On 29 October 2021, the Congress contributed to the Conference on Agenda 2030: Transforming Regions, Changing the World, organised in Strasbourg by the Assembly of European Regions in cooperation with the Grand Est Region (France). The conference brought together local and regional actors to call on national governments to strengthen multi-level dialogue to facilitate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030.
Speaking at the Round Table on "The Way Forward: Creating Sustainable and Resilient Regions in a Post-Pandemic World", Congress President Leendert Verbeek recalled that the ultimate goal of the SDGs is to improve the well-being of citizens and communities wherever they live. He called for the disparity between regions to be tackled so that all regions can implement their sustainable development goals in the same way. In this respect, he recalled the conditions for the successful implementation of the SDGs at local and regional level: freedom of action and decision, appropriate competences and financial and budgetary autonomy, participation in national action plans through regular cooperation and consultation mechanisms, evaluation of actions, and sharing experiences between regions and with the national level.
On the same day, at the workshop "How can regions carry out voluntary reviews? "organised during the conference by the Congress in cooperation with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and moderated by Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer. Congress members Josef Frey (Germany, SOC/V/DP), Belinda Gottardi (Italy, SOC/V/DP), and Gunn-Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE), as well as Marta Marin, representative of Basque Country (Spain) to the European Union, presented experiences of their respective cities and regions in the implementation of the SDGs as well as their contribution to the national action plans and their evaluation. Congress Vice-President Gunn-Marit Helgesen presented a voluntary review prepared by the Association of Cities and Regions of Norway, of which she is the President. Edgardo Bilsky, Head of Research at UCLG, presented an overview of voluntary reviews worldwide.
Participants highlighted the central role of local and regional authorities in achieving the SDGs and the importance of voluntary reviews at national and sub-national levels in developing synergies between all levels of government. They called on national governments and international institutions to take into account local and regional authorities in their strategies and to provide them with appropriate consultation and funding instruments.
Addressing the participants of another workshop, on "The future is yours: inclusive and participatory institutions for all", Congress Vice-President Lia Montalti (Italy, SOC/V/DP) recalled that SDG 16 for more participation, stronger institutions and non-discrimination coincides with the main objective of the Council of Europe and the Congress: to defend human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In her view, recognition of the rights of all citizens, equal treatment in the delivery of public services, civil participation and co-decision, consultation of citizens, as well as fair redistribution are necessary conditions for the cohesion of societies.
In the margins of the conference, the Congress President held an exchange of views with the President of the Assembly of European Regions, Magnus Berntsson, during which they discussed the respective priorities of the two assemblies and identified possible synergies and areas of concrete co-operation.
