Permanent citizens' assemblies worldwide

Permanent citizens’ assemblies are forms of randomised citizen participation that are used not just on a one-off basis, but on a permanent or regularly recurring basis. In this process, citizens are selected at random; following an information phase, they discuss political issues and draw up recommendations for parliaments, local councils or public authorities.

The way in which this is institutionalised can vary: some places have a permanent Citizens’ Assembly whose members change regularly. Others convene new citizens’ assemblies every year or at fixed intervals. Still others have enshrined the random selection process in law or policy in such a way that new citizens’ assemblies can be convened time and again on specific occasions.

This list showcases such diverse models from around the world and also includes hybrid procedures, provided that a substantial random selection from the population forms an integral part of the process.

Australia

Mornington Peninsula – Standing Citizens’ Panel

Mornington Peninsula uses a standing citizens’ panel designed as an ongoing institution. Members are recruited from a large random sample of the population; the panel deliberates on local issues and makes recommendations to the council.

Belgium

East Belgium – Permanent Citizens’ Dialogue / Citizens’ Council

Since 2019, East Belgium has combined a permanent Citizens’ Council with temporary, randomly selected Citizens’ Assemblies. The Council selects topics, organises new processes and follows up on how recommendations are dealt with.

Brussels-Capital Region – Assemblée citoyenne pour le climat / Burgerraad voor het Klimaat

The permanent Climate Citizens’ Assembly accompanies the climate policy of the Brussels-Capital Region. In recurring cycles, newly selected residents deliberate and then follow the political response to their recommendations.

Denmark

Copenhagen – Københavnernes Klimaborgerting

Copenhagen established its Climate Citizens’ Assembly for three consecutive annual cycles from 2024 to 2026. A new group is selected for each cycle; continuation beyond 2026 is to be decided separately.

Germany

Aachen – Bürgerrat

In 2023, Aachen established Germany’s first municipal citizens’ council explicitly designed as a permanent institution. A new group is selected every year to develop recommendations on a local policy issue.

Arnsberg – Bürgerrat

Arnsberg held randomly selected citizens’ assemblies in four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025. The assemblies addressed changing local issues; a binding annual cycle beyond 2025 has not yet been established.

Bochum – Bürgerkonferenzen

Since 2017, Bochum has regularly held citizens’ conferences with randomly selected residents. Six conferences had taken place by 2025; they bring randomly selected citizens together with the city leadership, administration and experts.

Frankfurt am Main – Demokratiekonvent

Frankfurt’s Democracy Convention is a recurring civil-society-led participation format. Since 2023, recruitment has been able to draw on a random sample from the population register; another convention is being prepared for 2026.

Herzberg (Elster) – Project-based Sortition Citizens’ Assemblies / STADTMACHER

Herzberg has embedded project-based sortition citizens’ assemblies in its municipal participation statute. What is made permanent is not one specific body, but the repeated use of the procedure.

Konstanz – Citizens’ Jury on the Participatory Budget

Since 2019, a randomly composed Citizens’ Jury in Konstanz has regularly deliberated on applications to the participatory budget and made funding recommendations to the city council. Because of the budget situation, continuation of the participatory budget in 2026 is currently under consideration.

Lüneburg – Bürgerrat

Lüneburg convenes a new citizens’ assembly once a year. The initial sample is drawn from the population register; the selected members deliberate on a topic of local policy.

Münster-Hansaviertel – Hansa-Konvent

Since 2019, residents have regularly deliberated on the development of the neighbourhood in the Hansa Convention. Participants are mainly selected at random; in addition, people can join via an expression-of-interest list. This creates a recurring hybrid process with a sortition component.

Ottersberg – Citizens’ Assembly

Ottersberg held new citizens’ assemblies in 2022, 2024 and 2026. The processes address changing questions about the municipality’s future and have developed into a recurring practice.

Werder (Havel) – Future Council within the Future Budget

The Future Council is the randomly selected children’s and youth body within the recurring Zukunftshaushalt (Future Budget). For the fourth cycle in 2026/27, children and young people are again recruited by random selection from the population register.

Finland

Jyväskylä – Asukaspaneelit

Jyväskylä regularly holds deliberative residents’ panels on important policy questions and the development of public services. A new group is formed for each panel from a random sample of 1,500 to 2,000 residents.

Turku – Kansalaispaneeli

Turku has established a randomly selected citizens’ panel as part of its regular participation practice. The panel deliberates on several policy issues over time and develops recommendations for municipal decision-making.

France

Marseille – Assemblée Citoyenne du Futur

The Assemblée Citoyenne du Futur is designed as a permanent participation body. Its members deliberate on Marseille’s long-term future; after a working period, the assembly is reconstituted.

