Public Participation Audit

Is public participation a right? If so, which international human rights conventions protect this right? What kind of restrictions limit the enjoyment of public participation? Are restrictions in public participation the same across various regions in the world? Does protection in legislation of public participation mean that people actually are able to exercise it freely? Are there good examples of governments inviting to public participation? Are such examples having any affect on political decisions? Are civil society organizations vehicles for people wishing to engage actively in the conduct of public affairs? Are civil societies able to operate freely and to voice critic? If not, in which ways do they face limitations? Are there examples of civil societies improving the critical conditions? What kind of systems and procedures can decision makers follow if they wish to invite for public participation?

This publication is a collection of public participation audits carried out in 7 countries. The audits look into the these and other questions by examining various aspects of public participation. New perspectives on ways forward are presented in additional papers.