Emin YERITSYAN (Armenia, EPP/CCE), Head of the Armenian delegation to the Congress and member of CORLEAP, intervened during the Seminar on Public Administration Reform at Local and Regional Level, organised by the European External Action Service in Yerevan, Armenia, on 16 March 2018.

“The Congress of the Council of Europe and the Committee of the Regions of the European Union share common objectives. We experience a natural bond between our two institutions and the need to synchronise interventions becomes all the more important in order to support the EU Eastern Partnership countries in achieving the ‘20 Deliverables for 2020’” he stated. Emin YERITSYAN also underlined that the actions of the Congress under the country-specific Council of Europe Action Plans aim to implement the provisions of the post-monitoring roadmaps signed with the respective national governments. 

A number of tools were developed for mayors and local authorities in the region to support more open, ethical and citizen-oriented local governance. These publications build on the work of the Congress to enhance the quality of local democracy, and the implementation of the principles of the European Charter on Local Self-Government.

The ‘Handbooks on transparency and citizen participation’ in Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine outline the legislative frameworks in these four countries and provide practical guidance for reducing corruption risks and developing effective and accountable local institutions through the implementation of transparency policies and citizen participation mechanisms.

The ‘Tool guide on management of change’ offers step-by-step guidance for mayors to lead in a more informed manner, addressing the needs of their communities. It supports the assessment of change and the measurement of the effectiveness and responsiveness of local policies.

These publications are the result of the activities undertaken within the thematic programme “Strengthening institutional frameworks for local governance”, implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities jointly with the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform, Directorate General of Democracy. This programme is funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, through the Partnership for Good Governance for 2015-2017 for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.

Contact:

Marité Moras, Head of Unit, Co-operation and External Relations Department, Secretariat of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, + 33 3 88 41 22 33