On the first day of the 45th session, the Congress members have elected Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG) as their new President, for a mandate of two years and a half. Mr Cools is Communal Councillor of Uccle (Belgium) and Honorary Vice-President of the Brussels Parliament and was previously the chair of the Independent and Liberal Democrat Group in the Congress. He succeeded to Leendert Verbeek (Netherlands, SOC/G/PD).
First thematic debate was dedicated to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Congress adopted on 24 October 2023 a resolution on the plight of anti-war political activists and prisoners of conscience in Russia, presented by outgoing President and Rapporteur on The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, Leendert Verbeek (the Netherlands, SOC/G/PD).
Furthermore, the Congress adopted a resolution for a third revision of the European Urban Charter to support local and regional authorities facing different challenges. This new version provides a set of revised and innovative principles to guide urban policies in an era of transformation, promoting a fair future, sustainable development, and solidarity while highlighting local governments as key players guaranteeing universal principles of ethical governance.
The Congress adopted today a new set of priorities for the period from 2023 until the end of its current mandate in 2026. Inspired by the Reykjavik Summit of Heads of State and Government held in spring 2023, these priorities are outlined in the resolution on the promotion of democracy, the monitoring of local and regional democracy and the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
Finally, the first day of this 45th session ended with the exchange of views on the outcome of the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development Goals on 19-20 September 2023 in New-York. During her statement, Tatiana MOLCEAN, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, stated that “Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the common priority of all UN Member States. We at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) believe that this implementation begins at the local level - nothing can be achieved if citizens, communities and cities do not take action”.
Mediabox interview with Leendert Verbeek
Mediabox interview with Harald Sonderegger and Bernd Vöhringer
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45th Session
Agenda – Web file – Multimedia (Live webcasts, interviews, videos and photo)
