in the Reykjavík City Hall and was open to the media and entirely livestreamed.

The event was opened by Minister of Infrastructure of Iceland Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson; President of the Congress Leendert Verbeek; Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjørn Berge, and Mayor of Reykjavík Dagur B. Eggertsson. Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori will moderate the opening and closing sessions.

Other participants included high-level representatives of the main European associations and institutions of local and regional authorities and of the European Youth Forum. Congress youth delegates from Iceland and Poland also participated in the discussions. Chair of the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities Heida Bjorg Hilmisdottir addressed the conference at the closing session.

The first session moderated by the Congress Vice-President and President of its Chamber of Local Authorities, Bernd Vöhringer, debated a “Human rights-centred approach in local and regional governance”. The second session moderated by the Congress Vice-President and President of its Chamber of Regions, Harald Sonderegger, discussed “Building strong and inclusive democracies with youth as the driving force for change”.

At the end of the event, a Call for Action was signed by the participating European associations and institutions representing local and regional authorities, to recall the pivotal role played by local and regional authorities in responding to current challenges, in upholding human rights and the rule of law in Europe, as well as in preventing democratic backsliding and safeguarding democratic values on the continent. The Call for Action urges national governments to provide local and regional authorities with the necessary competences and resources needed to accomplish their essential tasks in the best possible conditions and to fulfil their role as key partners of national governments in protecting human rights and upholding the rule of law.

The signature was followed by a meeting with the press in the City Hall.

For information: Concept note and draft agenda

Contacts:

• Sabine Zimmer, Head of Institutional Relations Unit, sabine.zimmer@coe.int 
• Irina Sahakyan-Vetter, Head of External Relations Unit, irina.sahakyan-vetter@coe.int