On 29 and 30 October 2024, members of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) convened in Strasbourg for their second plenary meeting. Representatives from the Council’s member States and other participants, including from civil society, discussed ways to increase democratic resilience and addressed emerging governance challenges.
The members of the CDDEM elected their Chair, Vice-Chair and Bureau. Thomas Zandstra (Netherlands) was elected Chair, and Vebjørn Heines (Norway) was elected Vice-Chair. Katrin Kivi (Estonia), Peter Andre (Austria), Pavel Mička (Czech Republic), and Lilya Afrikyan (Armenia) were elected to the Bureau for a two-year term, and Silvia Negro Alousque (Spain) was elected for a one-year term. The CDDEM also appointed members of its two working groups.
Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy, opened the meeting highlighting the CDDEM’s role in strengthening democracy across Europe. The agenda featured exchanges with guest speakers whose insights provided a foundation for the discussions. Marin Mrčela, President of GRECO, discussed the importance of anti-corruption measures, transparency, and judicial independence in upholding democratic systems. Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted the importance of civic education in preventing democratic erosion and the role of human rights as a cornerstone of democratic governance.
The efforts of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to promote local governance were shared by its Secretary General Mathieu Mori, with particular attention to support to conflict-affected regions like Ukraine.
The CDDEM discussed the draft text of the Parameters for the application and implementation of the Reykjavík Principles for Democracy. Furthermore, the CDDEM members finalised and adopted the Guidance Note on civil society participation in the intergovernmental work of the Council of Europe.
Additionally, CDDEM members reviewed several applications from organisations seeking observer status and granted the status to the Democracy and Culture Foundation.
