Description

The UN has awarded the citizens' participation platform "Decide Madrid" with the prize to the best public service of 2018. The international organization has chosen it the winner of the category "Making institutions inclusive and ensuring participation in decision making" because the platform has established an open and transparent governance model in which citizens can participate.

"Decide Madrid" is a project fostered by Madrid City Council which currently consist of about 390.000 people. Citizens can propose ideas and needs to the city in a direct way through the online platform. Since its creation, the city council has carried out three editions of participatory budget, it has implemented more environmental policies and it has started a project to broaden the sidewalks of Gran Vía street, among others.

The award was first held in 2003 and it is fostered by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 437 candidacies from all around the world have been submitted in this edition and, concretely, 111 candidacies have competed in the same category as "Decide Madrid". In total 8 institutions have been awarded in a recognition that aims to transform governance worldwide to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).