Keith Whitmore: ''Decentralisation, democracy and development are the perfect foundation for any crisis exit strategies''

[27/09/2012 13:30:00] ''We in the Congress are convinced that the way out of the crisis passes through the requirements of Decentralisation, democracy and development,'' declared Keith Whitmore at the 25th General Assembly of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in Cadiz, Spain, on 27 September. The Congress delegation included also Congress Vice-President Jean-Claude Frecon, Secretary General Andreas Kiefer and the Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Local Authorities, Jean-Philippe Bozouls. In addition, participants in the CEMR event were informed about the recent developments of the current edition of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) at the Congresss information stand and in the framework of the Speakers Corner.

Photo:Congress President meets Abdel Fattah SKIR (second left), Representative of the City of Rabat (Morocco) and Responsible for the UCLG Congress to take place in Rabat in 2013

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Speech by Keith Whitmore

Implementation plans for European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion achieve international support at Strasbourg Meeting

[26/09/2012 16:30:00] Representatives of European cities and regions, EU institutions, international Roma networks and NGOs gathered on 25 September at the Council of Europe Headquarters in Strasbourg for a consultation meeting to discuss the role and action of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion. This meeting provided the participants with the opportunity to exchange experiences and practices from the field, discuss proposals for cooperation and ways to increase Roma participation in the processes. Some successful models of inclusive Roma policies at local level in different European countries were presented, such as, amongst others, an innovative project in the field of employment from the Austrian city of Graz, resettlement and housing practices in the Italian city of Turin and the Spanish region of Madrid, or projects in Lyon where the focus was put on access to school.

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Website: 'Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion'

John Warmisham: ''The situation of Roma remains an affront to our democratic ideals and values''

[25/09/2012 17:00:00] ''Roma today are probably the last remaining marginalised ethnic group on this continent, victims of the persistent discrimination, prejudice and hate speech directed at them,'' stated John Warmisham, Congress Thematic Rapporteur on Roma/Travellers and Coordinator for the Alliance, addressing the participants in the Consultative Meeting for the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion. ''If we are to bring about change in the situation of Roma, we must also focus on the younger Roma generations,'' he underlined. ''With this in mind, I am currently preparing together with a co-rapporteur from Sweden a new report on the situation of young Roma in Europe, in the framework of the Council of Europes Roma Youth Action Plan.'' He called the participants in the Meeting to share their experiences and views in order to launch the first activities of the Alliance before the end of the year.

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Website: 'Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion'

Andreas Kiefer: ''There are still very important challenges ahead in ensuring full inclusion of Roma communities''

[25/09/2012 17:00:00] Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress, addressed the participants at the Consultation meeting with cities, regions and stakeholders of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion. He stressed the importance of the Strasbourg Declaration as a joint pledge to cooperate on Roma issues, and highlighted the Alliances work which will ensure that its activities represent a real added value to its members. No real progress in advancing the situation of Roma can be achieved without commitment and action made by local and regional authorities, he emphasized.

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Congress delegation calls for a strong commitment by political parties to local democracy in Armenia

[24/09/2012 14:00:00] 'Our satisfaction with the fact that these elections take place according to international standards is mitigated by the lack of commitment by political parties to local governance,' said Henry FERAL (France, EPP), Head of the delegation of the Congress for the observation of local elections in Armenia. Following the observation of partial local elections held on 9 and 23 September 2012(*) the Congress delegation noted with satisfaction that the voting process was well organised, and calm with a satisfactory level of voter participation. Although no obvious fraud was detected by the observers, the issue of possible vote buying was raised by many stakeholders.

However, the delegation noted the lack of commitment of political parties to local democracy with regret. While recognizing that this is due to various reasons, such as lack of financial resources, staff and candidates, it believes that political parties do not pay enough attention to democracy and governance at the local level.
Photo:Congress delegation presents its conclusions during a press conference in Yerevan

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File 'Observation of local and regional elections'

9th Council of Europe conference of ministers responsible for youth

[24/09/2012 17:00:00] ''The active participation of young people in decisions and actions at local and regional levels is essential if we are to build more democratic, inclusive and prosperous societies,'' Congress President Keith Whitmore stressed in his opening speech to the 9th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, in St Petersburg, Russia, on 24 September. He questioned the legitimacy of democratic institutions which are not supported by the people who are affected by the decisions they take. ''Without meaningful and effective youth participation, policy makers at all levels, be they national, regional or local, will find that the policies they adopt may hit their own targets but will miss young people's point,'' the President added. The conference will in particular look at developing innovative youth policies at a time when young Europeans are experiencing increasing challenges due to demographic changes and the current economic situation.

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