T +33(0)390214895        www.coe.int/congress        [email protected]

Ref. CG-007 (2017)

Congress Current Affairs Committee meets in Venice

Strasbourg, 8 March 2017 - The Current Affairs Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will meet in Venice, Italy, on 9 March 2017, under the presidency of Gabriele Neff (Germany, ILDG), Chair of the Current Affairs Committee. Mr Simone Venturini, the city’s deputy mayor responsible for social cohesion, employment, spatial development and infrastructure, will address participants before the opening of the meeting.

Members of the Committee will look in particular at the role of local and regional authorities in the reception of refugees and the integration of migrants and the situation of Roma and Travellers with a view to approving a resolution on the revised Charter of “European Political Parties for a Non-Racist Society” and a declaration of mayors and elected local and regional representatives of Council of Europe member states against anti-Gypsyism.

In the context of the Congress’s efforts to promote youth participation, Committee members will discuss the report “Forever young? The role of youth policies and youth work at local and regional levels in supporting young people’s transition to autonomy and working life” and moves to enable youth delegates to make a greater contribution to the Congress’s work.

The texts on the situation of the Roma and Travellers, the reception and integration of migrants and youth participation will be tabled for adoption at the 32^nd Session of the Congress, in Strasbourg (28-30 March 2017).

Participants will also discuss the arrangements for two major events being held in 2017:

·         The second seminar for national associations of local and regional authorities on the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE Campaign and the Congress Pact for Towns and Regions to stop sexual violence against children, with a special focus on “Unaccompanied minors and children in the context of the refugee crisis” - Belgrade, Serbia, June 2017

·         The Third Summit of Mayors for the “Alliance of European cities against violent extremism”, organised jointly by the Congress, the European Forum for Urban Security (EFUS) and the City of Barcelona (Spain) – Barcelona, Spain, November 2017.

The meeting is open to the press upon prior registration: accreditation form

Venue of the meeting: Tapestry Hall, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Island Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy www.cini.it) | 9.30 am – 1 pm and 2.30 – 5.30 pm

Interpretation: Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Turkish

Information: Online file (documents, photos and videos will be made available)

Contact: Sedef Cankoçak – [email protected]

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Planning, Coordination and institutional Communication Unit

Tel: +33 (0)3 90 21 48 95

Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 27 51

[email protected]

www.coe.int/congress

The Congress has two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions. It brings together 324 full and 324 substitute members representing more than 200 000 European territorial communities.

President of the Congress: Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP-CCE)

Political Groups: Socialist Group (SOC), Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CCE), Independent and Liberal Democrat Group (ILDG), European Conservatives & Reformists Group  (ECR)