Having ended the deadline for submitting applications to the 11th Distinction "Best Practice in Citizen Participation" the Secretary of distinction has received 48 candidatures coming from 25 different countries, overcoming the 36 of last edition and the 32 of the ninth.

During February, March and April an international jury will evaluate the candidatures. In 18^th April, we will communicate the finalists of the distinction through IOPD's webpage (http://www.oidp.net/). I the frame of 17th IOPD Conference in Mont-Real, we will celebrate the ceremony to deliver the Distinction. There we will also publish the Final Document with a summary of all candidatures as a model of good practices in citizen participation.

From IOPD General Secretary we are very thankful to the local or regional governments who have applied their candidacies. This distinction is not only recognition of the public policies of governments; it is also an impulse for the democratic quality.