“Local and regional authorities have the primary responsibility for the well-being of their communities, and this responsibility is translated into a wide range of obligations that support the exercise of political, economic, and social rights”, stressed Congress President Leendert Verbeek during the online 15th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean held on 3 June 2021.
President Verbeek underlined that territorial authorities must ensure equal treatment of all community residents in an inclusive manner and without any kind of discrimination while recalling that the health crisis itself and the numerous challenges it has raised have brought to the fore the need for better protection of Human rights of our citizens. In this regard, he referred to the Congress Human Rights Handbooks to support and inspire territorial elected representatives through the collection of creative and game-changing good practices in the concrete implementation of Human rights at community level.
President Verbeek recalled the universal nature of the Council of Europe’s values and highlighted the need to reinforce dialogue and partnerships across the Mediterranean Sea – an objective pursued through the Congress South-Med Partnership programme - to build a more just, more stable, and more sustainable order on both of its shores.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) is the principal forum where the national Parliaments of the Euro-Mediterranean region deliberate to reach those strategic objectives towards the creation of the best political, social, economic and cultural environment and conditions for the fellow citizens of the member states. Established in 2005, it brings together 29 member States from the three shores of the Mediterranean.
