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Speech by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe”

Madam President,
Secretary General of the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities, dear Mathieu,

Distinguished members of the Congress,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to begin by congratulating you, Ms. Gunn Marit Helgesen, on your election as President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

You bring a wealth of experience to this important role, in a crucial period for Europe and for the world. I very much look forward to our co-operation.

It is also a pleasure to take part in this historic session – the 50^th plenary sitting of the Congress.

Important milestones like this, is also an opportunity to take stock of the state of democracy at every level of government in Europe –

And to discuss how we can meet the urgent challenges that we face.

At this session there will be an important debate on Russia’s war of aggression and Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction at local and regional level, as well on the territorial organisation of political power in Ukraine.

Ensuring free local and regional elections, tackling violence against elected officials, safeguarding local democracy in Georgia; and delivering social rights at local and regional levels;

implementing the European Convention on Human Rights by local and regional authorities; as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence; health access under pressure; and regional history teaching - are among the thematic highlights of this session.

Also of special interest, will be the new Council of Europe-European Union project – the Local Observatory on reform agendas implementation (LORAI), which will be launched to support local self-government reforms in the Western Balkans.

Otherwise, you have the usual reports on the application of the European Charter of local self-government, this time in regard to Lithuania and Monaco, as well as the observation reports of local elections in four countries.

And we are honoured  by the presence of Mr Lionel Beffre, Minister of the Interior of Monaco, and Mr Vlodislav Kondratovič, Minister of the Interior of Lithuania.

We are also honoured by the participation of the First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Olkesandr Korniyenko; Deputy Speaker Ms Olena Kondratiuk; and the Deputy Minister for Development and Communities and Territories of Ukraine, Mr Oleksiy Riabykin; as well as the Secretary General of the Republic of Moldova’s Government, Mr Alexei Buzu.

Distinguished members of the Congress,

The threat before us is not only that the rules-based order is fading.

It is that the values on which it rests – democracy, human rights, and the rule of law – are being openly challenged.

More than four years of war in Ukraine have shattered old illusions.

The war in Iran and across the Middle East reminds us how quickly the logic of escalation can overwhelm the logic of law.

And Israel’s new death penalty law, adopted this week by the Knesset, is a deeply troubling step backwards for human rights, that also raises broader concerns about respect for international law.

It seems contempt for the values that underpinned the postwar order is becoming explicit, and politically attractive.

At the same time, inside Europe, we see governments accused of systematically weakening courts, media freedom, anti-corruption systems, and democratic oversight.

So, this is not only a crisis of order. It is a move towards dis-order and chaos.

Few has said it better than UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres – I quote:

“The context is chaos,” and “We are a world brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability.”

And at a time when geopolitical divisions are widening, amid cuts to development and humanitarian funding, Mr. Guterres said multilateralism itself was being tested.

“That is the paradox of our era: at a time when we need international cooperation the most, we seem to be the least inclined to use it and invest in it,” he said.

And if I may add - it is also crisis of democratic confidence.
And this, at a time when we need to build new pillars of trust.

Trust that comes from democratic security.

Trust that comes from ensuring the resilience of our democratic institutions.

Trust that comes from reinforcing our fundamental human rights.

And trust that comes from implementing our laws – including international law – also to ensure that there is no impunity.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Ukraine - the Council of Europe’s number one priority.

Ukraine where we have created mechanisms to ensure that Russian aggression is held to account.

The Register of Damage is now fully operational. New categories of claims are in place, covering a wide range of harm, death and destruction, and more than 120,000 claims have already been submitted.

There is also a new and growing momentum behind the International Claims Commission and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.

The convention establishing the Commission was opened for signature in December last year and already has 36 signatories.

This Commission will be essential when the reconstruction of Ukraine begins - as we all hope, will happen sometime in the near future.

There must also be accountability and commitment within Ukraine, as the country moves into the post-war era.

Yesterday, Congress approved a report entitled “A Strategic Approach to Supporting the Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine at Local and Regional Levels”.

It is one way of saying that we all are committed to Ukraine’s future.

Quality education and healthcare that caters for the needs of all those affected by war will be crucial. You can only imagine the level of trauma that the Ukrainian society is facing, after years of war and terror.

This will be a major challenge, that we need to help our Ukrainian friends to tackle.

The Ukrainian economy must also develop to be robust and sustainable, and here I believe Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union will be crucial.

Also from a security policy point of view, a Ukrainian EU-membership will be important as the country will be protected under Article 42 (7) of the Treaty on European Union, also referred to as the “Mutual Assistance Clause,” triggered in case of a EU-country being a victim of armed aggression.

