Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

📣 We’ve landed on Bluesky! 🦋 The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is now on Bluesky. Follow us for the latest updates on local and regional democracy across Europe. ➡️ https://rb.gy/v9211c #Democracy #HumanRights #RuleOfLaw

⏪Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 Recap 🇺🇦 🇮🇹 From decentralisation to youth engagement and cross-border partnerships, see how local democracy is at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery. 📽️ Watch the highlights of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe at the #URC2025 in Rome (📆10-12 July) featuring: ⭐ President Marc Cools ⭐ Secretary General Mathieu Mori ⭐ Vice-Presidents Bernd Vöhringer and Gunn Marit Helgesen ⭐ Co-Rapporteurs on reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine Véronique Bertholle and Amelie Tarschys Ingre #ukraine #Recovery #LocalDemocracy Council of Europe Cities4Cities

📆 On 9 and 10 July, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe launched innovative Community Talks in Ambrolauri and Oni municipalities, as part of its efforts to promote local democracy in Georgia. 🇬🇪 These events were aimed at strengthening democratic practices at the grassroots level through community-based dialogue. 🌱💬 📍 In Ambrolauri, discussions focused on youth engagement, better access to education and healthcare, stronger services and boosting tourism and the economy. 📍 In Oni, similar themes were discussed, with added focus on environmental sustainability and disaster prevention. Read more➡️: https://go.coe.int/04Paw #LocalDemocracy #Georgia #citizenengagement

This year marks 30 years of the Srebrenica genocide – one of the darkest pages of European history. In July 1995, 30 years ago, thousands of men and boys were systematically killed solely because of their ethnicity and religion. Let us remember and learn from it. #NeverForget

💬 “Ukraine's recovery is not just about rebuilding cities, but about reaffirming a democratic European identity.” At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10 July 2025, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe President Marc Cools pointed out that strategic recovery demands a multilevel governance model where local authorities are not merely service providers, but co-architects of policy and reconstruction. On 11 July, Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori will present the Congress action in support of Ukraine, as well as key recommendations for balancing robust local autonomy with strategic national coordination. Read more ➡️ : https://go.coe.int/WZM0Z #URC2025 #ukraine Council of Europe

🌍🇺🇦 Kharkiv & Mykolaiv’s Road to Recovery: Building Back Better! 🏗️🌱 Yesterday in Rome, global partners came together to support Kharkiv and Mykolaiv’s transformation at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025. Kharkiv focused on economic revitalisation and sustainable urban development, while Mykolaiv’s spotlight was on rebuilding a greener, smarter, and more resilient city. 🌆✨ #COECongress Vice-President Bernd Vöhringer highlighted the importance of partnerships and knowledge sharing between Ukrainian and other European municipalities and concluded that “joint efforts are necessary to rebuild a stronger Ukraine from the bottom up, with multilevel co-operation and co-ordination.” 👏 We applaud the commitment of the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv we heard yesterday for their resilience and bid for innovation. Let’s continue to work together – locally driven and globally supported – to build a stronger future for Ukraine. 💪🤝🇺🇦 #mykolaiv #kharkiv #URC2025 #ukraine

🇺🇦 Working together for Ukraine's Recovery! 🤝 We're at the #URC2025 side event “Joining Forces: Government, Civil Society, and Business for Resilient Public Policy in Ukraine’s Recovery” in Rome today. 🇮🇹 #COECongress Vice-President Gunn Marit Helgesen delivered a powerful keynote on public participation at the local level. She emphasised that “recovery is not just about reconstruction – it’s about transformation. About creating a modern, more participatory, inclusive, and resilient Ukraine at all levels of governance. Let’s build back better and together.” The Vice-President also stressed the importance of European local authorities partnering with civil society organisations and businesses that support social services. The event highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration for Ukraine's future. #ukraine #publicparticipation #LocalDemocracy #resilience 🕊️🇺🇦

President of #CoECongress Marc Cools “I strongly condemn what I see as a purge of opposition mayors in Türkiye with this new wave of arrests. I call for the immediate release of all the arrested mayors and local councillors.” https://lnkd.in/eiuyMjSw Read #CoECongress statement 👉https://lnkd.in/eWBbEdHJ

💬 "𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧." Curious to know what that means? 🎥 Watch what Tamara Morar, Catalina Scortescu and Elena Bolocan had to say after an intense 4-day training in Chisinau 🇲🇩. From 23-26 June, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐛 brought together 26 independent experts, civil society representatives and local officials to boost civic participation. 🧰 With hands-on training in the Council of Europe’s CivicLab, UChange and Civil Participation Toolkit, participants explored practical ways to make public decision-making more inclusive and effective. ⬇️ Don’t miss participants' takeaways in the video below!

💬 "𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 – 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱." – #CoECongress Standing Rapporteur on #HumanRights Gudrun Mosler-Törnström At the Informal Conference of Ministers marking the 15th Anniversary of the #LanzaroteConvention, this powerful message served as a reminder of our shared responsibility. Local and regional authorities play a vital role in protecting children from abuse by: 👁️🗨️ Spotting the signs 🔊 Breaking the silence ⚖️ Acting swiftly Children's safety starts where they live, play, and learn — in our towns, our cities, and our homes. Children’s Rights at the Council of Europe Permanent Representation of Malta to the Council of Europe #LanzaroteConvention #ChildRights #ChildProtection #CouncilOfEurope #MaltaPresidency2025