A delegation from Upper Austria, headed by Thomas STELZER, the President (Landeshauptmann), visited the Council of Europe and met Andreas KIEFER, Secretary General of the Congress, on 22 March 2019, in Strasbourg, France.

The Secretary General informed Mr STELZER of the follow-up given to the latest report of the Congress on the situation of local democracy in Austria, as well as the next follow-up visit, planned for 2020.

They also discussed the role of the regions in the implementation of human rights. In this regard, the Secretary General of the Congress presented to the President the first volume of the Congress Human Rights Manual.

The Austrian delegation to the Congress includes two mayors and a deputy mayor of Upper Austria, who therefore contribute to sharing good practices from their region with their counterparts from the 46 other Council of Europe member states.

In addition, the Upper Austrian delegation met Jean Rottner, President of the Grand Est Region, with a view to strengthening cooperation between the two regions.

See also: La Région Grand Est renforce ses liens avec la Haute-Autriche [only available in French]