It was organized as a follow up to the UN Human Rights Council resolution of 2015 on equal participation in political and public affairs presented by the Czech Republic jointly with Botswana, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and Peru. The organizer of the event – the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – will prepare a summary of the workshop’s deliberations to be submitted to the Human Rights Council before its 33^rd session in September 2016.

The workshop was structured into three sessions with a total of 13 expert speakers focusing on various aspects of participation. The first session examined the existing international legal framework, in particular Article 25 of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, and gaps in existing practical guidance on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs at the national level. The second session focused on the main challenges and barriers to the implementation of this right as well as strategies to overcome them. The third part of the workshop explored participation innovations and trends, mainly those stemming from the advent of new communication and information technologies.

The workshop’s sessions were moderated by OHCHR senior officials and attended by around 50 representatives of States and civil society organizations. The Czech Republic organized a networking lunch for the workshop speakers and moderators at the Ambassador’s residence.

Detailed program of the workshop (PDF, 168 KB), concept note (PDF, 261 KB) and bios of speakers (PDF, 182 KB) are available. Information about the workshop is also available at the OHCHR website.