The UN embraces citizens' assemblies
Citizens’ assemblies have long since become more than a democratic experiment pursued by individual cities and initiatives. A new handbook makes this particularly clear: the United Nations, together with Australia’s newDemocracy Foundation, is publishing a new edition of “Democracy Beyond Elections”. The handbook explains to governments and public administrations how citizens’ assemblies can be designed and conducted.
On the UN side, the publishers are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). The fact that two United Nations bodies are devoting a practical handbook to citizens’ assemblies is significant: sortition is being recognised internationally as an instrument of democratic governance – rather than merely regarded as an interesting experiment in public participation.
Sortition alone is not enough
The handbook guides readers through the key decisions involved in designing a citizens’ assembly: from defining a clear political question and randomly selecting a diverse group to providing balanced information, sufficient time and independent facilitation.
The aim is not simply to capture people’s existing opinions as quickly as possible. Citizens should hear from experts and stakeholders, weigh different arguments and arrive at an informed judgement through deliberation with one another.
Political impact is important
Political impact is equally important. Before an assembly begins, it should be clear who will receive its recommendations and how they will be responded to. Citizens’ assemblies do not replace elected parliaments; rather, they are intended to complement their decision-making through the informed deliberation of randomly selected citizens.
The fact that the UN is now disseminating this knowledge worldwide shows how far the idea has developed. Citizens’ assemblies are increasingly being understood as part of a modern democratic infrastructure. At the same time, the handbook provides governments with a benchmark for determining when a process meets that standard – and when it would be better not to convene a citizens’ assembly at all.