2022 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

In Mexico, the participation of civil society through the Local Citizen Participation Mechanisms is not effective due to three elements:

1) Ignorance of the existence of these mechanisms, their objectives or requirements to be part of them.

2) The operation of the mechanisms, which are usually mere spaces for consultation or validation of government actions and

3) There are not enough capacities in civil society and government on how to generate technically viable advocacy processes within these mechanisms.

The Local Citizen Participation Mechanisms (MPCL) are spaces that can be taken up to deepen citizen participation, strengthening the representation, participation, incidence and monitoring of governments, since they allow dialogue and debate to build a public agenda with the participation of society. civil and local governments. These mechanisms usually take many different forms: observatories, dialogue tables, public consultations, referendums, etc.

Based on this, it was possible to carry out a project to generate Local Action Plans, that is, proposals to improve at least 16 MPCL in the 16 nodes in which the country was divided, achieving the confluence of more than 80 institutions, between organizations and local governments. These institutions have been strengthened and accompanied during almost a year of advocacy work.

With a pleasant and clear platform, these 16 action plans, their activities, objectives, goals and progress can be monitored. Additionally, at least 4 nodes have already achieved specific advocacy processes in their states with the support of Bios AC.

Currently, there is a broader culture of participation and the use of MPCLs as spaces to improve public policy on issues as diverse as the environment, gender or poverty, in all the states and municipalities where this project was implemented, in addition to We have created the first global network on Local Citizen Participation Mechanisms with representation from all over the Mexican territory.

More information:

http://www.biospolitica.org (External link)

Testimonios. Democracia ampliada en entornos locales (External link)