Addressing the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge emphasised the crucial role of the Congress in defending democracy.
"As we look to the future, let us never forget that local democracy is our first line of defence. This session has made that clear with very timely debates."
The rich agenda of the 48th session of the Congress includes discussions on Ukraine's reconstruction, local and regional democracy in Georgia, foreign interference in local elections, homelessness in European cities, human labour trafficking and violence against women in politics.
The Deputy Secretary General stressed that wherever democracy is under pressure, we see that the Congress is stepping up. "This Congress session reminds us of a fundamental truth: the health of democracy begins locally - with the people who make Europe, in all their diversity, their hopes and their fears. Let us never forget that this is not just about institutions, it is about people. And about trust. And the future we want to build together", he concluded.
The session included interventions from H.R.H the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Interior Minister of Luxembourg Léon Gloden on behalf of his country's Committee of Ministers' Presidency. Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Communities and Territorial Development, Oleksii Riabykin, Chair of the Ukrainian Parliament's Sub-Committee on Administrative and Territorial Organisation and Local Self-Government, Vitalii Bezghin, and Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Davide La Cecilia, (Italy) were among the main speakers. Other speakers include representatives of governments, international organisations, mayors and local leaders as well as representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces.
Speech by the Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge
