Participation in public affairs is an essential right. It ensures that people can work with their governments to effectively solve problems and improve their communities.
Trust in public institutions is key to a thriving civil society, but in many countries, trust is lacking, and opportunities to engage in government decision-making are absent. To address this, ICNL works with partners around the world to develop and reform laws and policies so that they provide greater civil society participation at the national, regional, and local levels.
We support efforts to implement new initiatives in an inclusive manner so that everyone can participate effectively. We cooperate with local partners to ensure that international standards are known and understood. Working together, civil society and governments around the world have made progress in expanding opportunities for meaningful public participation, but more remains to be done.
In 2018, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights published new guidelines for the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs. The guidelines include basic principles and requirements as well as practical recommendations that governments and civil society can use in implementing this basic right.
During COVID-19, public participation in decision making is more crucial than ever because we need measures that respond with our actual needs. ECNL’s one page rights card underlines the importance of public participation in decision making during Covid-19.
This paper provides information for the drafting of guidelines on effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs. The paper defines the right and discusses general principles and frameworks for participation. It also outlines practical guidance, such as structures and practices, which can provide for meaningful and effective participation.
In 2017, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted these guidelines to broaden and protect opportunities for public participation in political decision-making processes.
This 2016 paper was prepared by ECNL at the request of the Council of Europe as it drafted guidelines on meaningful public participation in political decision making. Available in English and Russian.
ECNL co-authored this comparison on the criteria used to select CSOs to participate in government bodies, including cross-sector working groups, councils, and national boards. The paper also proposes models to improve the framework for selection and the guidance provided.
This ECNL article provides a brief overview of European standards and models of public participation in decision-making processes, especially the government drafting of laws and regulations.
This BCNL report discusses the professional relationships and mechanisms that inform the nomination and election of CSO representatives to state commissions and other consultative bodies in Central and Eastern Europe.
With input from ECNL experts, the NGO Expert Council of the Council of Europe produced this report on regulating CSO participation in political activities, including policy-making.
This brochure, distributed in the Republic of Serbia, explains the importance of participation by individuals and CSOs in government decision-making processes.
Explore our full resource collection, which includes reports, legal analysis, and curated collections of materials covering an array of issues impacting civic space around the world.
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