Back International Day of Democracy: statement by the President of the Congress

International Day of Democracy: statement by the President of the Congress

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Anders Knape, made the following statement on the occasion of the International Day of Democracy:

"If democracy is the foundation on which our common values are based, it is at the level closest to citizens, within our cities and regions, that local democracy offers a unique opportunity to engage citizens in decision making. That is why we must defend it and ensure that democratic principles are respected at all levels of governance: European, national, regional and local. Democracy is a form of government which allows the full participation of citizens in the decisions that affect them, and, must be practiced daily through concrete measures. It is based on a real partnership between the different levels of governance and with the citizens in our States.

This is the objective defended by the Congress through the European Charter of Local Self-Government and its Additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority, which advocates the establishment of consultation procedures, local referendums or petitions, access to public documents, or even mechanisms allowing citizens to address local authorities. With the ratification of the additional protocol by France on 1st September 2020, twenty countries have now recognised the exercise of the individual right of citizens to participate in the affairs of local communities, as a democratic principle common to all member States of the Council of Europe. The Congress will continue its efforts to unite all 47 member States around this essential treaty for local democracy. In addition, each year the European Local Democracy Week, a pan-European initiative coordinated by the Congress, enables local and regional authorities to bring elected officials and citizens closer together through events, in particular around October 15, the date of adoption of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. "

Countries which have ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of rights, which form the European bedrock of local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities ensures that these principles are respected through a regular monitoring of its implementation country-by-country and the observation of local and regional elections.

CONGRESS Strasbourg 15 September 2020
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Fifty practitioners to enhance skills in provision of occupational therapy

Following the adoption of the Guidelines for Occupational Therapy (OT), as well as the Training of Trainers (ToT) on OT that took place in January 2024, three 2-day cascade training sessions were organised in the course of February and March 2024.  Fifty professionals, mainly from the Prison Health Department, along with representatives from the Correctional Services, Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, and the Special Institute for Persons with Mental and Physical Disabilities, were trained on this important form of therapy.

To complement the theoretical aspects and provide the trainees with practical knowledge, some of the sessions were conducted in the Dubrava Prison, in a section which houses prisoners with both mental and somatic problems. This on-site training allowed the participants to observe and understand the application of OT principles in a real-life setting, thus enhancing their learning experience by connecting theory and practice.

These cascade training sessions allowed the participants to further improve their skills in applying the OT Guidelines and tools in prisons and other closed institutions, a concept which was thus far not utilised in a structured manner. Furthermore, training healthcare and correctional professionals together helps them further strengthen the inter-institutional cooperation in the treatment and rehabilitation of some of the most vulnerable members of the society.

Each of these sessions were facilitated by two trainers who had participated in the ToT in January and were supervised and mentored by a Council of Europe consultant who has been involved in the process since the very beginning, thus further strengthening institutional capacity to provide training.

The activity was conducted under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Improvement of the treatment of persons deprived of liberty”.

 

 

*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions, or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United National Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

Istog/ Istok 26 March 2024
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