News 2022
Women and children refugees - Congress delegation collects experiences from Polish cities
A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe carried out a visit to Poland on 4 and 5 July 2022 to collect experiences of Polish cities in taking care of Ukrainian refugees. The delegation met with a wide range of stakeholders and visited temporary...
The Congress Governance Committee approved reports on hate speech and fake news, regional identities as well as smart cities and regions
The Governance Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities chaired by 4th Vice-Chair Benoît Pilet (France, ILDG) and bringing together local and regional elected representatives, met on 4 July 2022 in Strasbourg, France and online. The Committee approved three draft reports which...
“We have to revitalise democracy and strengthen mutual trust between young people and democratic institutions” says Thomas Andersson at Youth Action Week.
On Friday 1 July, Thomas Andersson (Sweden, ILDG), Chair of the Current Affairs Committee, participated in the closing plenary of the Youth Action Week. Addressing the 400 young participants, Mr Andersson stressed the crucial role of local and regional elected officials in ensuring the...
The Monitoring Committee adopted reports on the situation of local democracy in the Czech Republic and on the observation of elections in Albania, the Netherlands and Serbia
The Congress Monitoring Committee met on 30 June 2022, in Istanbul, Türkiye in the presence of Ekrem Imamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, and Hasan Akgün, Mayor of Büyükçekmece. Before the opening, an exchange of views took place between the mayors, the Chair of the Monitoring Committee, Gudrun...
Ukraine: Statement by Congress President condemning the abduction of the Mayor of Kherson
I strongly condemn the continued abduction of local officials in Ukraine, most recently of the mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhayev, and call for his immediate release. The pressure and continuous offenses that the local elected representatives are suffering in the illegally occupied territories of...
The Congress Monitoring Committee meeting opened today in Istanbul
The Congress Monitoring Committee meeting opened today in Istanbul, Türkiye, in the presence of Ekrem Imamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, and Hasan Akgün, Mayor of Büyükçekmece. Prior to the opening, an exchange of views between the mayors, the Chair of the Monitoring Committee, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström...
Shaping a vision for future decentralised governance in Armenia
“Armenia has an excellent opportunity to embark on the path of decentralisation and building a system of multi-level governance in the post-amalgamation context” stressed Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Congress Chamber of Local Authorities, at the opening of the conference...
Association of Ukrainian Cities receives Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award 2022
The Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award of 2022 was presented to the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC) on 25 June in Katowice, Poland, as part of the opening of the annual Global Parliament of Mayors Summit. The award is given to a mayor or organisation for outstanding contributions to the...
Congress President calls for strengthened youth participation at the 10th InterCity Youth Conference in Ljubljana
Leendert Verbeek, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, addressed the participants of the 10th InterCity Youth Conference during his keynote speech on “Youthwork and participation – two words, one meaning”. “Young people deserve a say – a seat at...
Congress President meets H.M. Dutch King
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Leendert Verbeek, met His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, on the occasion of his official visit to the Council of Europe on 23 June 2022. President Verbeek presented the work of the Congress and the role of local...
Congress President meets Greek President
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Leendert Verbeek, met the President of Greece, H.E. Mrs Katerina Sakellaropoulou, on 22 June 2022, during her official visit to the Council of Europe. The two Presidents stressed the importance of the local dimension of the Council...
Congress and PACE continue cooperation to protect the rights of LGBTI people at all levels
Andrew Boff (United Kingdom, ECR), Congress rapporteur on LGBTI issues, participated in the first meeting of the PACE Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe on 20 June 2022 in Strasbourg, France. “As national level representatives, you can vote laws to improve the...
International consultants - Call for tenders
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is looking for international consultants to reinforce its capacity development activities, contribute to the development of policies and/or legal frameworks and other tasks, in the framework of its statutory and co-operation...
“The reconstruction will be grounded on the strength that we are witnessing today from Ukrainian cities and villages” says Congress President
The president of the Congress of Local and Regional authorities spoke at a forum for the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Friday 17 June 2022. “The mayors and local councillors are a vivid example of the courage and resilience of Ukrainian people and local authorities in...
Regional Support for Ukraine
“Today, Ukraine needs coherent and co-ordinated action at all levels of governance, as well as a dialogue between the different levels for rebuilding and revival of the country and its communities”, stressed Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE) President of the Congress’ Chamber of Local...
Congress Bureau met in Tralee, Ireland
In the context of Ireland's Presidency of the Committee of Ministers Council of Europe the Bureau of the Congress met on 14 June 2022 in Tralee, Kerry County, Ireland and had an exchange of views with Irish councillors, including members of the Irish delegation to the Congress, on local...
World Refugee Day: Congress Rapporteurs call on European cities and regions to protect women and children on the run
Joint statement by Congress rapporteurs on women and children refugees Mr Bernd Vöhringer, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities (Germany, EPP/CCE) and Ms Annika Vaikla (Estonia, ILDG) on the ocassion of the World Refugee Day – 20 June 2022 “Our cities and regions are the first port of...
Monitoring visit by the Congress to the Republic of Moldova
A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe carried out a post-monitoring visit to the Republic of Moldova on 21 June 2022. The delegation examined the situation of local and regional democracy in the light of the provisions of the European Charter of...
Council of Europe Congress provides grant support to the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) signed a grant agreement to strengthen the institutional capacity of CALM in evidence-based advocacy, coordination, communication, and monitoring. As a result, CALM...
Local and regional media, diasporas, rural societies, refugees and human rights in social welfare institutions on the agenda of the Current Affairs Committee
At its meeting on 10 June 2022, the Congress Current Affairs Committee discussed the role of local and regional media in grassroots democracy, in the light of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers' recommendation on principles of media and communication governance. The Committee decided to...
