The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is one of the political bodies of the Council of Europe. Its mission: Promote, strengthen and defend local and regional democracy in Europe by following the principles set out in the European Charter of Local Self-Government. 

Composed of representatives with an elective mandate in a local or regional authority, the Congress has 612 members representing more than 150 000 local and regional authorities from the 46 member States.

Congress members are grouped by national delegations and political groups and are divided between the two Chambers sitting in the Congress.

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Powerpoint Presentation

 Video

Congress members & their national delegations 

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 

The Current Affairs Committee is responsible for studying the role of local and regional authorities in relation to the major challenges facing European societies.

It thus prepares work on themes such as social cohesion, citizen participation, education, sustainable development, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, protection of children against sexual abuse, youth participation, integration of migrants, from the point of view of the fundamental values of the Council of Europe.

RESOURCES

Powerpoint Presentation

 Current Affairs Committee

• Preventing radicalisation and building inclusive societies
• Migration and integration
• Gender equality
• Children's rights
• Roma and travellers

Toolkit for organising intercultural and interreligious activities

 Human rights handbook for local and regional authorities. vol1

The Monitoring Committee is responsible in particular for monitoring the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government by the member States, preparing reports on the situation of local and regional democracy in the countries which have ratified the Charter and studying certain specific questions relating to local and regional democracy.

It organises monitoring visits and prepares draft reports and recommendations on the situation of local and regional democracy in the member States concerned.

It also encourages member States to assess the situation of local democracy, in the light of the Charter, and to identify the obstacles preventing them from fully applying it.

RESOURCES

Monitoring Committee

• Monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government
• The European Charter of Local Self-Government
• Monitoring reports

 CARTA-MONITOR

 Human rights handbook for Local and Regional Authorities - vol.1

Observation missions are carried out at the official request of the national authorities concerned. The Congress sets up a delegation composed of Congress members and members of the Committee of the Regions. At the end of the observation mission, a preliminary statement is made by the Congress delegation and a report is then prepared and presented to the Congress Session, which includes an analysis of the election campaign on election day and recommendations/improvements to be made.

The Congress collaborates with Council of Europe institutions, such as the Parliamentary Assembly and the Venice Commission. The details of the procedure are set out in the Congress resolution.

RESOURCES

Powerpoint Presentation

 Video

 Election observation at Grassroots level - Twenty years of experience in electoral matters

 Observation of local and regional elections

• Reports on election observation
   

 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

 Venice Commission

The European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) is an annual European event in the framework of which local authorities and associations from the 46 Council of Europe member States organise public initiatives to promote and foster democratic participation at local level. 

Participants are encouraged to organise events in line with the theme of the ELDW. Each year, a flagship event takes place in the week of 15 October. This date was chosen as a tribute to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which was opened for signature on that date in 1985.

RESOURCES

 Powerpoint Presentation

 Video

 ELDW