to begin. So, Juan David, let's get ready to start recording. Good morning. Receive a warm greeting on behalf of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic and the Citizen Relations Office. It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this new meeting of the dialogue cycles of the School of Training in Participation. Citizen participation, as we have stated on previous occasions, aims to strengthen dialogue between institutions and society, promote the informed exercise of rights, and contribute to the consolidation of an increasingly participatory democracy. Citizen participation is one of the fundamental principles of our social state of law. The Political Constitution recognizes the right of all people to participate in the formation, exercise and control of political power. And that mandate is developed through statutory law 1757/215 and other current provisions that establish the duty of public entities to promote, protect and guarantee effective scenarios for the exercise of citizen participation. It is in this context that the school of training in citizen participation is put at the service of the country as a strategy to strengthen the capacities of citizens through training processes, dialogue and exchange of knowledge that favor a more informed, deliberative and effective participation in public management and thus contribute to generating tools that allow people to better understand the functioning of the State, know the mechanisms of participation and exercise a responsible influence in public affairs. These cycles represent this first component of the school and constitute a permanent channel of relationship with the citizenry. We want to foster open conversations between citizens, academia and social organizations, experts, and public entities around strategic issues that will strengthen participation, social control, transparency, and the collective construction of solutions for the country. We aim for this space to transcend the transmission of information and become a permanent setting for learning, exchanging experiences, and building trust between the State and the citizens. We are convinced that an informed, participatory, and co-responsible citizenry strengthens institutions, improves public management, and contributes to generating greater public value for all Colombians. We thank those who are with us today for accepting this invitation and being part of this process, as this is the way to build collective solutions and strengthen our democracy. Welcome everyone. Today we are convened for a new session on the mechanisms and sectoral and population-based instances of citizen participation, which aims precisely to strengthen citizen capacities for democratic participation, promoting the knowledge and use of sectoral and population-based participation mechanisms and instances. For this, we are joined by you, and thank you very much for accepting this invitation again. Oscar Gonzalez, public administrator, specialist in development projects at ESAP, the Higher School of Public Administration, master in public policy and development from Flaxo, the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, also advisor to DAPRE. Hey, Oscar, welcome. Uh, you can share your presentation and well, I'll start with a couple of questions that I think you'll be answering for us during your presentation. Why talk about the structure of the State, right? It doesn't say, "Well, if we're going to talk about mechanisms for citizen participation, why are we talking about the structure of the State?" And well, the term population is perhaps more familiar to us, but the sectoral one, which is what the sectoral aspect is when we talk about participation mechanisms. We invite you to take careful note because this is almost like a public administration class for the citizens. Oscar, welcome. Thank you very much, and you have the floor. Oh, thanks, Lena. Thank you so much. Good morning everyone. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity again to transmit these humble knowledge and elements in terms of sectoral and population participation mechanisms. And yes, indeed, sometimes it is necessary, or often it is necessary, to know a little about how the State works and especially its structure. Precisely because within that relationship between the State and the society of citizens, it is necessary to know what the bridges that connect are, what the communication guidelines are, if you will, and the dialogue and articulation guidelines to precisely interact between the State and the citizens. And that's what public administration is. Uh, that bridge is raised and we discussed it in the last session with Professor Jack Chavalier, uh, French, who precisely uh, uh, says, mentions that public administration is that possibility of interaction, dynamic dialogue between the State and citizens in search of solutions. We talked about public policies, we talked a little about plans and programs precisely so that [clears throat] the State can address those needs. entities of citizens in general terms and that is what we want to address in this little while, so that we can discuss, clarify [clears throat] a little these elements of where these sectoral and population mechanisms arise within the structure of the State. To that end, it's important that we begin with this small icebreaker exercise, which is to use the chat, or if you prefer, this space for dialogue, to identify [clears throat] a sectoral problem that may be experienced in our communities, a sectoral problem that could be, for example, in sports, culture, health, or infrastructure. Let's identify what that problem might be that we want to solve and briefly put it in the chat or say it openly here to get into the subject, if you agree. So, I'm also looking here in the chat , and if you want, also here in the Teams audio, what sectoral problem in your community would you like to solve right now? I read them , I listen to them. Adriana, that communication channels be effective for blind people. Okay, we'll see in which sector that might be. Thank you, Adriana. Hey, Ana Lucía, construction of infrastructure by a private company in an indigenous territory. Wow, interesting. Construction of a private company's infrastructure in an indigenous territory. That proposal is very, very interesting from a business and territorial point of view . What other? I hear someone on Teams with their microphone open. Keli Joana, youth access to employment, youth employment. That solution is also interesting from a structural point of view, if you will. We already have three proposals there from the point of view of sectoral problems. [clearing throat] Construction. Erika Paola says, construction of a market accessible to the indigenous population. Today we have representation of indigenous peoples and communities in that sense, also with a business focus. [clears throat] José Ángel, that the youth agreements be binding. Ah, interesting, José. We will now discuss this in the context of population sector participation mechanisms. Uh, the famous instance of territorial consultation and decision-making, right? Very important at the municipal and departmental level. Well, that would be from the social inclusion sector, for example, the youth agreements should be binding. Okay, in that sense, with these elements that you have already placed there from the sectoral problems to solve in your communities, it is important to start to implement the following elements. Are you watching my presentation? Are they following me there in front of the state structure? Yes, yes, anyway if you can give it the full time it looks like Okay, just a second. Like a medium size with the next slide tiny to the side. Okay, give me a second. But it's still visible. Already. Well, we remind those who are joining us during the presentation that you can use