- Good governance and democratic participation are important factors for stability and prevention of conflicts, says Norwegian Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Erna Solberg, in her speech at the 11th Plenary Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
28/10/2005 :: Erna Solberg addressed the Congress on 27 May on behalf of the Norwegian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. In her speech she outlined the priorities of Norway.
On the occasion of the Norwegian Chairmanship, Norway will organise a conference titled "Strengthening local democracy and democratic participation in a changing world", to be held on 30 September - 1 October. We will invite the Council of Europe member states and The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to co-operation and participation in the conference.
Norway wishes to strengthen the role of the Council in conflict prevention, in particular through measures to promote good governance and provide a framework that allows greater understanding across cultures and religions.
We believe that an active democracy at all levels of government is important in creating stability and encouraging participation in society. Through the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe extensive co-operation between municipal and regional authorities in member states has been developed. Norway considers this to be an important means of contributing to good governance, and wishes to strengthen this co-operation.
File - Mrs. Erna Solberg's visit to Strasbourg:
Speech
Press release
Conference announcement
Outline of conference programme