Inspired by the release of European Civic Forum’s Civic Space Report 2026, followed by the launch of the Human Rights Cities Network’s (HRCN) Human Right Cities Compendium of Good Practices in Monitoring, our partnership is pleased to launch a webinar series on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Consultation Mechanisms !
Beyond examining the challenges facing civic space and showcasing effective monitoring practices, the webinar series will explore how local governments, civil society, and communities can work together to strengthen participation, accountability, and human rights implementation at the local level.
The “Boosting Democratic Participation in Cities to Recharge Democracy in Europe” (DeCiDE) project, implemented by the Human Rights Cities Network in partnership with Global Parliament of Mayors, aims to strengthen cooperation between municipalities and civil society organisations. Through its co-designed Standardized Monitoring System (SMS), the project assesses the implementation of human rights and EU values at the local level, while reinforcing democratic participation, transparency and accountability.
Building on these developments, engaging a wider European audience in reflecting on meaningful democratic participation has become increasingly important. With the cooperation of the European Civic Forum (ECF), the HRCN webinar series on CSOs Consultation Mechanisms to shape, implement and evaluate local policies seeks to enrich this discussion.
By creating a virtual space for open dialogue, peer learning and knowledge exchange among local authorities, CSOs, researchers, and policy actors, the series will contribute to stronger democratic governance and more effective civic participation across Europe.
The main objective of this series is to strengthen the capacities of cities and local civil society to guarantee democratic participation and access to human rights through inclusive structured dialogue mechanisms with CSOs in the design, delivery, and evaluation of public policies and services.
The Webinars:
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Webinar 1: From Consultation to Co-Creation: CSOs Participation in Local Decision-Making
REGISTER HERE: Inscription à la réunion – Zoom
This webinar will explore how municipalities can move beyond one-off consultation processes towards more meaningful and institutionalised forms of participation, co-creation, and shared decision-making. Building on the findings of the Civic Space Report 2026 and the Human Rights Cities Compendium of Good Practices in Monitoring, the discussion will examine how local authorities and civil society organisations can work together to strengthen democratic governance, civic participation, and accountability. Drawing on experiences from cities, civil society organisations, and experts in participatory democracy, participants will explore practical mechanisms for ensuring that inhabitants and CSOs play an active role in shaping, implementing, and evaluating local policies.
The webinar is organised as an interactive panel discussion. We envisage each panelist providing brief introductory remarks (approximately 5–7 minutes), followed by a moderated discussion among speakers and a Q&A session with participants.
The audience will include civil society organisations, representatives of municipalities, human rights practitioners, researchers, and policymakers from across Europe.
Speakers (to be confirmed):
- City of Barcelona – Observatory: Esther Pardo Herrero – Presenting a Human Rights City’s experience in institutionalising citizen participation and monitoring democratic governance at the local level.
- Civic Space (Czech/Slovakia NGO) Klimatická koalícia: Dana Mareková – Sharing civil society perspectives on civic space, structured dialogue mechanisms, and enabling environments for meaningful participation.
- Democracy International: Daniela Vancic – Exploring innovative models of co-creation and deliberative democracy that strengthen citizen involvement in public decision-making
- European Civic Forum: Natacha Kazatchkine – Presenting key findings from the Civic Space Report 2026 and the Civil Society Strategy 2025 as a tool for structured and civic dialogue.
- Moderated by: Frederique Hanotier – Co-founder and board member of the Human RIghts Cities Network
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Webinar 2: Protecting Civic Space in Cities: Local Challenges and Community Response
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Webinar 3: The European Democracy Shield and Local Democratic Resilience: Bridging Policy and Practice
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Webinar 4: Monitoring Local Democracy: Tools and Indicators for Inclusive City Governance
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Webinar 5: What Works – Democratic Innovation in Practice: Inspiring Examples from European Cities (ECF Special Session)