The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities at its 50th Plenary Session was held in Strasbourg, France, from 30 March to 2 April. Members of the Congress Natinal Delegation, along with representatives of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), including Deputy Secretary General Feridun Ulutaş, Director of Foreign Relations Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yahya Can Dura, and UMT Foreign Relations Experts, participated in the session.
The Congress Session, followed by the national delegation accompanied by UMT, marked the beginning of a new term with the presidential election held on the first day. As a result of the vote, Gunn Marit Helgesen was elected as the new President of the Congress with 188 votes.
In her speech, Helgesen emphasized the vital role of local authorities in strengthening democracy and committed to a governance approach centered on key initiatives such as the “New Democratic Pact for Europe” and the “12 Principles of Good Governance.” She stated that her mandate would focus on inclusiveness, youth participation, and good governance, and affirmed her determination to ensure the implementation of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments at the local level.
Marc Cools, who handed over the presidency to Helgesen, drew attention to developments in Türkiye and Georgia, reiterating the importance of local democracy. He stressed the need to maintain strong dialogue with Türkiye and highlighted the importance of solidarity with elected mayors, including the detained Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and President of the UMT, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Diplomatic Contacts in Strasbourg
During the Congress Session, Deputy Secretary General of UMT Feridun Ulutaş, together with the Turkish National Delegation, attended a meeting at the Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg upon the invitation of Ambassador Nurdan Bayraktar Golder, Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the Council of Europe. The delegation exchanged views on current developments and ongoing work from the perspective of local governance.
Ayşe Ünlüce, Head of the Turkish National Delegation and Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality; Sinem Dedetaş, Mayor of Üsküdar; Hilmi Güler, Mayor of Ordu Metropolitan Municipality and Baran Güneş, Deputy Mayor and Council Member of Mudanya, presented their gifts to Ambassador Golder in appreciation of her kind hospitality.
Emphasis on Democracy and Local Governance at the Congress Session
On the third day of the Congress Session, Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, highlighted the crucial role of the Congress in defending democracy. He noted that the rules-based order is weakening and that there is a growing crisis of democratic trust, emphasizing that the “New Democratic Pact for Europe” provides a balanced response to these challenges.
Berge underlined that the Congress strongly focuses on elections, deliberative democracy, local democracy, and youth participation, and plays a significant role in these areas.
Following the Committee Meetings, Alexei Buzu, Secretary General of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, delivered a speech within the framework of Moldova’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
After the speeches of the Deputy Secretary General and Buzu, members of the Congress exchanged views on the agenda items.
Delegation members addressed issues including free elections at local and regional levels, tackling violence against elected representatives, internal disorder, the situation of local democracy in Georgia, strengthening the capacities of local and regional authorities in the use of artificial intelligence and social rights at the local and regional levels.
Human Rights and Local Democracy Highlighted at Closing
On the final day of the Congress, discussions focused on the role of local authorities in implementing the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Handbook. Within the theme “From borders to boroughs: global movements, local responses” participants examined on-the-ground dynamics, and shared observations from local elections in Kosovo, Estonia, North Macedonia, and San Marino.
Ayşe Ünlüce, Head of the Turkish Delegation to the Congress and Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, shared her assessment of lessons learned from the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights by local and regional authorities.
Additionally, during the 50th Congress Session Sinem Dedetaş, Mayor of Üsküdar, was elected as Vice-President of the Chamber of Regions for the new term, representing Türkiye.