the raise hand icon to ask your questions or make comments. There you see it complete. Perfect. Excellent. Forward. Thank you. Thank you L. And I was saying then that in that sense it is important to know or why to know the structure of the State, because we are going to understand a little about how precisely those effective channels of communication and spaces of participation occur between the State, the public administration, which is the one that mediates and the citizens, the people. In that sense, the Political Constitution of Colombia 91, in article 113, mentions what the branches of public power are , right? the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches. Uh, others also talk about a fourth power, uh, in terms of the media and other uh capabilities that could also occur in that interrelation, which specify uh how the archetype of the State then works in that interaction, State, public administration and citizens. And here we will have then the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branch, the electoral organization, which is very important in terms of democracy and participation, independent autonomous bodies, control bodies and of course the comprehensive system of truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition that arises from the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian State and the FAR organizations in that sense. Okay, so here we're going to consider, what happened? That didn't change. It hasn't changed, has it? No, now yes. like that state structure. Uh, we saw it in the last session, there is the President of the Republic as head of state, head of public administration, right? Uh, uh, director of the large public administration in those three roles that we mentioned, why does it not have, uh, in that case, uh, the figure of the presidency of the Republic, the revocation of the mandate when we talk about the mechanisms of citizen participation provided for in the Constitution. Then we will have a vice presidency of the Republic. And look also at the other important spaces here in terms of public administration, the higher councils of administration, the ministries, of course, as the head of the sector, the administrative departments, the special administrative units without legal personality, and the administrative sectors. Does anyone have their microphone on? [clears throat] In the sector, that was the central sector, was n't it? In the decentralized services sector we will have entities attached to ministries or administrative departments that may be public establishments, superintendencies with legal personality that have autonomy, special administrative units with legal personality, national agencies of a special nature with legal personality, entities of a special or unique nature with legal personality and scientific and technological institutions in this sector attached to the ministries. And then we will have the linked ones which are also very important in terms of, uh, a little more dependence on the sector-head entities, which are state industrial and commercial companies, mixed economy companies, state social enterprises , and public utility companies . Notice that here there is already a slightly more mixed approach, right?, within the State and the market. This is an interaction here between the State and the market, or the public administration and the market to be more precise. Entities of a special or unique nature with legal personality, scientific and technological institutes, public companies and funds with legal personality in the decentralized sector by services. For services. In another element we will have the functioning of coordination mechanisms and it is for us to take into account this moment and this part of the structure of the State, because here we have the Councils of Ministers, for example, the National Council of Public and Social Policy, Compes, the Superior Council of Fiscal Policy, Confis, the Councils of Management and Institutional Performance, Sectoral Committee of Management and Institutional Performance, uh regulatory commissions, and on the other hand, the Departmental District Municipal Committee of Management and Institutional Performance, which is more territorial, and the intersectoral commissions also that achieve that intersectoral, interinstitutional articulation, uh protected by the Constitution and Law 489 of 98, as we will see. In this sense, that State structure is precisely protected or mandated, the structure is clearly structured, excuse me, identified, indicated, described, as decided by law 4898 in its article 42, which defines the administrative sectors, which integrates the ministries, the administrative departments, the superintendencies and the rest of the structure of the national government, including attached and linked entities. Notice that here we will find the administrative sectors defined by law. You can consult that directly on the public service website , and also on the Attorney General's website, where this same state structure is indicated, and we will find 24 sectors showing how the state structure works. I'm not going to mention them, I'm going to read them, but I do want you to take note of that number because remember that at this moment there are 18 ministries, that is, not all sectors have a ministry and that is due precisely to technical and political decisions framed within the constitutional, regulatory and legal mandate that allow the functioning of the State. Just as the interior sector has a Ministry of the Interior, the science, technology and innovation sector has other sectors that do not have a ministry, but do have an administrative department or other entities that govern that sector, so we should take that into account. Are you following me there? All good? Everything is great. Perfect. [clears throat] So, understanding this dynamic of how the state is structured, we can then say, "Ah, well, why the instances of participation or what are the instances of population and sectoral participation for?" And we will find, as we mentioned in the previous session, the territorial planning councils as comprehensive consultative bodies of sectoral, economic, social and cultural representations that allow citizens at the territorial and local level to have that interaction with the State entities in order to seek to influence the agenda in public policy matters and decisions. We recall, as we mentioned earlier, that this interaction of the concept of the State, the tripartite State structure , right? The people, the territory, and sovereignty. Let's remember that Article 3 of the Constitution states that the sovereign is the people, right? And as we also said in the previous session, there is precisely the behavioral thread, the thread that integrates the social state of law based on our Constitution. And that is why it is important that the territorial planning councils at the territorial level can be strengthened and participate, of course, at the local level we will also have these citizen participation councils, as Liliana pointed out in the presentation of this space, based on law 17575, where the departmental, district and municipal councils of citizen participation are created in charge of the effective promotion of the design of public policy. of institutional responses in pursuit of well-being and the generation of public value. This also includes, on the other hand, the effective participation tables for victims, for example, which were created with Law 1448211. And Erika will now tell us a little about how these human rights bodies can also help us in forums that strengthen the processes of reconciliation, historical memory, and peacebuilding in the territories. And another fundamental element that we also talked about in recent days are the youth councils that stem from the Youth Citizenship Statute. And José will