Congress Vice-President Bernd Vöhringer participated in the European conference on democracy and human rights organised by the Municipality of Kristiansand (Norway), in collaboration with KS, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, in the presence among others of the deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Bjorn Berge, the chair of the KS and Congress member Gunn Martin Helgesen and the Mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mikolayiv Alexander Senkevich. 

Speaking in the panel on the 4th Council of Europe Summit, Bernd Vöhringer stressed that “for the Congress, the Summit will be an opportunity to call on central governments to support the crucial role of local and regional democracy in embedding democratic values and engaging citizens in democratic governance”. He furthermore stated that in the recommendation adopted in March as contribution to the Summit, the Congress proposes to better respond to democratic challenges with concrete actions, including the strengthening of its assessment of the situation of local and regional democracy, based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government and complemented by its regular work of observing local and regional elections. “The Congress plans also to enhance its activities on human rights, by strengthening its cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights and by promoting human rights institutions and awareness raising at local level” he underlined. He concluded with the need to involve the youth in decision-making processes to renew democratic life in communities and referred to the Congress “Rejuvenating Politics Initiative” which gives the opportunity to 46 young people each year to take an active part in its work.

On the eve of the European conference, on 4 May, speaking during the International Summit of Mayors and Local Government Leaders, in the Kristiansand City Chamber, Bernd Vöhringer stressed that local leadership in times of crisis require “firstly designing the most effective, comprehensive, qualified, inclusive and transparent responses to the immediate needs of the local population and secondly, giving local authorities the means, the power, the resources and a key role in national crisis response”. He added that as shown with Ukraine “solidarity is also an important element of crisis response and leadership, not only at a local, regional or national level, but also at European level”.