The Human Rights Cities Network is thrilled to have organised a high-level panel discussion within the framework of the European Capital Of Democracy #ECoD :
“Reimagining Human Rights Anchoring Democratic Values in the Digital Age”
Across Europe, democratic governance is increasingly challenged by political volatility, shrinking civic space, and declining public trust. Cities play a crucial role in safeguarding fundamental rights, yet local commitments often remain vulnerable to electoral shifts.
ACT NOW was an event that brought together a dynamic pool of stakeholders with one goal in mind, advancing democracy in cities.
“Building a Local Democracy Shield: Monitoring and Participation as Safeguards for Democratic Resilience” explores how the local human-rights monitoring, transparency, and meaningful civic participation can act as safeguards for democracy.
This discussion is enable with the presence and knowledge of our panelists:
🔸 Stephen De Ron, Rapporteur on the European Democracy Shield European Committee of the Regions
🔸 Mateusz Płoskonka, Deputy Head of the Department of Dialogue, Consultation and Citizen Engagement Municipality of Kraków.
🔸 Mathilde Bouyé, Senior Regional Coordinator (Europe), Open Government Partnership
🔸 Sophie Woodville, Digital Program Officer, Bordeaux Métropole
🔸 Julia Johnson, Human Rights Cities Network
Following our panel discussion, the interactive session provided a unique opportunity to translate these ideas into practice, drawing from the DeCiDE project and the implementation of the Standardized Monitoring System across eight European cities.
One thing that stood out from this session is just how important monitoring is at the local level. By co-developing indicators standardized processes of data collection, and a shared language across stakeholders, cities can generate evidence to inform decisions and policies suited to their local context.