also tell us at the end a little bit about how that really is in the territory, how these spaces for participation for young citizens are actually applied or not, remembering that in Colombia, young people are defined by what age. According to the law, from 14 to 28 years old. From ages 14 to 28. Some of us are no longer in that age group. Uh, we've already been through that , we've already [clears throat] we have another target population and we're going to have, apart from the youth councils, community councils and ethnic authorities, and Erika can also lend us a hand there because she is part of an indigenous community in Córdoba, where she also has her own cultural dynamics of participation and autonomy protected by law. Uh, for example, in Law 70 of 1994, among others. We will also learn a little about the women's and gender equality councils that exist in the territory , which are very important and are strengthened especially in territories where there is great diversity. In the case of Bogotá, for example, in the case of Cali, in the case of Barranquilla, these are cities that are somewhat leading the way, if you will, in these spaces of articulation [clears throat] and participation where women and diverse communities have a relevant impact on the agenda of solutions in public policy matters , in territorial development plans and in local development plans, even also in territorial planning plans so that we take into account There [clears throat] finally in this population part we are going to identify disability tables. Uh, in these same cities there is also a significant, let's say, impact and community work by the disability committees and the councils for culture, education, sports and health. In the previous session we mentioned that in Bogotá, for example, there are district councils for bicycles, right? To promote public policy on bicycles. In other territories, such as Barranquilla, there is a greater impact, for example, on the cultural aspect surrounding the Barranquilla carnival, which also has some international recognition from UNESCO, and this has been precisely leveraged by the citizens themselves in cultural matters, in this case. And clearly, health is also one of the priorities, especially in Bogotá, in the large urban centers, when these councils meet precisely seeking, in most cases, just claims regarding health rights and guarantees . In that sense, we are going to have a series of elements that help to articulate citizen participation from the population level to the sectoral level. This transition is taking place in the territorial planning councils, as we mentioned, but there is a cross-cutting element to all sectors and all populations, which is the case of citizen drinking stations, as we will see, noted later so that we can take it into account both from the population approach of citizen participation and from the sectoral one. We will then have territorial planning councils in accordance with the Constitution in articles 340 and 342, Law 152 of 94, which governs planning matters in Colombia, the citizen participation councils, as we mentioned in Law 1757/215, and the effective participation tables of victims of Law 1448/211 and Decree 480011, which we will look at in more detail at the end. The youth councils in the statutory law 1622 of 2013 modified by law 18858, which manages to integrate and energize these spaces for the participation of young people, the youth citizenship, the community councils, ethnic authorities, as we mentioned previously, law 70 93, ILO convention 169 and decree 1445 to 95, among others. which is quite strong in Colombia, uh, the participation with a focus on the councils of women and gender equity from Law 823 of 2003 to Law 1257 of 2008 and the territorial policies of women and gender, which, as we said in the previous session, can be converted or materialized through administrative acts, decrees, municipal agreements or ordinances at the departmental level. We will also have the disability tables of Law 114527 and Law 16183 and, on the other hand, the councils of Culture, Education, Sports and Health with their respective regulatory framework, especially Law 11594 in education, Law 18195 in sports and Law 17515 in the health sector. Remembering that this decade of the 90s, and the middle of the 2000s, there was quite a lot of regulatory production in the sectoral field, as we also mentioned in the previous session. Okay, in that sense then we're going to have how the population and sectoral participation mechanisms are found in a transversal way and in a specific way, if you will, for each of the sectors. We are talking about 24 sectors and here we begin to zoom in specifically, concretely and in detail on each one of them, if you will, leaving aside that there are also other very important ones, such as in the case of the interior, I did not mention in this case the issue of the community action boards that in the 70s achieved their substantial development after the reforms or the agrarian movements of that decade. I think it's an important chapter that will be addressed later, but we'll have it then, excuse me, we have a hand raised, we'll review, uh Blanca, your concern, if you want to open the microphone, we're listening. Forward. Thank you. Well, have a good day everyone. Thank you, Liliana, for giving me the floor. Yes, it's that a very important instance is being overlooked, which I believe is one of the most important, which is the National Peace Council and the Territorial Peace Councils. The National Peace Council has existed since 1998, it is by law of the Republic and it was regulated in 2017 after the Peace Agreement. If you want, Liliana, give me some time and I can talk more about the territorial peace councils. Of course . Thank you very much, Blanca. Okay, Oscar, go ahead. Yes, I think we also pointed that out in the area of ​​human rights at the end, but of course, we are very willing to contribute collaboratively. And I was telling you then that in my sector, Law 1757 is again the governing law in this matter, as is Decree 1066 of 2015. There, in the victims' committees, we will find community councils and spaces for ethnic participation that allow precisely that representation of citizens in these instances regarding security, coexistence, human rights, and territorial issues. In the foreign relations sector, led of course by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is a related sector, obviously in matters of foreign diplomacy, it would be 1757. There we will find the tables of Colombians abroad and citizen consultations that allow precisely that articulation and that fluid dialogue between the public administration and the Colombian diaspora that is located throughout the planet. We will also have in the Finance and Public Credit sector the Organic Budget Statute, Decree 11196, and again Law 1757, in a cross-cutting manner, as we mentioned, through public hearings, consultation of regulatory projects, accountability spaces, among others, which precisely allow citizens to have participation and influence in the decision-making of fiscal, tax and budgetary public policy, among others. Um, another sector that is perhaps not very well known, but does have the possibility of that direct interaction with citizens is the national defense sector. Um, again, Law 1757 allows its current sectoral regulations, through the accountability of citizen oversight bodies, as we mentioned, in a cross-cutting manner, and the spaces for interaction with citizens in matters of social control of programs and projects, because obviously this instance or this sector has the execution of the national budget, of plans, programs and projects in matters of security, where citizens can clearly have the possibility of monitoring, overseeing, controlling and participating in the implementation of these