2023/16/06
Representatives of the Open Government Laboratory of the Government of Aragon have shared their experience in participatory governance with representatives of the national and municipal governments of Angola, as well as with civil society organisations
Representatives of the Angolan national government, municipalities and civil society are participating today in the conference “Citizenship for Participatory Governance”, organised by the European project PASCAL, to address decision-making processes and share good practices and experiences in participatory governance.
The event, which will be attended by the Angolan Secretary of State for Territorial Administration, local authorities, key actors in governance and citizenship and NGOs, aims to raise awareness and support the participatory process of local governance.
It will also seek to promote the direct participation of citizens in the decision-making process as a right and a duty to improve community service delivery and local development. In addition, the rights and duties of civil society in the local governance process will be presented so that local representation and community actors can jointly participate in the process.
For Peggy Martinello, Director of Public Administration and Social Affairs at FIIAPP, “this conference is an excellent opportunity to share lessons learned about the challenges of participatory governance in Angola, especially in relation to the participation of under-represented groups such as women, youth and people with functional diversity, through reflection and exchange of experiences in public management in Angola and the European Union. What is at stake with participatory governance is the sense of belonging to society and to the common project, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. This is indeed a complex task, not only for Angola, but also for the countries of the European Union.
For the celebration of both workshops, the FIIAPP has mobilised the Spanish expert and general director of the Aragon Open Government Laboratory (LAAAB) of the Government of Aragon, Raúl Oliván, who has highlighted that “it is up to us to share everything we have learned over the years in the LAAAB. Demonstrating that open government not only strengthens democracy, but also acts as a lever for innovation, activating essential alliances in the face of the magnitude of the challenges facing our societies“.
Through various components, the conference addresses, among other issues, the improvement of the legislative, regulatory and institutional framework for participatory governance; the increased participation of civil society, in particular groups under-represented in decision-making such as women and youth, in participatory governance platforms at national and provincial level in 25 municipalities; and the improvement of information and awareness of citizens about their rights, the work of public institutions, decentralisation and participatory governance.
The PASCAL Citizenship Guide, an information tool for civil society on the mechanisms of popular participation in local governance in the country, will also be presented at this meeting.
The action is part of the set of strategic objectives of “Consolidation of Peace, Strengthening of the Rule of Law and Democracy, Good Governance, State Reform and Decentralisation” of the National Development Programme of Angola (PND 2018-2022) and is aligned with the Strategic Plan for Territorial Administration (PLANEAT) in its axes “governance and citizenship” and “decentralisation and development”.
