On 12 and 13 September 2024, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will host a Conference of national associations of local and regional authorities from the 46 member states, at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg. Organised on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 30th anniversary of the Congress, under the auspices of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the Conference will bring together Presidents and representatives of some 60 national associations from across Europe, as well as Congress Bureau members and Heads of national delegations to the Congress, Congress Youth Delegates and guest speakers.
Over two days, they will be engaged in discussions on how local and regional authorities can respond effectively to the challenges facing European democracies, and on their role in supporting Ukraine, stopping democratic backsliding, protecting human rights, saving the environment and enabling young people's involvement in democratic action, in the light of the decisions of the Council of Europe's Summit in Reykjavik in May 2023.
The Conference will be opened on 12 September at 15.00 CET by Congress President Marc Cools, Lithuania's Vice-Minister of Interior Arnoldas Abramavičius, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge and Congress Youth Delegate from Andorra Lisa Cruz Lackner. The opening debate on the role of national associations in strengthening territorial democracy and multilevel governance will be introduced by Ekrem Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul and President of the Union of Turkish Municipalities and Gunn Marit Helgesen, President of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities and President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).
The first round table will focus on the "Resilience, reconstruction and reform of Ukraine", with presentations from Vitali Klitschko, President of the Association of Ukrainian Cities and Mayor of Kyiv, and Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils and Chair of the Kharkiv Regional Council, as well as Mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boichenko, Executive Director of the Register of Damage for Ukraine Markyan Kliutchkovsky and Congress Youth Delegate from Ukraine Sofiia Boudanova
The second round table on "Boosting democracy by engaging all citizens" will focus on fighting sexism in politics, ensuring the right to free, fair and transparent elections and promoting youth engagement in public life as well as on ways to foster social inclusion and participatory democracy.
Finally, the third round table on "Local innovation for stronger local authorities" will be the opportunity to discuss new approaches to promoting human rights at local level, improving internet safety and responding to cyberbullying, as well as the use of AI and digital tools to manage the integration of migrants and refugees, and local and regional responses to climate and environmental challenges.
All three round tables will include an exchange with Conference participants where they can share their views and experiences. As the Congress promotes the participation of youth in public life, Congress Youth Delegates will also actively contribute to the Conference and share their perspective on the current state of democracy and proposals for the future.
At the close of the Conference, participants will adopt a joint declaration to reaffirm their commitment to the Council of Europe's values and standards, and to give a renewed momentum to the partnership between the Congress and national associations.
The Conference is open to the media and will be streamed online.