plans, programs, projects and public policies. Also in the agricultural sector we have important development here, I want to highlight and point out Law 160 of 1994, well, only some of those that this sector has because there are many more, 1876 of 2017, 1757 of 2015, of course, through, excuse me, the municipal councils for rural development, the peasant tables and the rural development committees, precisely in search of the promotion and articulation between producers. community, peasant and other organizations that allow for the implementation and evaluation of programs in the rural sector, right? Uh, among other things. Uh, one of the most sensitive sectors, obviously, is health and protection. It also has an important regulatory framework there, based on user associations, community participation committees in health, and of course also citizen health offices, which seek precisely to have the possibility of monitoring the efficient provision of health services, and requests, right? responses, requests, claims, complaints and of course the continuous improvement of the system in terms of well-being and quality of life for citizens. They follow me even there. We're doing well. Great . Yes, yes, sir. Thank you so much. Please let me know if you need anything . Yes. In another scenario, we're also going to have sectoral work placements, right? which also has a very important regulatory steel and in this case also with the international conventions with the ILO. There we have the commissions, for example, for concentration, labor agreement, among many others. We also have the Substantive Labor Code and the regulatory framework that allows, for example, union organization to promote social dialogue precisely between workers, companies, entities, the market and between citizens themselves when precisely these types of labor and employer relationships can occur that allow for improving the conditions of citizens in labor matters. Uh, social inclusion and reconciliation. Look, there we find again the victims' law, the citizen participation law, with effective victim participation forums that promote precisely the possibility of intervention in decisions that affect the rights of citizens. Sorry. Um, remember that in Colombia there are about 9 million victims recognized by the Colombian State and obviously it requires a structure, an articulation of that State structure that we were talking about, that organization of the State in order to leverage solutions through public policies. In sports, well, look, we have three regulatory frameworks, three laws that allow this articulation with the councils of sports, recreation, physical activity, use of free time. A brief summary there, if you want a comparison with Japan, in Japan the sports sector is fundamental, right? Especially in the case of, uh, older adults, right? It's already part of the life cycle, is n't it? The average life expectancy is higher than that of Colombia, Latin America, and even surpasses some in the world, precisely because it has a fundamental emphasis there on sports and other concepts that are handled by public health policy, well- being and quality of life for this country. Sometimes it is very important to make that comparison in terms of public administration because in Colombia, for example, briefly, in 1955, when the public administration was led by General Rojas Pinilla, a mission was formulated, the French mission of public administration, precisely to bring a model of public administration that was more efficient, modern and capable of overcoming precisely the obstacles that modernity brought at that time , right?, at the beginning of the mid- twentieth century. And those premises of that comparison of the concepts and methodologies of public administration allow precisely to improve in some aspects when successful models are brought in that can, let's say, adapt or take on dynamics for that interaction between the State and citizens through public administration. I wanted to write that down so you have it in mind. Uh, a fundamental sector in any society is national education. Here we have Law 1159 and Law 1757 of New 2015 through school governments, governing boards and student councils. Therefore, the educational community has a significant, invaluable, and strategic relevance for decision-making, because obviously education undoubtedly generates great social capital and great human capital through full access to knowledge. And this is achieved through educational projects, institutional educational projects , the famous PIs, which require spaces and instances of citizen participation in order to be formulated. Just like the formulation of the National Development Plan is starting now, right? It is also seen there that spaces and instances of citizen participation are required in order to formulate its conceptual elements, the bases and the multi-year investment plan, among other technical aspects. We also have science, technology, and innovation. There we have the councils of the SETEL national system's stakeholder committees, which precisely provide recommendations in the formulation and implementation of public policies on technology and innovation. I believe that now it requires greater leverage amidst what we are experiencing with artificial intelligence and social networks, which, obviously, when used properly, can enhance knowledge and development progress in societies, and there, obviously, the advice of the SETEL system committees is relevant . Uh, another very relevant sector at this time, and it always has been, of course, in Colombia, is Justice and Law. There we will find, through Statutory Law 70 to 96, the local committees for justice and accountability where proposals are received, service provision is monitored, and social control is exercised, of course, from the institutional management. On the other hand, in the mining and energy sector we also have a regulatory framework since Law 134 of 1994 that allows public hearings, prior consultations in mining and energy projects, and dialogue tables with communities, precisely seeking to minimize or reduce the territorial and environmental impacts. No, in that sense we also discussed in the last session that it is very important that the prior consultation, the dialogues with the community, precisely anticipate situations that could inefficiently hinder the implementation of energy and mining projects that, instead of enhancing and benefiting or generating better living conditions, could affect the environment and therefore, for example, destroy water sources, among other things. Um, we will also have in the trade, industry and tourism sector a body of regulations that will allow, for example, the consolidation of participation instances through business and tourism advisory councils, sectoral roundtables, and public consultations on policies and programs. For example, on the Atlantic coast, these business and tourism advisory councils have significant relevance in Cartagena and Santa Marta, where they have managed to establish more organized plans, programs, and projects in the field of tourism , if you will. And also a very nice example of these advisory councils in the coffee-growing region, especially in Quindío, where this space has been strengthened precisely because it brings together productive sectors. You will remember that after the 1999 earthquake in Armenia, the coffee region underwent a transition not only in coffee culture, but also in tourism, right? And that is largely reflected in these institutional arrangements that took place in 2020. Look, or remember that the earthquake was in January of '99, and this entrepreneurship policy law is from 2020. We will also have, in the area of sustainable development, Law 999 of '93, which strengthens environmental councils, public environmental hearings, and consultations on environmental licenses