OECD-Leitfaden zur Förderung von Civic Space
Die Organisation für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (kurz OECD) beschäftigt sich in ihrer neusten Veröffentlichung, dem Practical Guide for Policymakers on Protecting and Promoting Civic Space, mit Civic Space als zentralem Bestandteil funktionierender Demokratien.
Civic Space beschreibt die Bedingungen, die nichtstaatlichen Akteuren den Zugang zu Informationen sowie die Möglichkeit zur Meinungsäußerung, Organisation und Teilnahme am öffentlichen Leben bieten. Er ist eine grundlegende Voraussetzung für Entscheidungsprozesse, die transparent, verantwortungsvoll, inklusiv und nachhaltig gestaltet sind. Der Bericht der OECD soll Regierungen Unterstützung bieten, um Civic Space als Grundlage für stärkere Demokratien zu schützen und zu fördern.
„Over the past decade, countries have increasingly recognised civic space as a cornerstone of functioning democracies. Civic space is defined as the set of legal, policy, institutional and practical conditions non-governmental actors need to access information, express themselves, associate, organise and participate in public life. OECD member countries explicitly recognised the need to protect and promote civic space as part of the OECD Reinforcing Democracy Initiative (RDI), through the Ministerial Declaration adopted in Luxembourg in 2022.
This guide contributes to the broader objectives of this Initiative (RDI): protecting and promoting a vibrant and protected civic space is central to its pillar 2, in particular, which focuses on enhancing participation, representation, and openness in public life. By fostering a more inclusive and participatory environment, pillar 2 aims to strengthen democratic processes and ensure that all citizens have meaningful opportunities to engage in public decision making. The 2024 results of the OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions show that only about three in ten people across the OECD think that the political system lets people like them have a say in what government does and that government would use inputs from a public consultation. Given how closely tied these perceptions are to trust in government, these findings underline the need for governments to strengthen meaningful engagement and participation opportunities. […]
This Practical guide for policymakers addresses a critical need for concrete advice to protect and promote civic space, responding to government demand for specific guidance on actionable measures. As a companion to the 2022 report, it provides detailed, practical guidance for policymakers for each of the ten high-level recommendations in that report. It includes a series of detailed explanatory tables, checklists, and infographics to aid understanding of key practical steps that can be taken by public officials across public administrations in a wide range of areas affecting civic space.“
