On September 12 and 13, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe hosted a conference in Strasbourg of national associations of local and regional authorities from the 46 member states.
The conference, organized in connection with the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 30th anniversary of the Congress, took place under the auspices of the Lithuanian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and included representatives from 110 national associations across Europe.
Tengiz Mungalishvili, Chairman of Telavi City Hall; Seudia Ugrekhelidze, a member of Senaki City Hall and the Bureau of the Congress of the Council of Europe; and Tatiana Bokuchava, Deputy Executive Director of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, attended the event from the Georgian side.
Over the course of the two-day event, participants engaged in discussions and debates on how local and regional authorities can effectively address the challenges facing European democracy. The roundtable discussions focused on the following topics: “Ukraine’s Resilience, Reconstruction, and Reform,” “Strengthening Democracy Through the Participation of All Citizens,” and “Local Innovations for Stronger Local Government.”
Participants discussed innovative approaches to addressing climate and environmental challenges, promoting human rights at the local level, and utilizing artificial intelligence and digital tools.
Representatives from the associations also had the opportunity to share successful examples with their colleagues on combating sexism in politics, ensuring the right to free, fair, and transparent elections, and encouraging greater involvement of young people in public life.
It is worth noting that young delegates played an active role in the meeting, presenting their proposals and discussing future prospects.
After the conference, participants adopted a joint declaration. Through this document, they reaffirmed their commitment to the Council of Europe’s values and standards, which also include strengthening the partnership between the Congress and the national associations.
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