Council of Europe and Ukraine sign joint declaration on the way forward in post-war period
The European Charter of Local Self-Government lays down standards for protecting the rights of local authorities and requires states which have ratified it to comply with a number of principles. The Congress is responsible for evaluating the application of the Charter in each Member State.
Cooperation and thematic activities complement, in the field, the normative work of the Congress. They are based on the political dialogue and the monitoring of the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and enable the implementation of the adopted recommendations and resolutions.
The Congress periodically observes local and regional elections in Council of Europe member States and, sometimes, beyond. This activity, which may be organised in cooperation with other international organisations, complements the political monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government
Post-monitoring and post-electoral dialogue aims to support national authorities in order to ensure the implementation of the recommendations adopted by the Congress and addressed to the national authorities of member states by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
![The Congress in brief](/https/www.coe.int/documents/11046033/29631659/Home-Video-Congress.jpg/d586abd9-2015-404f-8d77-4470ba58e7af?t=1501667300000)
The Congress in brief
Video
Download on Youtube a short video clip which presents the role of the Congress and its main activities to promote local and regional democracy in Europe.
![The Monitoring](/https/www.coe.int/documents/11046033/29631659/Monitoring-44611_14-442x248.jpg/04f6de1e-ba2a-4e76-9cd9-7965ef71fffa?t=1437574730000)
The Monitoring
Video
Download on Youtube a short video clip which presents the monitoring of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self Government and the observation of local and regional elections.
![The Congress in pictures](/https/www.coe.int/documents/11046033/29631659/Photos-COE-Flickr3.jpg/b0088366-5017-483b-88e8-990e35ada984?t=1474822492000)
The Congress in pictures
Photos
Download photos of Congress recent events available on the Council of Europe multimedia portal or on Flickr.
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