International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD)

The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) is a space open to all local governments in the world and its associations, as well as civil society and research centers, interested in learning about, exchanging impressions and applying experiences of participatory democracy on a local scale with the aim of deepening the roots of democracy in municipal government.

The IOPD carries out various initiatives throughout the year. On an annual basis, a local government within the network organizes an international conference hosting learning events and political debates. On this occasion, the IOPD also awards a local government with the “Best Practice in Citizen Participation” Distinction. Furthermore, the IOPD organizes or takes part in debates with a regional or thematic focus, and showcases innovative practices or reports through its website.

Our Committee and the IOPD cooperate in promoting participatory democracy and the right to the city in the framework of UCLG. Throughout the last years, our Committee has supported the activities of the IOPD by taking part in the jury of the distinction in “Best Practice in Citizen Participation”; facilitating debates during the annual conferences of the IOPD; supporting the visibility of IOPD members within the Committee; as well as linking the IOPD strategy to the advocacy work led by the Committee on social inclusion and human rights.

You can see some results of this collaboration here:

• 19th IOPD Conference: Save the date (7 – 10 December; Iztapalapa, Mexico City)
• Strengthening the role of citizen participation in local agendas - Report on IOPD 2018 Conference (November, 2018)
• IOPD award ceremony within the framework of the 2018 Conference 
• Naples, in Italy, defends a policy for urban commons at the local level (July, 2018)
• A collaborative platform at the service of cities for strengthening local democracy (February, 2018)
• “Democratic Cities” meet in Madrid: How to put technology at the service of the common good and citizen participation? (January, 2018) 
• Local voices for Human Rights, Peace and Democracy - World Human Rights Cities Forum of 2017 and Participatory Democracy (October, 2017)
• Gwangju Mayor and Committee's co-chair takes part in a consultation meeting on UN Guidelines on the Right to participate (October, 2017)
• The Committee takes part in the seventeenth edition of the OIDP Conference, held in Montreal under the theme “Participation without exclusion” (July, 2017)
• Senegalese Local Governments adopt a Charter of Citizen Participation and Right to the City (March, 2017)
• The Committee participates at the XVI Conference of the International Observatory of Participatory Democracy (May, 2016)

In order to contact with the IOPD network you can reach its secretariat in the following email address oidp@bcn.cat