and permits , precisely seeking to ensure that there is progress, that there is development, but that environmental management is preserved in areas where there is greater vulnerability or sensitivity in terms of environmental protection for the housing, urban, and territorial sectors. We also have Law 388 there, which promotes territorial planning councils, roundtables, urban and territorial roundtables, and public hearings. Well, look, in cities, in large metropolises, obviously territorial organization or territorial planning must revolve around... Thus, there are several international guidelines on planning, especially at the United Nations, regarding water, right? Regarding the protection of water sources, regarding the environment. And that planning, obviously, has relevance and significance there from the territorial planning councils, which are especially called when the territorial planning plans or territorial planning schemes for fifth and sixth category municipalities begin to be updated, depending of course on the number of inhabitants that live there in that territory. Hm. Information and communications technology is also a crucial sector these days, and it has a fairly strong regulatory framework, including ICT roundtables, public regulatory consultations, and digital dialogue spaces, where citizens, businesses, academia, and other stakeholders come together to discuss and promote regulatory projects, public policy, and ICT plans and programs for the country. The transport sector is fundamental, obviously for the development of the country, especially when it was possible at the beginning of the 20th century, for example, to cross the line, right? To connect the central and western parts of the country, specifically the Colombian Pacific coast , more precisely Buenaventura, with Bogotá. This obviously allowed for development and progress in terms of infrastructure for the country. Apart from what Gabriel García Márquez, for example, recounts in One Hundred Years of Solitude with rail transport, the train that was obviously left aside at the time as a public policy decision, but which in this case can also be enhanced through citizen participation in public hearings, citizen transport observatories, especially in matters of mobility, statistics, accidents, and incidents. Uh, it's very important, and look, right now we're in the middle of a discussion about modifying the National Traffic Code, its modernization and transformation, precisely according to the new dynamics of micromobility and mobility in large urban centers and throughout the country, so that we take that into account. Hm. And finally, from the cultural sectors, we also have the cultural councils that represent precisely that formulation, that possibility of interaction, the formulation of public policy. Presidency of the Republic. Look, we also have here the MIPG calls us, urges us in decree 1499 of 2017 to promote accountability, citizen dialogue and public consultations for the presidency sector of the Republic. And obviously, these spaces promoted by the Citizen Relations Office are very important here because they are part of the accountability process of constant and fluid dialogue with citizens. And I do n't know if you, colleagues and participants in this space, have noticed, but citizens see the Presidency of the Republic as a major figure in public administration, as stated in the law and the Constitution, but also as the one who, in theory, should resolve the major situations and problems of the country. And that figure, the Presidency of the Republic, obviously requires a fluid, clear, and decisive dialogue with citizens, as stated in the Transparency and Access to Information Law, among others. And of course, here in the MIPG we also have the planning sector, which is very key right now as the formulation of the National Development Plan begins through the territorial planning councils, which we have already seen in a cross-cutting way. On the other hand, the public service sector is fundamental for the issue of meritocracy, access to public positions, spaces for citizen participation, and accountability. There is a relevant guideline from the administrative department of the public service, precisely through the development of documents and methodological guides for citizen participation that allow citizens to present proposals, observations, and evaluations of how the public service—which we could talk about later—achieves the dynamics, implementation, and real articulation of public administration between the State and the citizens. citizens being officials, public servants who help in that dynamic and that interaction, citizens who serve citizens. That's why it's so important, and that's where I suddenly become a little passionate about the concept and figure of the public servant, right? What is it for? What is the purpose of the public servant, the official, the public function, the functioning of the public for the public, for the citizens, which is precisely the generation of public value, the well-being and effective enjoyment of the social state of law of the citizens for the citizens, because we are public servants, but obviously we must serve the people, the sovereign, and in that condition of favoring precisely that a state gives them the full conditions and full guarantees for their personal, individual and collective development. Uh, we're also going to have other sectors there, which are strategic intelligence and counterintelligence. There, for example, is the National Identity Document (DNI), among other entities covered by Law 1621213. They also have to find spaces for accountability to citizens with permitted public information , remembering that this sector has reserved information when it comes to matters of strategic national security. And finally, statistical information, there we have the DANE (National Administrative Department of Statistics), basically with Law 233523 which creates the national statistical system so that citizens can also access user desks, technical consultations, among other aspects. Without statistical information, decisions cannot be made regarding public policy, right? Which? Do you know how many of us there are? Um, a program, a project, a general budget projection, uh, who will it impact, how many people, how many children, adolescents, how many young people, etc., etc. Statistical information is required, and that is why this sector is also fundamental in terms of public administration and its dynamics within the functions of public administration and the State. Okay, so here we're going to start a bit with the dialogue with José and Erika to talk a little more about these specific instances of participation, which are those of youth and those of human rights and peace, which we'll see here later. In this case, I would like José to speak to us a little bit. I won't hold back any further on my part, but I would like José to give us a brief overview of how this works from his perspective as a young person, how it has been in the territory, whether the youth councils, youth platforms, and youth assemblies— local, departmental, and national—have worked or not, and, for example, José, the scenario of the instances of agreement with the mayors. I don't know if you have ever managed to sit down with a mayor or the mayor of your municipality and demand that the mayor include a youth agenda in their territorial development plan or in the different participation and planning bodies. So, Lili, welcome José. Thank you. Thank you. Of course . This, being precisely a space for citizen participation, also has today José Ángel Majul Fernández, a health administrator and master in public health, who has independently developed social and community leadership processes , with special interest precisely in citizen participation of youth, public health and