This years’ EPD’s General Assembly has been a special one, for the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), for all its network of members, and for ALDA.

The mission of this year’s ALDA General Assembly was to state that Local Democracy will save democracy. In this light, the Middle East & Africa Department organised on June 9th in Etterbeek (Brussels) a roundtable titled “Stronger together: exploring EU’s contribution to local democracy around the globe” in collaboration with the most relevant institutions, donors and partners working together with ALDA in the area.

The ALDA General Assembly 2023, which took place on June 8, was the occasion to present to ALDA members’ representatives, partners and friends gathered in Etterbeek (Belgium), the newly constituted ALDA Advisory Board.

ALDA Festival and General Assembly 2023, which took place in Brussels (Belgium), offered space for strategic discussions on the importance of local democracy in the EU integration processes of the Eastern Neighbourhood candidate countries. Several roundtables and debates were held as part of the ALDA Festival 2023 from 6 to 9 June, 2023.

ALDA’s presence in Ukraine dates back to 2015, when the Local Democracy Agency (LDA) in Dnipro was opened, followed by LDA Mariupol in 2017, thus representing, for almost 10 years, a strategic partner in the country.

This year ALDA celebrates the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the first Local Democracy Agency in the Balkans, LDA Subotica. This special occasion has been at the core of ALDA Festival and General Assembly 2023, within which the event “30 Years Local Democracy Agencies in the Balkans” took place on 9 June, 2023.

This is how Dubravka Šuica, Vice President of the European Commission, addressed members and partners of ALDA, during the opening ceremony of the Association’s General Assembly, on Thursday June 8th, 2023.

On May 25, 2023, the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise in cooperation with the Latvian think-tank organisation Providus held a Roundtable discussion on national European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) practices in Riga (Latvia).

This year, ALDA will have the honour of hosting a very special guest: Ms. Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission, who will open the ALDA General Assembly on 8 June 2023 at the Municipal Hall in Etterbeek (Belgium).

The Kyrgyzstan-based Media Dialogue project is relentlessly proceeding with its implementation; July 3rd 2020 marked another crucial step towards the project goals.

ALDA took part in the two-day Civil Society Organisation Governance Community of practice regional meeting, organised by EU TACSO 3 in Belgrade (Serbia) on 11 and 12 May 2023.

On 15 May 2023, ALDA and the Central European Initiative (CEI) met in Trieste (🇮🇹) to identify further possibilities for cooperation on the basis of the MoU – Memorandum of Understanding.

The presence of ALDA in Ukraine dates back to 2012 and counts two Local Democracy Agencies in the country: LDA Dnipro established in 2015, followed two years later by the opening of LDA Mariupol. 

From 1 to 4 May 2023, ALDA Governing Board member and representative of Società Cooperativa Sociale Studio Progetto, Mr. Andrea Rilievo, together with the Head of the Development Department of ALDA, Mr. Marco Boaria, flew to Georgia for a trip aimed at strengthening their partnership ties in the country, while getting a taste of the nation’s beautiful culture. 

A team from ALDA decided to leave for Ukraine for a 5-day mission, which took place at the beginning of May, with the aim of increasing this ongoing commitment to the nation, strengthening the links already established and creating new ones. 

ALDA Governing Board met last 28 April for a special online session that marked some great improvements on the process to become an ALDA Member.

On March 4th, the city of Trieste will host the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ALDA – the European Association of Local Democracy – and CEI – the Central European Initiative.