The settlements in Moldova are celebrating the European Local Democracy Week during October 10-16. In the period, the mayors’ offices will organize the Open Doors Days. The local authorities will place boxes for collecting ideas aimed at ensuring the settlement’s welfare, while students of education institutions will be encouraged to take part in a contest of essays, Info-Prim Neo reports. The European Local Democracy Week is an initiative by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe launched in October 2007. In Moldova, this initiative is promoted by the Government through the State Chancellery and is supported by the Joint Integrated Local Development Program. The local authorities of the 47 Council of Europe member states, including Moldova, are urged to protect and strengthen human rights in communities by improving the social-cultural policies at local level. The Joint Integrated Local Development Program, which supports the initiative in Moldova, is implemented by the UNDP and UN Women, with financial support from the Government of Sweden. Moldova joined the Council of Europe on July 13, 1995. The European Charter of Local Self-Government was signed by Moldova on May 2, 1996 and came into force for our country on February 1, 1998.