United Cities and Local Governments

30/09/2026

🌟 25 years of participatory democracy in Kraków

The 25th Annual Conference of the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy - OIDP, was held in Kraków PL from 21 to 23 September under the theme “Hope and Renewal in the Face of a Global Crisis of Democracy.”

👏 More than 300 participants from , academia, civil society and the OIDP network came together across 40 sessions to exchange experiences and reflect on how participatory democracy can help rebuild trust, and make institutions more responsive to the people they serve.

💭 The Conference opened with Stanisław Kracik, Mayor of Kraków, and Carola Gunnarsson, VP of UCLG, alongside OIDP Secretary General Pedro Aguilera and partners. Carola Gunnarsson underlined the importance of trust: “Trust does not come from promising that every proposal will be adopted, but demonstrating that people's contributions have been heard and considered."

📌 The session “Turning Rights into Action: Local Pathways to Democratic Renewal”, led by the UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights (CISDPDH), delved into inclusive local governance. From anti-discrimination policies and inclusive public services to local human rights monitoring, the experiences showed how rights can be translated into concrete local action.

🙋‍♀️ The session “Co-creating Youth-Inclusive and Gender-Equal Participation in Local Democracy”, co-hosted by , NextGenC and UCLG, explored how local democracy can create more meaningful spaces for young people and women to participate and exercise influence.

Experiences from Porto-Novo, Cocody and Kraków, alongside the NextGenC initiative, stressed the need to move beyond consultation towards co-creation, and shared responsibility.

🏆 The Conference also marked the 20th edition of the OIDP Award, celebrating innovative practices in citizen participation from around the world. “Rouen Métropole 2050: Citizens at the Heart of the Transition”, from Métropole Rouen Normandie, received the Award for Best Practice in Citizen Participation. Special Mentions recognised six practices from Gwanak-gu, Contagem, Makassar, Dhankuta, Auckland and Ramallah, showcasing different approaches to strengthening participation in local contexts.

📃 The OIDP General Assembly brought the Conference to a close with the adoption of the Kraków Final Declaration and approval of the OIDP Work Plan 2027.

The Final Declaration translates 3 days of exchange into a shared commitment: to strengthen participatory democracy, protect civic space and create lasting opportunities for people to shape the decisions that affect their lives.

The next chapter will unfold in Niterói, which will host the 26th OIDP Conference in 2027, alongside the UCLG Executive Bureau.

📃 Read the Kraków Final Declaration (link in comments)

28/09/2026

15/09/2026

🌐 Today is .

🗳️ As we celebrate the power of participative democracy around the world, it is an opportunity to reflect on how local democracy can transform lives.

On , we are reminded that democracy is about institutions and elections. It is about whether people can shape the decisions that affect their lives, whether their voices are heard, and whether public institutions are trusted to respond to their communities.

This is why are at the heart of democratic life.
Cities and territories are where people experience democracy every day: in public services, in neighbourhoods and public spaces, in schools and care systems, and through the many ways residents can participate in shaping the future of their communities.

But making democracy work also means asking who gets to participate, who gets heard, and who has the power to shape decisions.

🟣 Through the initiative, UCLG, UN Women, International IDEA, and Inter-Parliamentary Union have been working with local and regional leaders to advance women’s political participation and leadership, recognising that democratic renewal cannot happen without transforming who has access to power and decision-making. From the first UCLG Women’s Assembly in Tangier to exchanges across regions, the Feminist Municipal Movement is showing how women’s leadership can strengthen more inclusive and equal local governance.

🎉 And later this month, the 25th International Observatory on Participatory Democracy - OIDP Conference in Kraków will take this conversation further.

📅 From September 21st to 23rd, the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy will gather under the theme “Hope and Renewal in the Face of a Global Crisis of Democracy. The Future of Participatory Democracy from Local to International Governance.”

✅ How can participation rebuild trust?
✅ How can local governments create meaningful spaces for dialogue and deliberation?
✅ How can young people, women and communities that have historically been excluded from decision-making shape the institutions that serve them?
✅ How can local democratic innovations contribute to a stronger multilateral system?

