The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will hold its 44th Session from 21 to 23 March 2023 in Strasbourg, France.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox, as well as the Minister of Infrastructure, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, on behalf of the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, are invited to address the members of the Congress during the plenary sitting.

In the debate on the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, Congress President Leendert Verbeek will present a draft declaration for adoption by the Congress. The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets will deliver a video message to the Congress participants.

The President of the European Court of Human Rights, Síofra O'Leary, will address the Congress members, her speech will be followed by a debate on "Localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)". The recommendation submitted for approval represents the Congress' contribution to the UN Summit on the SDGs to be held in September 2023.

Members of the Congress will consider a report on the observation of local elections in Slovenia, and two reports on local and regional elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany (Berlin), as well as a report on the monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Romania. These reports are accompanied by recommendations addressed to the authorities of the countries concerned.

In addition, the agenda will include thematic debates on "Regional strategies for the protection of the environment", "The resilience of cities and regions in the face of multiple crises", "Strong democracies through youth engagement at local level" and "Direct election of mayors" as well as a debated under the title "Are regional interests sufficiently represented through the second chamber of parliaments?".

• Agenda and documents: web page 44th Session
• Live streaming, videos and photos will be available in the session web file
• Interpretation: English, French, German, Italian and Turkish

See also: Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine | special page

Contact: Tatiana Baeva, Spokesperson/Press Officer, Directorate of Communication, Council of Europe, tel: +33 6 85 11 64 93

 Mediabox interview with Bernd VÖHRINGER and Harald SONDEREGGER