“Democracy and good governance cannot be guaranteed without the effective protection and implementation of human rights, and the actions of local and regional politicians often determine the extent to which citizens in Europe enjoy their human rights,” stated Congress Deputy Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights Peter Drenth (Netherlands, EPP/CCE) at the 5th Academy “Human Rights Go Local: What Works”, meeting online on 2 February 2026.

Referring to the theme of the Conference, “Local Governments and Human Rights-Based Budgeting:  Pathways to Accountability”, the Congress Rapporteur recalled that in its 2011 report, the Congress already appealed to public authorities to allocate the maximum available resources to fulfil human rights, including social and economic rights, in order to avoid the future costs of an inadequate level of protection.

“Our responsibilities as local and regional authorities are numerous: we deliver essential public services such as housing, education and health; we enforce local regulations affecting citizens’ human rights; finally, we provide real accountability as the authorities closest to the citizen,” he said, calling on local and regional leaders to commit to human rights-based budgeting by determining budgets in light of human rights standards, ensuring that public expenditure aligns with human rights obligations and contributes to their implementation, and prioritising effective social services needed to meet human rights obligations.

“We need to convince politicians everywhere in Europe and at all levels of governments that investing in human rights leads to benefits for the whole society,” concluded Peter Drenth.