Democracy and Governance Practice Retreat 2021: In Crisis and Beyond

The first annual Democracy and Governance Practice Retreat will be held online on 21-25 June 2021. It will draw participants from the European institutions, EU member states governments, and national and European civil society to share, learn, and develop new understandings and skills in democratic participation, transparency, and accountability toward stronger policymaking, public services, and ultimately better democracy, fit for crisis and beyond.

Led by the Open Governance Network for Europe, hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, and organised in partnership with the European Commission, European Partnership for Democracy, Democratic Society, Hertie School, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Open Government Partnership, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the UN Human Rights Office, this inaugural retreat will be held over one week, with interactive sessions focusing on the following themes:

• democracy and governance
• civic space
• civic participation
• rule of law, transparency, and accountability
• future of practice for better climate policymaking

The retreat aims to help civil servants and civil society learn and share new approaches to policy-making and public services that improve civic trust in governments and strengthen democracies, through crises and beyond. Retreat participants will discover how to build new governance approaches into everyday practice, and gain new knowledge with peers across the European institutions and member states and with leading civil society thinkers and actors.

For more information and registration, see online.

The NHC will be hosting an interactive session, “Building back better: Getting ahead on the rule of law”, taking place on Thursday 24 June 14:00 – 15:30 CET.

Speakers include Ms Kathleen Ferrier (President of the National UNESCO Committee of the Netherlands & Member of the Advisory Board of the Netherlands Helsinki Committee), Ms Ramona Strugariu (MEP), Mr Daniel Freund (MEP), Mr Piotr Buras (European Council on Foreign Relations) and Mr Egon Visser (EPPO), and the session aims to address issues affecting the rule of law and explore ways to monitor, prevent, and sanction the misuse of EU funds, with the aim of surfacing and developing new ways for parliaments, civil society, and the media to support and safeguard building back better through the Recovery Plan for Europe.

The retreat will draw participants from European institutions, EU member states governments, and civil society, to share, learn, and develop new understandings and skills in governance for stronger policymaking, public services, and ultimately better democracy, for crisis and beyond.

For more information and registration, click here.