World Forum for Democracy Strasbourg, France

From 6 to 8 November 2019, the new edition of the Forum was devoted to the question of the reliability and accessibility of information. Under the title Information: Democracy in Danger?, 5 plenary sessions, 7 forum talks and 10 "think tanks" (LAB), have mobilized intellectuals, politicians, activists, experts and young people from all over the world, as well as members of local and regional authorities.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities sponsored two LABS which took place on 7 November in Room 3 of the Palais de l'Europe: LAB 2 Restoring trust in institutions (from 9.00 am to 11.00 am) and LAB 9 Local journalism: ahead of information (from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm).

Co-sponsored with the Grand-Est Region, LAB 2 Restoring Trust in Institutions, addressed the issue of transparency. Marc COOLS (Belgium, GILD), Rapporteur on the fight against corruption at the Congress, spoke in the framework of this LAB, as well as Roberto RAMPI, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Italy), and the Vice-President of the Delegation of Youth, Orientation and Territorial Democracy, of the Grand-Est Region.

On the same day, the Congress sponsored LAB 9, dedicated to the future of local media and outreach. Speakers included Barbara TOCE (Italy, SOC), Vice-President of the Congress, Andrew DAWSON (United Kingdom, CRE), Thematic Spokesperson on the Promotion of Public Ethics and the Prevention of Corruption at the Congress, Jean-Paul BASTIN (Belgium, EPP / CCE), Member of the Congress, and Vice-President of the Grand-Est Region.

The participation of the Congress also involved the presence at the Forum of a delegation of representatives of local and regional authorities of Ukraine and Georgia, in the framework of the cooperation activities carried out by the Congress, and in particular the project entitled "Strengthening democracy and building confidence at local level".

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