Kırok raised the issue of equal opportunities in education, while Amcaoğlu brought up the issue of biodiversity conservation.
Representing the Turkish Cypriot Municipalities Union, Çatalköy-Esentepe Mayor Ceyhun Kırok and Gönyeli-Alayköy Mayor Hüseyin Amcaoğlu attended the Council of Europe Governance Committee meetings held in Paris, the capital of France.
The meetings, which included representatives of local and regional administrations from various European countries, addressed policies related to education, the environment, sustainable development, and the conservation of biodiversity.
Kırok drew attention to preventing educational deficiencies.
At the meetings, Çatalköy-Esentepe Mayor Ceyhun Kırok’s agenda included the prevention of educational deficiencies and the roles that local administrations can undertake in combating school absenteeism.
Kırok emphasized that school absenteeism is not only an issue concerning the education system, but is directly linked to social support, health, transportation, and economic conditions. During the meetings, local governments were evaluated in terms of acting as a bridge between schools and families, establishing early warning systems, early identification of at-risk students, developing support programs for families, and ensuring stronger participation of young people in education. The meetings also focused on strengthening school-family-community cooperation, establishing youth councils, expanding psychological support services, and inclusive policies that will increase equal opportunities in education. The meetings evaluated the protection of natural habitats, the development of green infrastructure in cities, sustainable urban planning, the promotion of local plant species, the protection of water resources, and climate change adaptation policies. In addition, the dissemination of environmentally friendly agricultural practices, the creation of biodiversity inventories, and efforts to raise public awareness on environmental issues were also on the agenda.
The future of local governments was evaluated.
During the contacts in Paris, it was emphasized that local governments should be able to respond not only to the needs of today but also to the responsibilities of the future. Kırok and Amcaoğlu stated that they will continue to closely follow best practices in Europe, develop new collaborations, increase the sharing of knowledge and experience, and reflect the achievements in their local government work.