I lead the Co-operation Activities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, a political institution of the Council of Europe which delivers the local dimension of the Organisation’s work in the fields of human rights, the rule of law and democracy in its 46 member states. The Congress assesses the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and through its co-operation programmes, it supports the implementation of Congress recommendations to further embedding democratic values at the grassroots. I am passionate about local democracy and innovative participatory approaches. In our co-operation programmes we streamline open government as a key pillar for strong local democracy. I have been part of the movement for putting forward a stronger contribution of local authorities in OGP. Looking forward to inspiring exchanges at the Summit in Tallinn where we support the participation of local authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The Summit will provide an opportunity to acquire new skills to apply open government principles. We will discuss how governments should respond to needs and expectations of local residents, multilevel governance and shared responsibilities and co-creation as key ingredients to influence daily lives and enhance the resilience of our societies. I speak French, Spanish, English, as well as some German, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan.