Armen Galjyan, Head of the Armenian Delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, participated in the meeting of the Congress Monitoring Committee held in Oslo on June 30.

During the meeting, the Committee decided to request that the Congress be invited to submit written observations as a third-party intervener in the case concerning the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, currently pending before the European Court of Human Rights. This marks a historic decision, as it will be the first time the Congress appears before the Court as a third party, highlighting the impact of pre-trial detention and the suspension of democratically elected local representatives from office on local democracy.

The Committee also approved the Local and Regional Democracy Risk Assessment Dashboard, which represents the Congress' contribution to the Council of Europe's New Democratic Pact. The Dashboard provides a structured set of indicators designed to identify signs of democratic backsliding at the local and regional (subnational) levels at an early stage.

The Dashboard's indicators enable comparative assessments over time, helping to identify developments, detect emerging risks, and monitor trends. This tool supports effective early warning and prevention mechanisms while providing an evidence-based foundation for policy responses. It also facilitates dialogue, monitoring, and, where necessary, corrective action by the relevant authorities and stakeholders.

Both reports will be presented and discussed during the 51st Session of the Congress, scheduled to take place in October 2026.

During the meeting, the Committee also approved the Oslo Declaration on Democratic Preparedness at the Local and Regional Levels, which was developed by participants of the thematic seminar held on June 29.

The meeting of the Monitoring Committee was opened by Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and the Mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe.