The 21st Congress Session was based on the theme ''Living together in dignity'' and focused on societal inclusion, involvement of citizens and awareness raising for human rights at local level.

Members examined a report on the situation of Roma and the role of local and regional authorities in promoting their integration, new forms of citizen activism and urban violence, as well as efforts to combat child sex abuse through the Council of Europe’s ONE in FIVE campaign.

On the occasion of the 2011 European Local Democracy Week, citizen participation was at the heart of two thematic debates. Other items on the session agenda included reports on the state of local and regional democracy in Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, Latvia and Bulgaria, and the local-election observation missions conducted in Albania and Moldova. (suite...)

Inclusion of Roma in Europe	Campaign ONE in FIVE
The Congress adopted a recommendation and a resolution requesting more competences for local and regional authorities. These texts are part of the follow-up to the first Summit of Mayors on Roma, which was held in Strasbourg (France) on 22 September 2011.	A debate was held to promote local initiatives to stop sexual violence against children. This debate was one of the Congress contributions to the Council of Europe's ONE in FIVE campaign, which sets out to promote the Lanzarote Convention.
Monitoring local and regional democracy	More emphasis on citizen participation
Congress members examined reports on the state of local and regional democracy in Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, Latvia and Bulgaria, as well as on the local-election observation missions conducted in Albania and Moldova.	Participatory democracy – which is complementary to representative democracy and the influence on decision-making through universal suffrage – is to be seen as an essential element of the good democratic functioning of society and has to be further developed.

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All the debates of the 21st Session