On the margins of the 50th Session, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen met on 1 April Roger Lawrence and Maurizio Camin, Vice-Presidents of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), to welcome the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Council of Europe and the Association.
Reaffirming a shared commitment to strengthening local democracy, citizen participation and good governance across Europe, the agreement provides a structured framework for closer cooperation in areas that are central to the Congress's work, including civic participation, democratic innovation, youth engagement, and support to local and regional authorities.
This milestone builds on a long-standing relationship between the two partners. The Congress played a key role in the creation of the first Local Democracy Agency in Subotica (Serbia) in 1993, laying the foundations for a network dedicated to rebuilding trust and fostering democratic governance at local level. ALDA was subsequently established in 1999 to coordinate and support this network.
By reinforcing this partnership, the Congress underlines the importance of working with experienced and committed partners to bring democratic participation closer to citizens and to support local and regional authorities in addressing today's challenges.
