Remarks by Claude Haegi before the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, October 15, 2024:
The NALAS Network plays a vital role in amplifying the voice of democracy and local governance in the Balkans, covering countries that have endured great suffering and remain vulnerable.
The idea for this network emerged from a series of forums for cities and regions in Southeast Europe, organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in collaboration with the FEDRE Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Regions—a foundation established within the Congress—to address the three components of sustainable development—economic, environmental, and social—in a democratic manner.
In fact, the final declaration of the first of these forums, held in Skopje in November 2000, specifically tasked the Congress and the FEDRE Foundation with developing a network aimed at establishing a Union of Associations of Local and Regional Authorities in Southeast Europe.
The following year, this led to its establishment, thanks to assistance from Swiss technical cooperation (SDC), which supported the NALAS network until 2022, in close collaboration with FEDRE. Austria and Germany also provided support.
Founded in 1996, the FEDRE Foundation was established by senior officials from the Congress administration and delegates who sought to build a bridge between local and regional institutions and various civic and private-sector stakeholders in the economic and environmental sectors, with the aim of promoting high-quality, regionally balanced development.
Some progress has been made, but there is still a lot to be done.
Our Secretary General, François Saint-Ouen, has actively followed the work of NALAS for more than 20 years; we are an associate member of NALAS, as is the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). We remain at NALAS’s disposal to support its efforts and congratulate all of its members and staff.
It has been both a privilege and a responsibility for us to make a meaningful contribution. May the NALAS organizations thrive as democratic entities, and may their local and regional initiatives be economically successful and environmentally sound, for the global preservation of nature and the well-being of the people of Southeast Europe!