Promoting local and regional democracy through regular dialogue with governments

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As part of its monitoring of regional democracy in Europe, the Congress maintains a regular dialogue with member states of the Council of Europe. The Committee of Ministers, which includes the 47 Foreign Ministers of these states, the Conference of Ministers responsible for local and regional authorities, as well as its Steering Committees - like the one on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) - are partners in this regard.

Several times a year, the President and the Secretary General of the Congress provide the representatives of the member states in the Committee of Ministers with a record of its activities and hold an exchange of views.

The Congress also has direct contacts and exchanges with national governments, in particular, on the occasion of official visits in the member states, or during follow-up visits or observation of local and regional elections.

Herwig Van Staa: ''The Congress will pursue and deepen its dialogue with the Committee of Ministers''

Secretary General Andreas Kiefer presents the Congress activity report for the period April to November 2012

“We are pleased that the outgoing Chairmanship has focused in particular on the promotion of local and regional democracy, and we welcome the decision of the next Chair, together with the following chairmanships of Armenia and Austria, also to make promoting local and regional democracy their common priority”, Congress President Herwig Van Staa stated at the Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on the Transfer of the Committee of Ministers’ Chairmanship between Albania and Andorra, on 9 November in Tirana. The President stressed that the Congress will pursue and deepen its dialogue with national governments to ensure a more effective follow-up to its recommendations through post-monitoring operational activities, and to overcome together the existing problems at the grassroots.  (more...)

Since the last communication to the Deputies in May 2012, the Congress has continued the implementation of its priorities in the promotion and strengthening of local and regional democracy, the expansion of political and institutional dialogue and the development of cooperation and partnerships. The new Presidency of the Congress, elected in October 2012, confirmed these orientations. In his first speech at the 23rd session, the newly-elected President, Herwig Van Staa, expressed his determination to implement the Priorities 2013-2016 adopted at the same session, to help improve the quality of democracy and human rights at local and regional level and to assist local authorities to fulfill their duties to their citizens, especially in the current economic and financial crisis.to fulfill their duties to their citizens, especially in the current economic and financial crisis. (more...)