A seminar on “Local democracy facing the demands of sustainable development and climate” took place on 12 October at the Metz Arsenal, in the framework of the Metz Mirabelle 2019 Marathon, which will be held on 13 October.
The seminar was co-organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the City of Metz and the Metz Marathon Association, and constitutes a contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030, in particular Goal 13.
The event brought together Congress members, mayors and councillors from the Grand Est region, deputies and experts, in two round tables. It was opened by Xavier Cadoret, Congress Vice-President, Dominique Gros, Mayor of Metz, and Hubert Ehrminger, President of the Metz Marathon.
The first round table examined ways to “raise public awareness of the demands of sustainable development”. It was moderated by Jean Pierre Liouville, Regional councillor of the Grand-Est Region and Congress member. The second round table focused on the “Responsibilities and the role of local and regional stakeholders in the protection of the environment and the promotion of the UN SDGs: suggestions for action”, and was moderated by Congress Director Jean Philippe Bozouls.
This event was also part of the European Local Democracy Week, a pan-European initiative coordinated by the Congress, which takes place every year around 15 October. On the theme “Local democracy: territories of trust”, chosen for the 2019-2020 editions, cities and regions of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe are invited to organise activities to bring local elected representatives and citizens closer together.
See also:
Thanks to its expertise and its proximity to citizens as an assembly representing 150,000 local and regional authorities, the Congress brings the territorial dimension of the SDGs to the Council of Europe. The Congress' approach is based on three key principles: implementing SDGs is a responsibility shared among all levels of government; local and regional authorities must have the necessary powers and financial autonomy to achieve SDGs in their respective areas; citizens must always remain at the heart of the action.
