On 12 April 2023, on line peer-to-peer event „Prospects and benefits of deliberative democracy for local decison making“ was organized.

The event was organised in the framework of the project “Innovating democratic participation at local level in Bosnia and Herzegovina” implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025, and it gathered together representatives of cities Mostar, Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Modriča.

Representatives of the City Administration of the City of Mostar as well as City Councillors took part in an open discussion about the First Citizen’s Assembly Mostar that was organized in July 2021, as well as about implementation of the recommendations derived from the First Citizen’s Assembly Mostar.

Implementation of deliberative processes paves the way towards more collaborative decision-making, calling for an inclusive democracy-building closer to the citizens. Such advanced practices have proven to be efficient as they enable citizens to contribute in an active and meaningfu manner through their deliberations.

The cities of Mostar and Banja Luka are engaging in deliberative democracy in a form of citizens’ assemblies, to be organised with the support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The event enabled peer-to-peer exchange on the added value of citizen deliberation as a complement to other forms of citizen participation which further strengthens representative democracy.