CoE Chair, Armenian D. Prime Minister Gevorgyan to EuroFora: The most Important is Local Democracy !

 *Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Invited to speak on a large variety of issues examined  by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), during its Autumn 2013 PanEuropean Session, from Economy up to Roma People, Self Administration, Culture and/or Political Extremism, etc., COE's Acting Chairman-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, and Minister of Territorial Administration, Armen Gevorgyan, replying to an "EuroFora"s Question, stressed that, in his personal view, the main point is "Local Democracy" :

- "For me, Local Democracy is the most Important of all !", among various other CLRAE issues, underlined the Armenian Deputy Prime Minister, smiling to "EuroFora".

- Particularly when "fostering Democratic societies", and "strengthen European standards on Human Rights and on the Rule of Law"; are two among the four "Priorities of the Armenian Chairmanchip of the CoE" as he recalled earlier.

- Indeed, "further Develop Local Democracy", "given its role in Modern Europe and the CoE's Agenda", is a "Major Priority", already from the previous, Andorran, as well as it "will be (also) for (the forthcoming) Austrian" Agenda, "with whom the Armenian (CoE) Chairmanship shares Common Prioriies", as Gevorgyan observed in this regard.   

- Already, "2 important Conferences", recently organized "on Participatory Democracy at Local Level", and on the "Challeng" of "Making a MetroPolis Citizen-Friendly", "provided an opportunity to reflect on how the Local Authorities can become Closer to the citizens and ensure their Increased Participation in the Decision Making Processes with regard to the local and regional issues", as well as "to Exchange Ideas about (how) the Capitals, as socio-Economic driving forces, Public Solidarity ...and ...model of ..Civic Participation" which  "generate Challenges conditioned by Intensive economic developments, ..... should ensure a(n) Urban Environment  ...for Human Habitat focused on the Citizen", as he said previously in his Speech to CLRAE's Plenary.

The 1st gave "Benchmarks for further Development of Participatory Democracy ....and ...for Dissemination of  Principles ... as well as for Implementing them", where, "New Mechanisms for Citizens’ Participation in local Government, is especially Important given the ....Technological progress of Today", ... with "New ....Opportunities ...for Formulating a Collective Opinion ....and for making local Authorities Listen to that", by "mov(ing) forward with the Principles of local Self-Governance and ...Effective ...Model(s) ... for Practical application". The 2nd, concerning "Capitals of CoE member States", from such points of view as, f.ex., "Environment protection; ... Urban Development.... ; Infrastructure Efficiency; as well as ...public interest(s) Compatibility", focused on "Solutions" for the "Organization" of ...cities with Extra-Dense Habitation", he noted.

=> - In this regard also, "Decentralisation (is) at a Crossroads" Today in Europe, as it will be stressed at a forthoming landmark Strasbourg's seminar; co-organised by CLRAE's President Herwig Van Staa, together with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)'s President Wolfgang Schuster, on the History of respectively 60 and 25 Years since the adoption of the "European Charter of Municipal Liberties" (1953) and the entry into force of the "European Charter of Local Self-Government" (1988).

Significantly, the event is placed at the eve of CoE's 2nd Annual  "World Forum for Democracy", scheduled for the end of November 2013, which focuses, this Year, on Exploring the manifold Potential of New Information and Communication Technologies in the ReVitalisation of Citizens' active Participation to old and new Democratic Institutions.

+ In this wider Framework,  it's Interesting to note that, already, right from the Start, CoE's Charter of Local Self-Government, had conceived Local Democracy as a way to find a "Level" where the General "Right of Citizens to Participate in the conduct of Public Affairs", as "one of the Democratic Principles .. shared by all CoE's Member States", "can be Most Directly Exercised", as the PanEuropean Charter of LocalSelf-Government states in its Preambule.

