In 2007, the Committee laid the foundations for the creation of an International Observatory on Local Social Inclusion Policies. The initiative aimed to place a consultation tool for the design and implementation of local social inclusion policies at the disposal of the members of the Committee and UCLG cities. On the basis of this empirical data, the Observatory also seeks to enable conceptual reflections on social inclusion, participatory democracy and human rights.
Fifteen innovative policies were documented in 2007. In late 2009, thanks to the support of several government bodies (Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, Malaga Provincial Council, the Government of Catalonia and Plaine Commune), a new international search was undertaken for benchmark cases in the field of social action.
As a result of this work, 50 new policies implemented by cities in various regions around the world have been documented, covering issues as varied as: the promotion of multiculturalism, community development, access to basic services, gender, human rights, the environment, eradication of poverty, etc.
The case studies are for the present available in the language in which they were written (generally English) but they are currently being translated into the Committee´s working languages (Spanish, English and French). The new policies are available in the "Social Inclusion Observatory" section of this website (see menu on the left).