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The News (Site updated Tuesday, March 16, 2010 | 19:00)

Sandra Barnes elected President of the Committee on Social Cohesion

[16/03/2010 14:30:00] Sandra Barnes (United Kingdom, EPP/CD) was elected today President of the Congress' Committee on Social Cohesion. She has been a Congress member since 2000, and she is currently a Representative of the Chamber of Local Authorities. Sandra Barnes has made a marked contribution to the Congress' work in the field of social cohesion, in particular as Rapporteur on domestic violence and human trafficking.
18th CONGRESS SESSION
18th Congress Session: Human rights at local level, climate change and Euro-Mediterranean dialogue among highlights
[08/03/2010 14:30:00] The highlights of the 18th Plenary Session of the Congress, in Strasbourg from 17 to 19 March 2010, feature the election of the Congress Secretary General and debates on the role of territorial authorities in implementing human rights, implications of the Copenhagen climate change conference for cities and regions, the launch of a regional and local assembly for the Euro-Mediterranean (ARLEM), as well as on gender equality in political life at territorial level. The Congress will also examine reports on the situation of territorial democracy in Iceland, Portugal and Switzerland, on the observation of municipal elections in Azerbaijan, as well as on minority languages, intra-regional transport and the Utrecht Declaration on good local and regional governance. (more ...)
Agenda
File ''18th Session''
Photo gallery
Download our multimedia resources
[16/03/2010 18:30:00] During the Congress Session, multimedia resources will be available online for downloading free of charge in professional format. These resources can be published with the mention ©Council of Europe. (more ...)
Exhibitions and side events during the 18th Congress Session
[16/03/2010 18:00:00] On the occasion of the 18th Congress Session, the leading theme for the 2010 European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) stand is the impact of sustainable communities in the fight against climate change. Furthermore, several exhibitions have been organised notably by the Prahova and Covasna County Councils (Romania). The programme also includes other events by the Permanent Representation of Switzerland, the Association of European Border Regions, the Euro-Institute, the Cross-border Operational Mission, the Association of Local Democracy Agencies and the European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy. (more ...)
Focus on ''climate change and sustainable communities'' for this year’s European Local Democracy Week (more ...)
ELDW website
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Committee on Social Cohesion to elect President and discuss inter-community relations and temporal policies
[15/03/2010 16:00:00] The meeting of the Committee on Social Cohesion on 16 March in Strasbourg will open with the election of its President Sandra Barnes (United Kingdom, EPP/CD). The Committee also examined reports on the challenge of inter-group relations, by Esther Maurer (Switzerland, SOC), and on local temporal policies, by Clotilde Tascon-Mennetrier (France, SOC), and discussed its priorities for 2011-2012 as well as cooperation with the EU Committee of the Regions.
Coastal towns, mountain regions and biodiversity on the agenda of the Sustainable Development Committee
[15/03/2010 17:00:00] The Congress’ Committee on Sustainable Development met in Strasbourg on 16 March to examine the preparation of reports on coastal towns facing rising sea levels, sustainable development of mountain regions and landscape as a new dimension of public territorial action. On the occasion of International Year of Biodiversity, a hearing was held on biodiversity as a local challenge. Projects on local action for biodiversity were presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, and the European Centre for Nature Conservation, as well as the cities of Strasbourg and Amsterdam.
Culture and Education Committee focuses on minority languages, integration of Muslim women, and disadvantaged youth
[15/03/2010 15:00:00] Meeting on 16 March in Strasbourg, the Culture and Education Committee approved a draft resolution and recommendation on minority languages as an asset for regional development; for adoption at the Congress session. The Committee also approved a draft resolution on the cultural integration of Muslim women in European cities. Other topics on the agenda were devoted to the integration of young people in disadvantaged areas, the role of local and regional authorities in the development of sustainable tourism, the role of the media in promoting diversity within democracy, and education as a tool for democratic citizenship.