The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has released a new guide for local authorities, "How to Organise a Deliberative Process at the Local Level?", available in English and Bosnian.  

The Reykjavík Principles for Democracy affirm the need to foster “democratic participation at national, regional and local levels through free and fair elections. As appropriate, forms of participatory democracy, including deliberative democracy, may be encouraged”. The guide provides local authorities with the path to involve citizens in decision making through inclusive and transparent deliberative processes, and gives guidance on how to initiate, run, and sustain citizens' assemblies.

Deliberative democracy is vital for building trust and ensuring all voices, especially the unheard, shape the future, as highlighted by Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori in the Foreword to the guide which supports the Council of Europe’s emphasis on respect for democratic principles, including the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

The guide was produced as part of the project “Innovating Democratic Participation at Local Level in Bosnia and Herzegovina” under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2022–2025), reaffirming the Congress's commitment to promoting citizen participation and democratic innovation in member states.