Keep Civic Space Healthy: Rights card on Public participation in decision making during Covid-19

22-04-2020
During COVID-19, public participation in decision making is more crucial than ever. We need measures that respond with our actual needs and do not affect the public disproportionately.

People and governments around the world are at the height of their efforts in responding to the Covid-19 crisis. As the situation slowly unravels, ECNL wants to remind authorities that in order for the Covid-19 measures to address the actual needs, and not to affect the public disproportionally, public participation in decision making should be implemented. Moreover, ECNL wants to remind people that their right to public participation is valid in times of emergency as well, and especially then, they should strive to claim their needs and speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals and groups in society. The public participation rights card is part of a broader ECNL/ICNL initiative to support human rights based approaches to overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic while also protecting our freedoms to association, assembly, expression and participation.

For the card in pdf, click here

The card is now available in English. ECNL invites partners to translate this rights card in their own languages. Please reach out to us at [email protected] to receive the rights card in a word document, so that it can be adjusted to specific requirements and purposes of the respective countries. More to follow in our upcoming briefer on participation by ECNL and partners!