The Autonomous Region of the Azores will attend the 18th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to take place in Strasbourg, France, between March 17 and 19.
The Azores will be represented by the Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation, Rodrigo Oliveira, on behalf of the President of the Government, Carlos César.
During the three-day session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Rodrigo Oliveira will not only participate in the plenary session, which brings together 318 members from 47 Member States of the Council of Europe, but also in the meeting of the Chamber of Regions, in which several themes will be discussed, such as the financial crisis and its consequences at a local and regional level, the role of territorial collectivities in the defence of human rights, gender equality in local and regional policies and the Euro-Mediterranean relations.
Furthermore, the development of local and regional democracy in Europe, reports on Switzerland, Azerbaijan or Iceland, the adoption of positions on the role of cities and regions after the Copenhagen Summit and the Declaration of Utrecht on good local and regional governance and regional level will be under analysis at the this Congress.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities was established in 1994 as an advisory body to the Council of Europe, an international organisation established in 1949 with the purpose of promoting Human Rights and Democracy as well as of raising the awareness of the European identity.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and, in particular, the Chamber of Regions, constitutes a cooperation entity that privileges the discussion, monitoring and support to the development of regionalism in an extended Europe.
The Portuguese delegation for the 18th Session of the Congress, in addition to the Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation, is also composed by the representatives of the Autonomous Region of Madeira and of the municipalities of Matosinhos, Coimbra, Sousel and Beja.