Inclusive Political Participation and Representation

                         Everybody around the world seem to understand that for a better democracy and a more productive and effecient political system, we need more political inclusion. And to achieve this, we need more political activists becoming candidates. We need more candidates with a real chance to win becoming politicians, candidates with a long history of an online and offline activism for democracy, human rights and justice, candidates with a wide coalition of support. Now, more than ever we need candidates speaking about the benefits of political inclusion. More than ever we need politicians and candidates not afraid of competition. More than ever we need to recognize and to respect movements happenning around the world for political inclusion, justice, democracy and human rights.  This post is a summary of the book with the title above published at https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/inclusive-political-participation-and-representation.pdf

                   Participation and representation are two fundamental elements and principles of democracy. They affirm that a democracy is dependent on its citizens and that this ownership is expressed through meaningful participation by and representation of all citizens in democratic institutions and processes. The goal of any undertaking in this field is clear: to assist political institutions to become more responsive, responsible and representative. Responsiveness means that governments are able to react to the demands and needs of society at large, and that they are ready to openly and transparently interact with a variety of actors, including civil society. Responsibility means that governments can be held accountable by citizens. Representativeness means that governments work on institutionalizing political life and public political participation through legitimate institutions. Support participation and representation today, however, remains a challenge. Some citizens, in all countries irrespective of their stage of democratic development, have come to mistrust their institutions. Inequality of opportunity persists worldwide. Democracy is not only about the right to vote, it is also about the right to be elected. In some cases, access to political institutions is not available or even feasible because the frameworks or modalities for inclusive citizen involvement and engagement are not being implemented or are simply not in place. It is in this context that promoting inclusive political representation remains priorities for international organizations. Key provisions have been made in the relevant charters and declarations of regional organizations to protect and promote diversity in the region. In the Pacific, the Declaration of the Pacific Islands Forum, which outlines the guiding principles of good governance and courses of action, commits its member states to: 'belief in the liberty of individuals under the law, in equal rights for all citizens and to upholding democratic processes and institutions which reflect national and local circumstances, including the peaceful transfer of power'. In the article 2 of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation provides that member states shall: 'ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable persons or groups are included in social development and promote respect and protection of human rights for all, promote the effective exercise of rights, promote social integration and strengthen civil society. The Organization of American States (OAS) is the principal political regional forum for the Americas for facilitating international cooperation among its member states to promote democracy, human rights, and the advancement of sustainable and inclusive development. The OAS should try to strengthen the collaboration between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the member states. Regional organizations should strive for broad and inclusive participation by CSOs in their meetings to ensure both the availability of technical expertise and comprehensive analysis of the topics at hand. With a database of nearly 5,000 CSOs, divided by thematic area in order to deliver better-targeted message to CSO specialists in the subject matter of a given meeting. An effective communications strategy is an essential part of facilitating inclusive political participation in the policy-making process. Such strategy should be proactive in order to deliver relevant, meaningful information in real time to CSOs. There is a high level of interest among non-governmental actors in assuming a greater and more active role in the policy-making process. The dialogue between OAS member states and civil society helps to build alliances and consensus around common action agendas, which is an essential dimension of democratic governance.  Through greater integration of CSOs in thematic networks and expanded outreach efforts, civil society representatives have developed a greater awareness of political process and the opportunities for their participation. Building on the strong foundation that has been established will require a long-term commitment from all parties involved, and the OAS is dedicated to continuing its efforts to ensure growing political participation and representation in the political processes to the benefit of the peoples of the Americas. This combination of expanded mandates and active demands by citizens is the reason why efforts to support more inclusive political representation are increasingly among the objectives and priorities of regional organizations today. Critically, inclusive political participation and representation by citizens ensures the legitimacy and credibility of member states. The best way to ensure implementation of the mandate is through institutionalization of engagement with civil society and stakeholders. Such institutionalization could involve the establishment of regional mechanisms like the Register of Civil Society Organizations in the OAS. Another way is consultation with CSOs in regular meetings between civil society and regional organizations. Initiatives and policies by regional organizations are evolving to promote inclusive political participation and representation. This dynamic is just one reflection of the importance attached to citizen engagement. It also highlights the growing experience of regional organizations in this area. The Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy endeavours to capture these experiences, build on the lessons learned and facilitate exchange among regional organizations. In so doing, it can help regional organizations in their democracy-building efforts.