“Democracy starts at local and regional level; it is implemented, promoted and safeguarded by the vital, day-to-day work of local and regional representatives and the complex challenges you face,” said Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, to the members of the Congress at its 37th session on 29 October 2019.
As a former Municipal and Regional Councillor in Geneva, the President also highlighted the key role played by the Congress as a guardian of local and regional democracy in Europe. She further congratulated the members on the very “relevant” discussions which were on the session’s agenda, and were directly in tune with the work of the Parliamentary Assembly.
The President referred to the debates on the situation of local and regional democracy in Turkey (30 October 2019) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (31 October), and called for “a co-ordinated approach between the monitoring committees of the Congress and the Parliamentary Assembly”.
She also welcomed Tunisia’s being granted Partner for Local Democracy status: “Now, the voice of Tunisian local representatives will be heard at the pan-European level. It will be important to ensure that national parliamentarians can enjoy the same rights and opportunities in the Assembly - a message that I would ask you to convey to the Tunisian representatives tomorrow.”
“The Council of Europe is a unique forum for dialogue and co-operation between peoples at European level, and the Assembly and the Congress are two of its pillars. The Organisation has, over the seven decades of its existence, acquired a substantial acquis, to which our two bodies have greatly contributed,” the President said, stressing the importance of enhanced co-operation between the two institutions.
Among the common themes for cooperation, Liliane Maury Pasquier mentioned gender equality - one of the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 - a theme that will be debated in the Chamber of Regions on 30 October.
- Liliane Maury Pasquier's speech (available only in French)
- The Congress’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
- Video of the speech: EN - FR - Original
** 37th Session of the Congress **
File 37th Session - Agenda - Videos and photos – Mediabox interviews
