The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, jointly with the City of Mostar, is organising a Citizens’ Assembly, which will be inaugurated on 10 July 2021, as part of the first deliberative process of this kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the South East of Europe. The opening session and presentations by stakeholders and experts will be live webcast on the dedicated website.
During four consecutive weekends, from 10 to 31 July 2021, the Citizens’ Assembly will bring together a representative group of 48 randomly selected citizens who will deliberate upon and make recommendations on the cleanliness of the city and maintenance of public spaces in Mostar. This topic was proposed by citizens of Mostar and chosen after consultations with civil society and the city authorities.
The Assembly is organised on the basis of a transparent and inclusive process tailored for Mostar. It allows citizens to be more engaged in local decision making, learn about the topic from relevant experts, exchange on experiences in other cities, and hear the views of local stakeholders and political representatives. It also gives an opportunity for the local authorities to address the recommendations of citizens. This deliberative democracy approach is being increasingly used in Europe to improve the quality of local governance.
