The Role of Economic and Social Councils in Participatory Governance

Since 1999, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has been an institutional organizer of the Global Forum on Reinventing Government, which in 2007 will focus on the theme “Building Trust in Government.” To contribute to this forum, and to the World Public Sector Report, the Capstone team conducted research on economic and social councils as institutions that facilitate citizen participation in policymaking and the building of trust in government. The research examined the effectiveness of the councils by conducting an online survey sent to ten countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and two case studies that sent the team to the Netherlands and Mexico to conduct in-person interviews. The results from the survey and case studies will provide useful information to other countries seeking to build the capacity of their council or create a new one as a way for citizens to participate in government.