On January 12, 2017 the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law had the pleasure of hosting Ms. Gudrun Mosler Törnström, President of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and Mr. Andreas Kiеfer – Secretary General of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Sima Avramović, welcomed the guests and provided them with insights into both the history of the Faculty of Law and University of Belgrade and its current achievements in the global university education framework. Professor Dragica Vujadinović, Head of the Master in European Integration, introduced the guest lecturers to the audience.

The President of the Congress, Ms. Törnström, and the General Secretary of the Congress, Mr. Kiefer gave the lecture on Council of Europe – organs and bodies and Congress of Local and  Regional Authorities – the role and function. Mr. Kifer presented an institutional structure of the Council of Europe and the place of the Congress within the Council of Europe. Ms. Törnström spoke about concrete activities of this important institutions and about mechanisms and methods with which the Congress contributes to the improvement of the rule of law, democracy and human rights in the member states of Council of Europe.

At the end of the lecture, the students were given the opportunity to ask questions to our renowned guests which lead to an interesting and vivid discussion. The questions predominantly dealt with the Serbian position inside the Congress, interrelation of local and central governments, decentralization and competences of the Congress regarding the current migrant crisis.