It is with great pleasure that I welcome the Forum for Democracy, a very important event organised for the first time in Cyprus by the Office of the Citizens' Commissioner. The Forum takes place on the basis of the Council of Europe's initiative to create a platform for the emergence of ideas and innovative solutions to key challenges facing democracy and its institutions around the world.
According to the Council of Europe, the objectives of the Democracy Forum are promoted through discussion among policy makers, social partners, researchers and civil society. By identifying and analysing appropriate actions and practices, the Forum seeks to adopt citizen-driven democratic processes and transfer them to the systemic level in order to strengthen the foundations of democratic and healthy societies. In this way, the Forum contributes to the evolution of democracy into more participatory and inclusive institutions, aiming at more effective participation of their citizens in public life. Today's event will provide an opportunity, both for participants and for those citizens who will reflect on its conclusions at a later stage, to seek and find ways to address these challenges both locally and globally. The themes of the event include issues such as the interconnectedness of democracy and its institutions with sustainability and environmental protection, the link between the development of digital technology and the strengthening of democracy, and the very important issue of the crucial role that young people and women can play in shaping healthy and democratic societies. The participation in today's Forum of state and government officials, as well as renowned representatives of independent institutions, European and international organisations, the academic community, the journalistic world, the private sector and, above all, civil society, ensure its success. I congratulate and warmly thank all the distinguished participating speakers and, of course, all citizens, for their decisive intervention and contribution to the realisation and implementation of this pioneering event. I will not go into details about the specific objectives, structure and actions of today's Forum, since much has already been heard and even more will be heard later.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As a Government, we believe that the encouragement of active citizenship, i.e. the activation of citizens to participate in the public sphere and their effective intervention in decision-making centres, is at the core of democracy, playing a key role in addressing the challenges we face. Supporting a vibrant civil society, as well as strengthening democratic participation, has been at the heart of the Government's objectives from the very first moment we took office. Building on the five basic principles of good governance, namely transparency, participation, accountability, efficiency and coherence, we have taken a series of decisions to strengthen the strength of civil society's views and actions, while enhancing its role.
Against this background, the Council of Ministers has decided to draw up a National Strategy for Active Citizenship and Participatory Governance, empowering the Commissioner for Citizens' Affairs to take charge of its implementation. The development of this strategy is expected to bring concrete benefits to society, as it seeks to formulate, together with citizens, policies that will enhance their trust in state institutions, prevent corruption and effectively address phenomena such as polarization and misinformation.
In addition to the aforementioned strategy, we have proceeded to establish institutionalized mechanisms for direct consultations of citizens, both with the President of the Republic and with Ministers, Semi-Ministers, and the President of the Republic. One of these mechanisms is the Informal Cabinet, an important tool for encouraging active citizenship. Through the sessions of the Informal Council of Ministers, citizens are given the opportunity to observe how the Council of Ministers operates and to participate, with their suggestions, in the decision-making process.
In addition, we have proceeded to formulate a comprehensive framework for preventing and fighting corruption, seeking to make all political forces, the institutions involved, non-governmental organizations, organized groups and even ordinary citizens collaborate in our efforts. In this context, the establishment and operation of an Independent Anti-Corruption Authority has been institutionalized by the Council of Ministers. This is an extra-political institution with the main responsibility of taking all necessary initiatives and actions to ensure the coherence and effectiveness of the services of the public, the wider public and private sectors in preventing, dealing with and combating acts of corruption. With the creation of the Independent Authority against Corruption, citizens are given the opportunity to report, or provide evidence or information, anonymously or anonymously, against persons who may be involved in corruption offences.
Another initiative of the Government towards participatory governance and good administration was the enactment of the Right of Access to Public Sector Information Law of 2017, which responds to the enforced and increased need for transparency and accountability in the public and wider public sector. This legislation gives citizens the right to request and receive information held by the Public Authorities and the possibility to access public records, with the ultimate aim of controlling the decisions and actions of the Administration.
At the same time, only recently, by decision of the Government, the institution of the Commissioner for Volunteerism was transformed into the Commissioner for Citizenship, with the clear aim of strengthening participatory governance and promoting active citizenship. The priority of the Office of the Citizens' Commissioner is to undertake coordinating actions in relation to the strengthening of the legislative framework for citizen participation in decision-making processes, the use of technology in this direction, the cultivation of a culture of active citizenship and the empowerment of civil society.
Dear friends,
I could list dozens of other policies and actions through which the Government seeks the participation of citizens in decision-making centres, and thus the strengthening of democracy in our country and the strengthening of the institutions of a healthy society. But given the time constraints, I simply want to assure you that our primary concern, for which we have been working from the very first moment with consistency and determination, is to build a society focused on the citizens themselves, a society in which citizens will not be mere recipients of decisions, but active co-determinants of those decisions.
In conclusion, I congratulate and thank again all participants in today's Democracy Forum and, in particular, the Office of the Citizens' Commissioner and the Commissioner himself for their initiative to organise it for the first time in Cyprus.
Thank you.
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Note.The greeting was read on behalf of the President of the Republic by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis.
(NΓ/ΣΧ)
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