social transformation in the territories. If you could also speak from your experience as a member of the Municipal Youth Council of Planeta Rica, Córdoba. Also, well, Erika Paola Benavides Rodríguez is with us here. Welcome. Erika is an agricultural engineer, leader of an indigenous community in Vera del Cañaveral Alto San Jorge and belonging to the Arizapono community, where she is a legal representative, she is also a member of the Municipal Council of Women of San Jorge. So, well, welcome. Go ahead, please, José Ángel. Well, good morning again. Well, it 's a pleasure for me to be here. Thank you, Oscar, for this invitation. Marta Liliana, I am truly grateful for this space that is being given to, let's say, young people, and especially from the experience that we have gained in spaces of participation and dialogue with public administration, which are precisely the youth councils. I want to start with something very specific, and that is the purposes of the statute, the purposes of this entire process of Law 1622 of 2013, which is modified by Law 1885 of 2018. And there are some very clear parameters there , because precisely what is sought is to guarantee the recognition of young people in these spaces of participation, to define the agendas, the public policies, the social investment that young people need in these spaces in order to develop their agendas. So, it's a space, a process that one must recognize from the Youth Citizenship Statute, precisely because that's where those guiding verbs are set out , that way where we're going to have it as a roadmap so that young people can somehow develop their processes, and guarantee participation and recognition of these processes. And I'm not saying this in terms of recognizing it as a participatory instance, you know, saying that you're a youth advisor and I shake your hand and that's it, no. This goes much further than that . That's why they talk about the goals from the perspective of social investment and what has to do with that whole process from the formulation of public policies, because in the end that's where young people are recognized precisely because of their unmet needs that they have historically had. The promotion of equity between generations, which is a process that is also within its purposes, among its clauses, there we find that purpose and it is precisely that this generational change within the political participation of young people can be truly recognized. It is not the same for a person who is entering a municipal council as a corporation, a departmental assembly, a mayor's office, a House of Representatives or the Senate of the Republic, with or without prior knowledge of how a youth participation subsystem works . And it's very different when they have those basic notions of citizen participation and political education. Because I recognize from experience that municipal youth councils are not merely councils, they are also a school. There's a misnamed saying, I'd say, that youth councils are a political showcase, because precisely within that exercise we begin to identify which leaders are beginning to strengthen themselves in the territories and begin to demonstrate effective management. That is precisely why they present a proposal at that moment. So, we begin first with that context of the purposes and start a process of participation from what is like the structuring of the National Council of Public Policy, as established by article 27 of the Statute of Youth Citizenship, it is not that I have had bad experiences, because at the end of the day experiences are those lived experiences. Uh, in the consultation and decision-making committees in my municipality, uh, we asked for guarantees at the time. I remember that I was serving as the vaccination coordinator at that time in the municipality of Planeta Rica. Uh, I've always been independent. Um, I served as the vaccination director because, as part of my training as a health administrator, I participated in the Scientific Committee of the Institute of Biological Research of the Tropics at the University of Córdoba, and that gave me the technical knowledge to address the issue of the pandemic, and that is precisely what gave me the opportunity. But in that same process, the elections for the municipal youth councils began. I was always very restless, even from my time at the University of Cordoba when I was an undergraduate student. And from that way we began a process of participation and we began to have those notions of how things were formed. Well, somehow that gave me the desire to continue with the Municipal Youth Council and we encountered some gaps. Firstly, because the territorial entities in the department of Córdoba and part of the Caribbean did not really recognize the youth. At the time we took office, the mayor wasn't even there. Let's start from that premise. And that's part of the recognition. Well, at that time I always said it, I speak openly about it because it was a criticism that I made in the national media. Give me a second. No, it doesn't add me to Teams, but we do need this email. She has a Mahul. Yes, I'm going to get involved then, I'm not finished here. So, from that participation, we had told him, Mr. Mayor, first of all we have to recognize the youth, because you are the competent authority in the territory. While he may have a delegate who was once the secretary of government, it is not the same thing. When we make the proposals, we create a unified work plan in the Municipal Youth Council; we enter with, or the majority of the Council entered with, a total lack of knowledge of what the regulations are. Because in our work team, which at the time was the Independent Movement for Justice and Opportunities, we began to prepare the entire subsystem, all the people interested in participating, the Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Democratic Alliance, the Green Alliance party, all the parties, Independent Movements and Organizational Practices, we began to prepare them and when we prepared them they had some very very established notions, But it turns out that I felt like both judge and party and somehow I couldn't do that. What were we saying? We need the Secretary of Government of the municipality of Planeta Rica to at least train the young people who will be participating in these processes. We arrived, they weren't trained, there was no dissemination of the process, and yet we obtained an exemplary vote because in the end we had to collect signatures. It's not the same when a political party sponsors the endorsement, because ultimately that's what it is. And we did the exercise in the unified work plan, when we presented it to the Municipal Council, lack of quorum. So, the same statutory law tells you that we must meet at least once a year with the Municipal Council as a corporation at the departmental level, obviously with the Departmental Assembly and at the national level with the presidency of the Republic, in this case with the Congress of the Republic. So, in the territorial exercise we made a series of complaints because we had to hold sessions even on the ground. That was very uncomfortable because we had made an approach with the territorial entity and it wasn't exactly friendly. They saw us as a fly in the milk, let's put it in a derogatory way , but it was the truth. They saw us as the little thing that got in the way of the process. Then we began a process of social advocacy, social control of public management. We began training the young people in citizen participation, in the formulation of petitions, and in how to structure a legal action when a fundamental right was suddenly violated . And when they saw that impact from the youth, they began to say, "Hey, they 're really making us a little uncomfortable." The transit secretary, who was also the youth coordinator, told us at the time, because