“Local and regional democracy is a strong part of Europe today,” said Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, speaking at the 36th session of the Congress on 4 April 2019.
In the political and budgetary crisis facing the organisation, Mr Jagland reasserted the importance of local and regional authorities. “The engagement and commitment in city halls, towns and regions across our member states is crucial to our partnership. You play a key role in ensuring that citizens’ rights are respected. In order to maximise the impact of the Council of Europe, we need more co-operation with local authorities”.
The Secretary General stressed that the crisis must not undo all that the the Council of Europe had achieved, reiterating the importance of the organisation and its work. “In 70 years, the Council of Europe has built an unprecedented common legal space in which our Convention system protects the rights of over 830 million Europeans,” he said.
To ensure that the Council of Europe can continue to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, it must continue to be funded by all its member states. Mr Jagland also called on Congress members to inform their governments of the particularly difficult situation facing the Congress and the Council of Europe.
“Faced with new worrying trends, such as populism, extreme nationalism and restrictions on freedoms, that mark out a new era of challenges, the Council of Europe is more necessary than ever.” Lastly, the Secretary General welcomed the participation of the youth delegates at the 36th session of the Congress. “This initiative, which enables young people to take the floor in debates and meetings, is literally a vision of our future,” he concluded.
*** 36th Session of the Congress ***
File 36th Session - Agenda - Videos and photos - Mediabox
The Congress' contribution to the reflection on the future of the Council of Europe was adopted on 2 April 2019 during the 36th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
- The Congress' contribution to the reflection on the future of the Council of Europe: Report CG36(2019)08
