Public participation in policymaking enables addressing citizens' concerns and views

At the opening of the event, RCC Deputy Secretary General Gazmend Turdiou said that public participation in the policymaking process was crucial, as there were concrete consequences not only on the region's European path, but on the daily life of ordinary citizens.

A great potential of public participation is here, around us and should be unblocked, showing the benefits. It is a challenge to motivate citizens to participate in policymaking processes in order to include the concerns and views of citizens. Only in this way, we make sweeping politics, creating better societies for ourselves and our children. Therefore, we need to be persistent and keep trying. ”

The aim of the event is also to highlight the importance of recommending the Western Balkans in achieving a better, recently adopted arrangement. According to the RCC's opinion and public business poll, Balkan Barometer 2017, 45% of the entire region's population neither discuss government decisions, while 35% discuss them only with people who know them privately and outside a public environment. Only 8% of Balkan citizens have protested, 5% commented on government decisions on social networks, and 3% participated in public debates. The main reasons for active involvement in government decision making, 47% of people think that an individual cannot influence decisions made by the government, 24% fear public exposure, and 23% do not care at all.

Zorana Gajic, manager of the ReSPA Programme, spoke of the role of public servants and government institutions in the process of public consultations. She said that <x0canals for consultations with the public, along the process of policy-making and legislative processes, should be open and modern, including online platforms that could enable easy public administration communication with business associations, civil society organisations, the academic community and the public in general. Governments must ensure the existence of these channels and allow consultations with citizens and businesses”.

The conference will analyse all aspects of public participation, bringing into focus communication tools and the intended approach for an effective public campaign to engage citizens and businesses in the policy-making process.

“Transparency is the basis for participation and trust, we need open government that enables a culture of participation.” Budget transparency systems could be the first step “, said Thomas Proroc, Deputy Director Manager and CAF chief of KDZ Austria.

A series of multi-language information and awareness-building materials (the brochure of recommendation, video and brochures) on the public's participation in policymaking in the Western Balkans, prepared by RCC along with the ReSPA, with the goal of enlivening the public to engage in these processes, will be presented and distributed at the conference. These materials are available to the public and free to be distributed away.

The conference brought together the heads of justice ministries, ministries responsible for public administration, ministries/government offices responsible for European integration, as well as representatives of government centre institutions from all Western Balkan countries.