that's another problem. Youth coordination in the Caribbean tends to be merely secretarial, or a function without resources, or simply a function to attend to and fulfill a requirement. Unlike the department of Antioquia where I am currently located. For example, in the municipality of Yolombó there is a youth coordinator in the northeast of Antioquia, in the east of Antioquia, in the north, in the department of Antioquia in general, there are specific youth coordinators to address the needs of young people in the territory, unlike the Colombian Caribbean where this gap has occurred and especially in fifth and sixth category municipalities. So, that needs to be clear first. Uh, it's been very difficult, hasn't it? No, I'm not going to say that for the whole country, because, let me tell you, the experience in the department of Antioquia has been different from that of the Colombian Caribbean, where the participation and recognition of young people has been nil. even in the city of Cartagena, in the municipality of Turbaco, where I was developing some advisory services in the Atlantic and in Cartagena and in Bolívar for the strengthening of the youth participation subsystem, such as the Departmental Youth Council of the Atlantic and the Departmental Youth Council of Bolívar. And we find ourselves in the same situation: the lack of recognition, the fact that they are not included in a budget item within the realities, and that the public policy for youth in those departments has been null. And null, why? Because it is not grounded in reality. There is no applicable instrument that allows us to identify which variables need strengthening. Because? because it is done simply from the desk and tools must be applied to identify those factors that young people somehow need to strengthen. The participation of young people. Yes, José. Yes, I wanted to, because of the time involved, also give Erica a little space to talk to us. I am currently projecting the slide on human rights issues. uh, that you could give us precisely how the specifics have been, to conclude this little part of the youth scenario, uh, the impact or not on the, on the, on the instances of agreement with the mayor's office, with the municipality. And then, let's give the floor to our colleague Erika so that she can also talk to us a little about what the instances of participation in human rights have been. Well, here Blanca did indeed give us a very, very precise warning. We were missing Law 434 of 1998 from the National Peace Council, which is also part of the human rights spaces and in this case, peace. But then it is important that we quickly give the floor to Erika, dear José, so that she can tell us a little about human rights spaces. Uh, given the space, dear José. Thank you. Well, my friend, to summarize the intervention with this experience and what we've seen in reality, the Colombian Caribbean is currently lagging behind in this issue of youth recognition. In the department of Antioquia, it is being developed effectively. So, if a reform to the Youth Citizenship Statute is proposed so that decisions are binding from these spaces and so that the commissions for agreements and decisions can simply assume these budgetary responsibilities from the territorial entities when establishing them in the POI and they are recognized. Thank you, José. Go ahead, Oscar. Thank you, José. Uh, Lili, I wanted to hand it over to Erika so she could tell us a little about her experience, especially with her emic approach, in those instances we projected [clears throat] a few seconds ago regarding human rights, the intersectoral commission, the technical and operational committee on human rights, especially [clears throat] with the departmental and municipal human rights committees, where we have even coincided at some times in Córdoba. In Montería, we would like to hear briefly about the real or non-real and effective or non-effective impact of these bodies on human rights. And we also included Law 434 of 1998 regarding the peace councils, which I know you have been participating in. Erika Lili, thank you. Of course . Go ahead, Erika. Thank you all for this small space you gave me, and I would like to thank you in advance for considering my community and my municipality, since the department was also quite affected by the floods at the beginning of the year, but we have not felt abandoned by the state. In my case, in my community and in my municipality we have been quite blessed. Uh, yes, Oscar was talking about how we have agreed on some meetings that we have had on behalf of the community to which I belong. We have been establishing different working mechanisms, we have been doing, in fact, in the part that I was talking about cinema, at this moment we have an indigenous representative who is participating in her community as part of the theater in Brazil and we are pioneers in this part of cinema and we have been working in this part of culture. I don't know what else they want me to talk about or ask them or they ask me. Erica, in terms of human rights, what has your experience been like with the different human rights and peace bodies in your territory? Well, the turnout has been good. We have been organizing different events. In fact, we are doing a week about non-violence against women. Uh, you know that indigenous communities are very vulnerable to violence, especially femicide. Our votes, our voice is quite quiet and we have been raising our voices, we have been working against suicide prevention week and we have been organizing different ones. In fact, today we have parades, organizational events of the municipality. We are also doing everything related to the department's territorial approach. The Territorial Women's Council is participating 100%. The Human Rights Ombudsman's Office is constantly organizing events for us, and we have been taking all these things to the field and are doing the work diligently. Thank you, Erika. With pleasure. I do n't know if Marta might have any questions, do I ? Well, from my side, I'd like to mention that this space is clearly enriched by your participation, Erika, as well as José Ángel's, the interventions that have taken place during the session, and well, all the presentation that Óscar has shared with us , which I think presents us with a very wide range of participation opportunities in the country. I believe that everyone here will learn something new about the mechanisms and instances of sectoral and population participation, because the repertoire is truly quite extensive. Oscar explained to us there the advice, committees, boards, school governments, consultations, the whole issue, of course, of accountability, all these instances that operate at the local, territorial, departmental level, also at the national level. Well, participation certainly has a direct relationship with the structure of the State. Oscar, you've shown us the administrative sectors there, right?, which have this correlation with the instances of participation, which also invites us to strengthen the knowledge of public administration, because from there, let's say, that greater knowledge favors a greater promotion or encouragement of that state- citizen relationship, of that relationship between the different scenarios of population participation together with the local authorities, together with the whole of the institutionality and without a doubt the experiences that Erika, José Ángel share with us, greatly enrich the territorial perspective and the perspective, let's say, of the real and concrete experience. It presents us with so many learning opportunities, contributions, and challenges regarding citizen participation. Well, anyway, if there are any other interventions you'd like to propose, go ahead. Remember that we have the raised hand function here if you want to intervene. Ana Lucía, perhaps