Forum for the Future of Democracy
13-15 June 2007, Stockholm et Sigtuna (Sweden)
Anders Knape, President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions
If democracy is on the agenda, it most certainly must include the local and regional level. Democracy is built from bottom-up. Political rights make part of the general fundamental rights laid down in international and national law. Human rights can and must be performed at the local and regional level.
Today human rights, political rights and socio-economic rights are defined with a higher complexity than before, including both rights of freedom, non-discrimination and also acquired rights. In all, this is looked upon as fundamental rights of the citizen. The freedom to manage your own affairs on the local level was laid down already in the so-called Versailles charter by a number of mayors meeting in Versailles 1949, and the first institutional representation for the local level, the Conference of the Council of Europe, was put up in 1957 – 50 years ago. The freedom implies not only the right to self-government but also the right to choose the ways of handling your affairs.
In the European Union the right of managing your own affairs was laid down in the important protocol of fundamental rights in 2000.
Democracy means free and secret elections, a pluralistic party system and a governance transparent to the citizens. The power to govern is given by the citizens in general elections. Representative democracy means that citizens have someone to claim responsibility with. Directly elected parliaments have the ultimate power including to assign the executive government or prime minister. Elected persons at the local or regional level mean another sphere of governance – an infranational democratic structure. The core elements of this structure are laid down in the European Charter on Local Self-Government.
The Forum for the Future of Democracy in Europe makes an effort to empower citizens with stronger or additional ways to influence their own lives. Power is what every individual wants in order to deal with their own affairs and to influence decisions on the distribution of scarce resources. Empowerment is what could be given to different individuals or groups – may they be vulnerable or strong.
Being empowered means that you’re making better use of your resources to have your rights. This is the interface between political, social and human rights. The political right to manage one’s own affairs is, as I see it, one of the fundamental rights in today’s society.
To strengthen human rights in Europe local and regional authorities could play a more important part within the member countries. The way forward being discussed during this Forum is to engage in action plans for human rights and to elaborate indicators to monitor their implementation. The local level with its democratic structure is an important partner. It’s at the local level that democracy can be fostered and strengthened. Local and regional authorities can become a school for democracy, guaranteeing fundamental rights to the citizens.
As we all know, the mission of the Council of Europe is promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Even after 50 years - and even after enlargement has made the number of member states as large as 47 - those fundamental challenges to promote the core values of European citizens are as important as ever. We must not make misuse of any of the partners in this fight for democracy and human rights.
The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, of which I am the President, takes a deep concern in the Forum for Democracy of the Council of Europe. We have had a very good cooperation with the government and with the parliament in the preparations. I see this as a confirmation of the partnership between different spheres of governance in Sweden.
As a local representative I would like to state some ways forward for the Forum
o The different spheres of governance should work together to the benefit of the citizens. Infranational structures are part of the overall democratic infrastructure of the country.
o Free, general and secret elections give democratic representation on the national level as well as on the local and regional level – this multilevel political structure should be better used and better recognized.
o Local and regional authorities are important partners in the work for better implementation of human rights in Europe. Human rights in many aspects are given and claimed at the local level.
o Local democracy adds both to effectiveness and to democracy of governance. No democracy without a strong local democracy.
And with that I give the microphone to my collegue at the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, Halvdan Skard, the President of the Congress of the Council of Europe.