Paris – Assemblée citoyenne de Paris

Paris has had a citywide Citizens’ Assembly since 2021. Randomly selected Parisians can take up issues, develop recommendations and follow how the city responds to their proposals.

Rennes Métropole – Assemblée citoyenne

The Citizens’ Assembly of Rennes Métropole accompanies public participation and, in particular, monitors implementation of the metropolitan participation charter. The body consists mainly of randomly selected residents and is partially renewed.

Rouen – Assemblée citoyenne

Rouen’s Citizens’ Assembly is made up of residents, a large share of whom are drawn directly from the electoral registers. It meets regularly, can take up issues and submits recommendations to the city.

Villeurbanne – Assemblée Citoyenne

Villeurbanne’s Assemblée Citoyenne is a permanent participation body with 80 members. Some members are selected directly from the population, while others enter through voluntary participation and existing civic bodies.

Italy

Milan – Assemblea Permanente dei Cittadini sul Clima

The permanent Climate Citizens’ Assembly accompanies implementation of Milan’s Air and Climate Plan. Regularly renewed residents review progress and develop proposals for the city’s climate policy.

Japan

Chigasaki – Shimin Tōgikai

Since 2009, Chigasaki has repeatedly brought randomly selected residents together to deliberate on local issues. What is institutionalised here is primarily the recurring use of sortition, rather than a continuously sitting body.

Handa – HANDA Shimin Tōgikai

Handa has held an annual citizens’ deliberation with randomly selected residents since 2023. The city has explicitly committed to continuation; 2026 marks the fourth round.

Iyo – Iyo-shi Shimin Tōgikai

Iyo has organised recurring randomly selected citizens’ deliberations since 2015. After several annual rounds, the process was moved to a biennial cycle.

Komaki – Shimin Tōgikai / Machizukuri Meeting

Komaki has regularly used random selection for citizen deliberation on local development since 2012. Fourteen consecutive annual rounds are documented through 2025; continuation in 2026 is still open.

Nara – Nara-shi-ban Jibungotoka Kaigi

Since 2022, Nara has repeatedly used randomly composed Jibungotoka assemblies in different parts of the city. Participants deliberate on local future issues and develop joint proposals.

Shizuoka – Voice of Shizuoka Shimin Tōgikai

Shizuoka is one of Japan’s earliest examples of institutionalised random selection. Since 2007, randomly selected residents have been invited to deliberate on local issues; the most recent securely documented round was some years ago.

Tajimi – Heart of Tajimi Shimin Tōgikai

Tajimi has regularly held randomly selected citizens’ deliberations since 2009. The city invites residents drawn by lot and also documents how their proposals are subsequently handled.

Toyama – Toyama Future Creation Meeting

Toyama has repeatedly used random selection for citizen deliberation since 2010. The process, formerly known as Shimin Tōgikai, now continues under the name Toyama Future Creation Meeting.

Colombia

Bogotá – Asambleas Ciudadanas / Ciclos Deliberativos #SumemosVoces

Bogotá has developed deliberative citizens’ assemblies into a recurring participation strategy. The cycles combine random outreach with additional access routes and are intended to run over several consecutive years.

New Caledonia

New Caledonia – Assemblée citoyenne de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

After a pilot process in spring 2026, the Congress of New Caledonia made the Assemblée citoyenne permanent in June 2026. The 24-member body is renewed annually and advises the Congress on political issues.

Norway

Stavanger – Stavangerpanelet

The Stavangerpanelet is a standing citizens’ panel established in 2026 with 33 members. It is run independently of the city administration by KÅKÅ; members are recruited through broad random outreach and are replaced after one to two years.

Austria

Mödling – Zukunftsrat Mödling

In 2026, Mödling decided to establish the Zukunftsrat as a permanent participation format. Once a year, a newly selected group of residents is to deliberate on a strategic question concerning the city’s future.

Vorarlberg – Citizens’ Juries

Vorarlberg has repeatedly used randomly selected Citizens’ Juries since 2006 and has embedded the procedure in law. The state parliament, state government and, under certain conditions, 1,000 citizens can initiate a Citizens’ Jury.

Vienna – Vienna Climate Team: Citizens’ Juries

The Vienna Climate Team repeatedly uses randomly selected citizens’ juries in changing districts. For each jury, a large random sample of district residents is contacted first; the juries then select climate projects for implementation.

South Korea

South Korea – Climate Citizens’ Assembly

South Korea legally established and launched a national Climate Citizens’ Assembly in 2026. Members were recruited using randomly generated phone numbers; the body is intended to accompany national climate policy on a continuing basis.

United Kingdom

Newham – Permanent Citizens’ Assembly

The London Borough of Newham has created a Permanent Citizens’ Assembly as part of its public participation system. Recruitment starts with a large random sample of households, and the body is renewed gradually.