That's one more reason for which CoE Charter's Article 3, §2 clearly stated that, the provisions for Elected Assemblies of Local Representatives, don't exclude at all, nor even "affect", an eventual "recourse to Assemblies of Citizens, Referendums, or Any Other Form of Direct Citizen Participatoin , where it is permitted by Statute".
In consequence, CLRAE, ", through the different labs that it will sponsor during the" World Democrady "Forum", which is dedicated into "“Re‐wiring Democracy" by: "Connecting Institutions and Citizens in the Digital Age”, "intends to contribute "to the various debates", by "identify(ing) ..the actions, which ...will ensure their effective Involvement in the local processes", but will also "Curtail their possible Misuse for purposes contrary to the values of Human rights, Democracy and the rule of Law"; as he said to CLRAE's Plenary, speaking as Acting Chairman of CoE's Committee of Ministers.

WFD's wider aim is to face "a Decline in .. Participation, .. often viewed as a Symptom of Detachment between Citizens and Institutions", by examining the Potential of "Social media and ...networks enabl(ing) individuals to ...act and interact with Politicians ...Outside institutional systems", and by "bring(ing) together elected Politicians and civil Society leaders to discuss the impact of this technological change on Established Democratic... institutions”, as Gevorgyan noted.

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+ All this doesn't mean that CoE's Chairman-in-office, Armenian Deputy Priime Minister, Gevorgyan, would not be interested also to certain other important issues, related to CLRAE, including, among various others, also of potential "Cultural Routes"' links between CoE Member States' Cities and/or Regions with interrelated "Historic Cultural Heritage", f.ex., an idea that he "certainly support(s)", as he told "EuroFora".
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But, Questioned earlier Today by several CLRAE Representatives from various Political and National Horizons, about "Monitoring"  CoE's 47 Member States' compliance with the Principles of Local/Regional Self Administration, Gevorgyan, speaking officially as CoE's Committee of Ministers' (the PanEuropean Organisation's Highest Political body) Chairman-in-Office, also stressed that this made of CLRAE a "very Important instrument".

- Particularly when the "Format" of CLRAE's Monitoring can Never be accused of eventually being "Discriminatory", if it is "Applied Evenly to All its Member Countries", including in those who can be largely engaged on a "Post-Monitoring Dialogue", which can be an "Important" means for "Local and Regional Reforms", as well as in order to "respond to New Challenges", as he added later-on.

Gevorgyan's move Timely came at the same CLRAE Session during which the President of its Monitoring Committee, Swedish representative Lars O Molin, is presenting Tomorrow  a Threefold Report on "Updating Key Texts on Monitoring and Election Obsevation Activities", in a consolidated form, extending from Votes' checking, up to Visits for Monitoring COE Member States' Obligations and Commitments through Full Regular or Specific only Reports, eventually also "Fact-Finding Missions", added to "Post-Monitoring", etc.

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+ A fortiori when, as far as it concerns also the overall developments in Strasbourg's PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law's main Role in General, "Now, it's Important to Ensure a Full and Complete Implementation" of its Standards and Values, by "ReInforcing all Monitoring Mechanisms", whose "Full Potential has Not Yet been Explored", including f.ex. the Charter of Local Self-Administration, which is one of "CLRAE's Key Assets", as CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland from Norway, stressed Today, launching a Call to "Improve the Follow-up of Monitoring" procedures, and to forge a "Joint Vision" enabling an efficient "Coordinated Action of various Monitoring Bodies" of the CoE.

In this regard, some among the "Hotter" Topical Issues that CLRAE has to face Today, are obviously the continuing Pre-Trial Imprisonment of some 2.000 Kurdish Mayors and other Elected Local or Regional Represetatives in Turkey, since 2009, as a Question raised by a Collegue during Van Staa's Press Conference, earlier Today, reminded, as well as, inside EU area, the persisting Threats of up to 3 Years Jail, Heavy Fine and/or Dismissal, against French Mayors who  protest, on the basis of their Freedom of Conscience, vis a vis the Obligation, imposed to them by the current "Socialist" Government, to Personaly celebrate Same Sex Marriages, which could now be followed even by "Adoption" of Childrens by Homosexuals, largely Unpopular, (See specific NewsReports), etc.   

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