23rd Session / 16-18 October 2012

The 23rd Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, taking place from 16 to 18 October 2012 in Strasbourg (France), will bring together more than 300 local and regional elected representatives from 47 Council of Europe member states, to discuss the current challenges for grassroots democracy, in particular in those Arab countries which are undertaking major institutional transformations.

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22nd Session / 20-22 March 2012

The 22nd Congress Session brought together more than 300 local and regional elected representatives from 47 Council of Europe member states, to discuss the current challenges for grassroots democracy, in particular the financial crisis and its impact on local and regional authorities.

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21st Session / 18-20 October 2011

"Living together in dignity" will be the theme running through three debates at the 21st Session of the Congress. They will focus on the situation of Roma and the role of local and regional authorities in promoting their integration, the report by the Group of Eminent Persons on Living together in 21st-century Europe, and efforts to combat child sex abuse through the Council of Europe's ONE in FIVE campaign.
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20th Session / 22-24 March 2011

At the top of the agenda of the 20th Session are debates on human rights issues at local level, in particular the situation of Roma in Europe. An urgent debate will be dedicated to the role of the Congress in the context of the current reform process of the Council of Europe.

Session file

19th Session / 26-28 October 2010

The 19th Session of the Congress approved the credentials of new national delegations and elected Presidents of the Congress and its two Chambers, as well as Congress Vice-Presidents. The Session also adopted political priorities for 2011-2012 and proposals for the Congress' reform, including changes in its structures and working methods, and set up three new committees.

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18th Session / 17 - 19 March 2010

Among the highlights were, notably, related to climate change, local authorities and human rights, North-South co-operation, gender equality in politics, intra-regional transport, minority languages, as well as local democracy in Portugal and Iceland, and regional democracy in Switzerland nad the observation of elections in Azerbaidjan from 23 December 2009

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17th Plenary Session / 13 - 15 October 2009

The Congress of local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe held its 17th Plenary session in Strasbourg from 13 to 15 October 2009. In preparation for the UN Conference in Copenhagen in December, the Congress held a debate on the important contribution of local and regional policy makers to the global challenge of climate change.

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16th Plenary Session/ 3 - 5 March 2009

During the 16th plenary Session of the Congress several debates were held in plenary sittings, in particular on the Euro-mediterranean co-operation and the role of local and regional authorities, public water and sewer services, combating domestic violence, the situation of local and regional democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the international financial crisis and its consequences for European territorial authorities as well as transborder cooperation.

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15th Autumn Session / 1 - 3 December 2008

Among the highlights were local consequences of the Georgian-Russian conflict, non-appointment of three mayors in Belgium, the situation of non-Latvian speaking minorities in Latvia and local democracy in Armenia.

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15th Plenary Session / 27 - 29 May 2008

The 15^th Plenary Session of the Congress was one of the Congress’ membership renewal. The President of the three Chambers were elected, as well as the Secretary General. The main debates focused on social cohesion, e-democracy, transfrontier cooperation, regional democracy and interreligious dialogue

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14th Spring Session / 12 - 14 March 2008

Local and regional policies on adaptation to climate change, sustainable consumption, urban biodiversity policies, and services of general interest in rural areas were the main items on the agenda of the Congress' Spring Session in Malaga, Spain.

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14 Autumn Session / 19 - 21 November 2007

The Congress members discussed a report on local democracy in Turkey, following a fact-finding mission to South-East Anatolia lead by Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CD) and Hans-Ulrich Stöckling (Switzerland, ILDG) in August this year. A round table on regional democracy in Europe was organised by the Chamber of Regions focusing in particular on the proposal for a European Charter of Regional Democracy

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14th Plenary Session / 30 May - 1er June 2007

Co-operation on local democracy beyond Europe's borders, in particular with Morocco, Japan and Mexico, was one of the items on the agenda. Delegations from these three countries addressed the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions of the Congress.

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13th Spring Session/ 26 - 28 March 2007

Among the main issues addressed were, in particular, the Congress's participation in the Council of Europe campaigns against domestic violence and building a Europe for and with children.

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13th Autumn Session  / 13 - 15 November 2006

The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is holding its autumn session from 13 to 15 November 2006 in Moscow , in the framework of the Russian Federation 's Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

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13th Plenary Session  / 30 May- 1st June 2006

The session began with the renewal of the delegations and elections for the posts of President of the Congress and Presidents of the chambers, Vice-presidents and Chairs of the Statutory committees. 

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