Strasbourg, 23 May 2013                                                       CDLR/Sem/Gouv(2013)1  

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY

(CDLR)

SEMINAR ON GOOD DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL:

·         Examine principles of good democratic governance and how they can be promoted and applied in local and regional authorities

·         Identify initiatives to strengthen good governance, capacity building and citizens’ democratic participation at local level

Secretariat Memorandum

prepared by the

Directorate of Democratic Governance

Democratic Institutions and Governance Department

This document is public. It will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy.

Ce document est public. Il ne sera pas distribué en réunion. Prière de vous munir de cet exemplaire.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

         

Opening of the meeting: Monday 17 June 2013 at 9.30 am

Close of the meeting: Tuesday 18 June 2013 at 1.00 pm

Council of Europe, EDQM building, Room 500, Strasbourg

As this seminar has been organised to identify how principles of good democratic governance can been promoted and applied in local and regional authorities, all participants are requested to prepare contributions to discussions based on knowledge, experience and examples of best practice in their own state related to concepts of governance and the implementation of good governance principles.

1.    Opening of the meeting:

·         Introductory remarks by Mr Paul Rowsell (United Kingdom), Chair of the CDLR, setting out Council of Europe work in the field of good governance.

A. Conceptual approaches to good democratic governance

2.    Developments in the concept of governance in Europe:

·         Based on the responses to the questionnaire [CDLR(2013)13] the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) will make a presentation highlighting recent developments in the concept of good governance in member states, identifying some interesting examples.

3.    How to embed the concept of governance in practice:

·         Topic to be introduced by Mr Khaghaghordyan, coordinator of European Research Centre for Anti-corruption and State building at the Hertie School of Governance (Berlin). 

B. Practical examples of Good Governance

4.    Presentations given by selected participants highlighting positive experiences of how principles of good democratic governance can be applied and promoted at local and regional level.

C. Initiatives to develop citizen and civil society participation at local level

5.    How to increase the involvement of civil society to improve the level of governance.

Inspired by the introduction given by the experts, participants are expected, to exchange information and views on how to ensure effective involvement of civil society.

D. Panel debate on good democratic governance

6.    Panel discussion to be led by representatives of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Europe, Conference of INGOs and EIPA  exploring the ideas, concepts and examples of best practice in good democratic governance in Europe raised in the course of the seminar.

7.    Summing up and presentation of initial findings by seminar rapporteur.

8.    Close of meeting