And, of course, a just and lasting peace must be built on a foundation of good governance, with strong and effective local and regional government.

Local and regional authorities should serve their communities, part of a shared strategic approach with the national and international levels of government.

Many issues require further, more detailed work, but I can only urge all of you to support and commit to this important process.

Dear friends,

This Congress reminds us of a fundamental truth: the health of democracy begins locally. 

And as I have said in the past, local democracy is our first line of defence.

As trust is more easily nurtured in local communities, and that is where we can also build the strength of our democracies.

Local elections are crucial, and I welcome the news that the number of elections the Congress is observing is increasing.

As I have already mentioned, there are four observations reports on the agenda tomorrow, and Congress observed the sub-national elections in Serbia this week.

Observation is key to ensuring that elections are free and fair, and we encourage all national governments to invite Congress to observe their processes.

At the same time, threats to elections are constantly evolving.

Local elected officials are often the first exposed, and the least protected.

We see this clearly in the area of foreign information manipulation and interference.

As the Congress has shown, these threats are growing fast.

They are becoming more sophisticated, more aggressive and more damaging.

Foreign information manipulation and interference and disinformation campaigns are ongoing threats to democratic stability.

But countering attacks comes with its own minefield, which must be navigated carefully, to ensure fundamental freedoms are not affected.

The Council of Europe’s responses to these threats are anchored in the European Convention on Human Rights.

As you might now, we are right now developing new instruments to address disinformation and foreign interference, and our experts are now looking into a feasibility study, not to police speech, but to protect democratic choice and build trust.

Distinguished members of the Congress,

When delegates from our Member States convene for the annual Ministerial conference in May in Chișinău, foreign information manipulation and interference will be high on the agenda.

Migration will also be a central issue.

These are different matters, each requiring its own response.

But both speak directly to the condition of democratic security in Europe today.

Migration is a difficult issue, and democratic societies must be able to address it seriously.

That is why Chișinău will be important.

To help shape a balanced response, one that addresses legitimate concerns while upholding fundamental rights and the values that define Europe.

This is exactly the pressures the New Democratic Pact for Europe seeks to address.

Pressures we have just been discussing.

Foreign information manipulation and interference, democratic erosion, corruption, extremism, and the growing strain placed on institutions by new technologies and geopolitical instability.

The Pact starts from a simple but urgent question:

How must democracy adapt to a world shaped by new technologies and new geopolitical realities?

And it rests on three priorities:

Education, to strengthen democratic citizenship and culture.

Protection, to support democracy wherever it comes under pressure.

And innovation, to help our institutions keep pace with fast-moving, cross-border threats.

And the Congress has an important role to play.

I know you are committed to this process, and you have organised rounds of consultations - with a focus on elections, deliberative democracy, local democracy and youth participation - and I understand that a written contribution will formally be adopted in October.

I want to thank you for this.  

We want to hear from everyone, as we move into our final consultation phase.

That consultation phase runs through this year, and will shape future work as we develop the Pact.

Overall, we are experiencing strong positive reactions to our work towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe.

I have seen it for myself in the conferences and symposiums I have attended, including – just a couple of weeks ago, at the European Youth Centre here in Strasbourg.

I spoke at a seminar, together with representatives of National Youth Councils, the European Youth Forum and the Advisory Council on Youth.

Their enthusiasm for democracy and their determination to help strengthen and revitalise it, gives me hope for the future.

I also want to acknowledge the important role of the Congress youth delegates – from all of our 46 member states, as well as – at this session – from Morocco and the Democratic Forces of Belarus.

Distinguished members of the Congress,

We began with a troubling reality.

The rule-based order is deliberately being undermined. Some will even say fading.

But what we are facing is not only a crisis of order.

It is a crisis of democratic trust.

What this creates is not only instability, but chaos and doubt.

Doubt about whether democracy can still protect, still deliver, still hold.

I believe that our local and regional democracy is the ultimate test.

It is there that citizens see whether institutions listen, respond and protect.

It is there that our citizens see that our institutions deliver what they are supposed to deliver.

And it is there that trust is rebuilt.

That is what is at stake:

People, trust, and the future of democratic life in Europe.

Once more I thank you for your work and commitment. Let me also thank in particular the outgoing President of the Congress, Mr Marc Cools, for his strong leadership, uncompromising commitment to the values of the Council of Europe, and many notable achievements.

The Congress plays a key and fundamental role in the work of the Council of Europe.

I know it is hard work, and I assure you it is appreciated by all of us.

Thank you once more, for caring about the things that matter.

Democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.