The Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities held a remote meeting on 28 September 2020. Among the topics discussed were the agenda of the Statutory Forum, which was held remotely on the same day, as well as the agenda of the 39th Session of the Congress. The members of the Bureau decided to cancel the Session due to the impossibility to meet the technical requirements for remote connection and voting.

The situation of local democracy in Turkey was also on the agenda, in particular concerning the replacement of elected candidates by government administrators, as well as the detention of local elected representatives in south-eastern Turkey.

The Bureau also examined the request by the Federation of Local Authorities of Israel to obtain guest observer status with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has created an online hub "COVID-19: response at local and regional levels". This hub presents a set of resources deployed by local and regional authorities, by partner networks and by other organisations. An interactive module allows cities and regions to contribute directly and share their initiatives.