19 February 2015, Yerevan

Workshop on the role of associations of local authorities

Speaking notes for Juliana Hoxha (Albania, SOC), Vice President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Dear Mayor of Yerevan, dear Minister, dear Mayors, dear colleagues,

It is a great honour for me to address you today on behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

First of all, let me welcome the participation of Mayors, head of communities, members of the CAA board, President Emin Yeritsyan and Taron Margaryan, Mayor of Yerevan, who greeted us earlier and with whom we will be intensively working and exchanging during the next 2 years.

I would also like to greet Congress members, representatives of other European Associations and representatives of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations. Finally, I would like to welcome the presence of the representatives of the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, and to take this opportunity to thank them for their continuous support and trust.

The Congress is very happy to contribute to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia with the project “Institutional Support to the Communities Associations of Armenia”. We are eager and very committed to reach our ambition to enhance the capacities of the Communities Association of Armenia so it can become a major stakeholder of the governance system of the country.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to share with you the reasons why the Congress attaches great importance to the strengthening of associations of local authorities. At the Congress, we strongly believe that a strong and efficient association of local authorities is a core element of a good local governance system to the point that the right to form such associations was included in the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

We strongly believe that associations are crucial partners for local authorities, for the national government and for international institutions such as the Congress.

Associations indeed play a vital role in a number of functions they perform:

Firstly, they act as the unitary voice of their member communities through the elaboration of a unified and coherent vision. This enables associations to be their legitimate representatives and to advocate and lobby for their rights and interests.

Also, associations are to represent local and regional authorities at central level and to strive for the right to be consulted on matters that concern them. However, consultation requires a substantial effort on the part of all the parties concerned, not just the association. The Congress is currently drafting guidelines on the right of local authorities to be consulted. Indeed, it needs to be properly anchored in the regulatory framework of the country, to be properly planned in terms of timeframe, to intervene at an early stage, and to be a transparent process, based on trust between the different levels.

Last but not least, a strong association is an efficient service provider for their constituencies, for instance, in information exchange, communication services and training.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The workshop discussions will include all these key functions. It is an important event to start the project. We are happy to have brought together members of the CAA and representatives of other European associations which have their own experience, sometimes longer as the one in Denmark or shorter as for Finland and Latvia, or Georgia your neighbouring and partner association in the South Caucasus. Members of the Board or the Republican Council, you are key decision makers and players. We believe it is a unique opportunity to exchange with you the development plan for your association and the different roles it could embrace.

We wish to have a constructive exchange in a climate of confidence and trust, and discuss the next steps for the implementation of the project.

I thank you for your attention.