These questions matter because democratic resilience is built through practice. It is built when institutions open up, when communities have a meaningful say, and when participation can translate into influence and action.

The OIDP’s 25 years of work demonstrate the value of connecting cities and territories to exchange experiences, experiment with new forms of participation and deepen the roots of democracy in local government.

📺 Check out our YouTube playlist where leaders and partners reflect at the about how to deliver the and how the impact of local regional democracy can improve communities for everyone.

🔗 Link in comments!

14/09/2026

🙌 Next week, from 21 to 23 September, the 25th Conference of the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy - OIDP will bring together political leaders, local and regional governments, public officials, academics, civil society and activists in Kraków, to explore how participatory democracy can help build more inclusive, resilient and responsive democratic systems.

Organized by the City of Kraków PL and United Cities and Local Governments, the conference will look at the future of participation from the local to the international level and will focus on how democracy is a powerful tool when people have real opportunities to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

Across three days, participants will explore four main themes:
🟢 Citizen Participation in Times of Crisis
🟢 Deeper Democracy
🟢 Citizen Participation in the Context of Transformation
🟢 LRGs in the Spotlight of Citizen Participation

The programme showcases practical experiences and innovative approaches to participation, from youth- and gender-inclusive processes and civic education to deliberation, creative democratic practices and co-creation of public policies.

For UCLG, this event and the conversations that will take place in this space are central to the future of local democracy and to the wider transformation of multilateralism. Local and regional governments are where democracy meets people's everyday lives, and where trust in institutions can be rebuilt.

The 25th edition of OIDP is therefore an opportunity to learn from one another, connect local experiences across borders and ask what participatory democracy can become in a changing world.

📄 Find the complete programme in the comment section.

📺 Learn more about the 25 years journey of the OIDP here: https://youtu.be/krJ4WMTX6Es?si=WNVQdBwb7034ox73

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

14/08/2026

📢 A reminder: we have three calls for proposals that are still open!

If you missed them earlier, there is still time to contribute to our work on climate action, inclusion and care.

🟣 Content Development of UCLG Care Learning Module
📅 Deadline: 22 August 2026
🔗https://uclg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/001_2026_WYDE-Care-Tool-Content.pdf

♿ Content Development for a Training Programme on the Universal Guidelines on the Local Inclusion Agenda (ULIA)
📅 Deadline: 24 August 2026
🔗https://uclg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/04_2026_ULIA-Training-Program.pdf

🌱 Develop a MOOC on Local Climate Action
📅 Deadline: 5 September 2026
🔗https://uclg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03_2026_MOOC-Climate.pdf

These calls offer opportunities for organizations and experts with relevant experience to contribute to practical learning resources designed to support local and regional governments around the world.

📄 Have a look at the calls and submit your proposal before the deadlines!

12/08/2026

📌 ¡Hoy es el !

♀️ Sin jóvenes mujeres líderes, no hay futuro para nadie.

📺 Escucha sus perspectivas sobre la solidaridad, la enseñanza y la necesidad de hablar con voz propia:
https://youtu.be/e3kYZbQsxfU



UN Women International IDEA Inter-Parliamentary Union

📣 Ahead of International on 12 August, ...

04/08/2026

✨ The conversations launched at the continue.

As we close our special Municipal Times series dedicated to the UCLG World Congress in Tangier, this final edition looks back at the political momentum generated throughout the 100 Days of Local Multilateralism and, more importantly, looks ahead to what comes next.

🗞️ Discover the key messages that emerged from the Congress, the priorities shaping the road to 2030 and beyond, and why local and regional governments must be recognized as essential partners in building a renewed and more inclusive multilateralism.

👏 Thank you to everyone who followed the series and joined the conversation. The Congress may have come to an end, but our collective work, and the dialogue it inspires, continue.

🔗 Read the final edition, prepared by OnCities 2030 and the Urban Journalism Institute: https://urbanjournalism.institute/municipaltimes/