PRIA@40

Global Charter on Right to Participation in Local Democratic Governance

Logo Link - Learning Initiative on Citizen Participation in Local Governance (www.logolink.org) has initiated the formulation of a “Global Charter on Right to Participation in Local Democratic Governance”. It is envisaged that the Global Charter will enable deepening of citizen participation in local democracy by scaling-up, mainstreaming and institutionalising citizen participation in all spheres of democratic governance. This will act as a bridging initiative between civil society; local, sub-national and national governments; political society; the private sector; bilateral and multilateral institutions and other stakeholders.

There is a need for information on which countries have legislated the right to participation, the quality of its implementation, the barriers, the normative understanding of what such a right should be, and the social engagement in participatory processes. This discussion opens avenues for inquiries such as:

We now have several significant experiences that consolidate participatory spaces in different spheres of government – local and national - and in relation to different public policies. Where have they taken place? Is there specific legislation? How do these participatory spaces work? What are the institutional designs that have been developed? How are the representatives chosen? Are they elected? Are these consultative or deliberative bodies?

What were the social and political dynamics that took place during the processes of creation of participatory spaces? What are the backgrounds of such processes? Was there social mobilisation? Did civil society groups lead these processes? Or did governments lead them?

Has participation effectively changed public policies? Did it contribute to promoting equality and socialisation of decision-making processes? Are governments and civil society organisations working together to plan for and sustain citizen participation?

In order to have participation, decentralisation of decision-making competences and public budgets are needed. Are participation and decentralisation processes carried out alongside?

One of the greatest challenges posed for citizen participation has been access to open government data. The quality of both the information available and the tools to access it are a central matter: in order to actively participate, citizens must have access to clear, accurate and open data about policies and budgets.

How can the LogoLink experience and knowledge be translated into references for emerging democracies? How can LogoLink engage in the ongoing social mobilisations and revolutions that take place in contexts of insufficient democracy, lack of citizen participation and social control?

+Objectives

www.practiceinparticipation.org

Online discussion using PRIA’s knowledge portal, , and systematising the lessons from the discussion. Regional paper on ‘Right to Participation’. Organising national and regional consultations on Right to Participation in Local Democratic Governance.

+Key areas/components

To systematise experiences on citizen participation in decentralisation and democratisation processes at the local level, and debate its outcomes and the theoretical approaches that interpret them. Understand practices and emerging standards, identify critical issues, trends and patterns that may assure the promotion and implementation of the Right to Participation. Promote interactive dialogues and discussions among LogoLink partners and new actors. Strategize and plan the Global Campaign on the Right to Participation in Local Democratic Governance.

+Outputs

Mapping of regional (South Asia) campaigns. Asian (South Asia and South East Asia) regional paper on ‘Right to Participation’. Online Community of Practitioners (CoP) on ‘Right to Participation in Local Democratic Governance’ hosted on www.practiceinparticipation.org. Draft Global Chatter on ‘Right to Participation in Local Democratic Governance’. National and South Asian regional consultations.

Year/Period

January-December 2013

Client

The Ford Foundation