The annual ordinary general assembly and the certificate ceremony of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW), which has been organized since 2007 with the purpose of laying emphasis on local democracy, was held in Strasbourg this year on February 19th, 2019.

More than 30 local governments from 20 different countries took part in the event, which was held this year under the theme of “Citizens participation, consultation and commitment: for a thriving local democracy” and shared the projects and practices they performed in 2018.

Participating the European Local Democracy Week event with activities such as the “Beşiktaş City Tour”, “Children’s Rights and Children-Friendly Municipality Seminar” and “Children’s Safety and Children’s Participation for a Children-Friendly Municipality Workshop”, presented by our Foreign Affairs Directorate, our Municipality was awarded for the third time by the Council of Europe with the tittle of ’12 Star City’, which is the symbol of the European Union.

The European Local Democracy Week (ELDW), launched in 2007 as an initiative of the Council of Europe and its Congress, is held annually around October 15th by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, with the purpose of commemorating the European Charter of Local Self-Government signed on October 15th, 1985 and raising citizens' awareness of and participation in local democracy in Europe.

During the week, local elected representatives and citizens across the 47 member states of the Council of Europe are brought together at public events and discussions to meet and engage with their citizens on issues of current interest and are fostered to develop targeted programs and activities according to their own priorities. The local governments attending the event are awarded with the tittle of ‘12 Star City’, which is the symbol of the European Union, by the Council of Europe. The organization also aims to promote and support democratic participation on local level.