By KUNA,
Paris : The Congress of the Council of Europe has, for the past two years, been “gaining in political weight as a unique body monitoring the state of local and regional democracy in Europe,” outgoing Congress President Halvdan Skard affirmed Tuesday.
In a report he presented to the 15th Plenary Session, which underpinned the Council of Europe’s action in the field of local self-government, the President indicated that the Congress had “consolidated itself as the truly pan-European watchdog and spokesman for territorial democracy, in partnership with national governments.” The Congress today had a unique institutional presence and a remarkable range and depth of activities that aim at boosting “territorial democracy, promoting interregional and trans-frontier cooperation, empowering territorial communities, and fostering intercultural and interreligious dialogue, among others,” the report indicated.
The Congress stepped up its cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers, especially through the European Committee for Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR), working together on the implementation of the European Strategy for Innovation and Good Governance at Local Level and the organization of the European Local Democracy Week, which is a new annual event aimed at raising public awareness of and participation in democratic processes at local level.
The Congress was also expanding its activities beyond European borders, pushing for the renewed and continuing dialogue between European and Arab towns through involving local authorities in the Middle East, engaging the Maghreb countries, as well as other non-member states and cooperating with the UN Habitat on the implementation of decentralization guidelines worldwide. The third Euro-Arab Cities Forum was held in Dubai last February.
Skard said that “Stepping down as Congress President after two years, I strongly believe that the Congress has a bright dynamic future, propelled by the will of its members to move forwards, and that Europe will only progress with reinforced co-operation and common standards at local and regional levels.
” He stressed “The role and activities of the Congress puts it in a unique position among European institutions to make a major contribution in this respect, and I am convinced that, endowed with proper means and resources, this dynamic and enthusiastic elected assembly, totally committed to its mission, will succeed in fulfilling it.” The Congress has two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions. It consists of 318 full and 318 substitute members representing more than 200,000 European territorial communities.