On 1 April 2026, the Secretariat of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention hosted a side event on the margins of the 50th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
The event was presented and moderated by Mr Jonathan Denis, Deputy Congress Spokesperson on Environment and Climate Change. It featured a presentation by Mr Gilles Rudaz, Vice-President of the Convention, who highlighted key activities, including the Landscape Award and the principal outcomes of the Ministerial Conference marking the Convention’s 25th anniversary in Florence (October 2025).
The discussion confirmed the Convention’s relevance for local and regional authorities in tackling climate change, coastal erosion, land degradation, and their impacts on economies, communities, and health. Participants called for holistic, cross-sectoral action and stronger cooperation, in line with the Council of Europe Strategy on the Environment.
They reaffirmed the Convention’s unique role in bridging natural and cultural heritage and stressed the need to expand its reach, attract new Contracting Parties, and strengthen local and regional synergies.