you'd like to open your microphone and share your participation with us. Lili, no, I would just like to conclude our part very briefly by thanking the DAPRE citizen relations office again enormously. Many thanks to Jose and Erika for their valuable contributions. I just wanted to conclude by saying that after learning a little about these participation mechanisms, a little about the structure of the State, I hope we take away the fundamental, basic concept of how public administration in Colombia, in general terms, is the bridge between the State and the citizen, right? And it is the form, the activity, the dynamic between eh in which it allows the State to precisely provide services, execute decisions or make decisions in search of the general welfare. Yes. It seeks in pursuit of that common good, which is precisely what our social state of law establishes through the Magna Carta of the Constitution. And that is why, as I said at some point, public service, the public function, has a very broad and significant relevance; that is, the citizens who, within that structure of the State, allow that interaction to be clear and concrete. In other words, we all create the social rule of law; we all shape it through this interaction, this triad between the sovereign people, the institutions, and the normative and legal framework that allows the State to function, if you will. And that is why it is essential that we understand a little about these brief elements that we saw here in a very humble, but significant way, of the different spaces, mechanisms of citizen participation that exist at the population and sectoral level. And there we can continue to expand. This is precisely what our colleague Ana Lucía writes to us about, that there is also, for example, the ENAJI issue, there is the whole Afro issue, the technical approach, also to address that several working sessions could be held here talking about the mechanisms of participation with a differential approach. I wanted to write that down. Uh, again, immense gratitude for the space. Go ahead, Lili. Thank you so much. No, not you, please. Thank you so much. Uh, we'll be waiting to see if there are any questions or additional comments before we close this space. Anyway, notice how in these last two sessions that we have developed dedicated to the mechanisms of citizen participation, what we see is a panorama, I think, that is increasingly broader and more extensive. I believe that the more we delve into the subject, the more scenarios open up, and the greater our understanding, the more opportunities for participation there are than we are likely aware of. And these scenarios clearly become opportunities to promote informed, deliberative, impactful, and articulated citizen participation, let's say, in this entire institutional framework that, as you pointed out, we are all, as public servants, in this entire institutional framework of the public sector, whatever its level— local, departmental, national— is oriented and called upon to serve the citizenry in order to contribute to greater and better conditions of well-being. Blanca, please go ahead. You have the floor . Hey Liliana, thank you very much. It's a good afternoon for everyone. Okay, well, let me introduce myself. My name is Blanca Valle, I am part of the Peace Commissioner's Office. Uh, here at the Peace Commissioner's Office I support the technical secretariat of the National Peace Council. Um, I wanted to emphasize the National Peace Council as a participatory body, I wanted to highlight it as one of the most important participatory bodies that the country has, precisely because of its composition. This participatory body was created by Law 434 of 1998, and as I was saying, its composition is quite important because the executive branch, the legislative branch, civil society, and oversight bodies are all part of this participatory body. Well, in the civil society section, there's a whole range of the most representative groups in civil society, including businesspeople, churches and religious denominations, unions, women's organizations, organizations working to defend the human rights of children, communication organizations, traditional media, but also community media, Afro-Colombians, indigenous communities, in short, it's a diverse representation of all that civil society encompasses. uh [clears throat] they are uh they have uh a national representation and uh that's why, because of their diverse and plural composition, they are one of the most important institutions in the country. The National Council is an advisory and consultative body on peace issues for the national government, but in turn, with the 2016 peace agreement, other functions are given to this National Peace Council, and it is the National Council for Peace, Reconciliation and Coexistence. These are the functions of Reconciliation and Coexistence and extend to the territorial peace councils. That is why these territorial peace councils have a presence at the municipal, departmental and national levels. Uh, at the level uh the territorial peace councils are created by call uh of mayoralties and governorships uh through municipal agreement or departmental ordinance. Uh, civil society can also promote the creation of these peace councils through steering committees or resort to the participation mechanisms established by law, which have already been mentioned here [clears throat] other instances of participation. And these territorial peace councils, once they are established, create their internal regulations, operate through a technical committee, form working commissions, and also develop an action plan that serves as a roadmap for carrying out their work. in the action plans, because that is why they are their operational roadmap for implementing peace initiatives. So, [clears throat] that's why they are quite important bodies because of their composition, because of their participation of both civil society and the government, and they serve to guide the whole issue of peace, reconciliation and coexistence. That's what I wanted to clarify, Liliana, or what I wanted to contribute in this space, and to thank you for the space you give me to contribute this, and to Óscar, thank you very much, and to everyone , thank you very much. Of course , right? Thank you very much. Well, all the participations we've had allow us to expand the repertoire of citizen participation. Also, within this framework of what we have been addressing both in the previous session and in this new session, we can identify how there is a whole history from the point of view of the regulations, right? Oscar gave us the example of Armenia, how, well, in the first session you also gave us other examples of regulations that date back to when this republic was founded, and some provisions are still in force. So, let's say that this whole regulatory scenario is always subject to institutional adjustments, ah, let's say, regulations where there are acts that repeal, restructure, and update. We also saw it in terms of public policy, that there is also a need, according to the circumstances that arise as we live in a society that is also dynamic, changing, and that presents new challenges. This goes hand in hand with the need to make these institutional adjustments, to update and review all these legal provisions. But in any case, here we have, so to speak, a snapshot of what is currently in force in the regulations regarding mechanisms for citizen participation. From this very interesting broad perspective, it's like an intensive course, thank you very much, Oscar, on public administration and citizen participation, which allows us to have more tools to promote and enhance that participation and strengthen the relationship between the state and citizens. So, well, let's move on to the closing then. I don't know, Oscar, if you'd like to leave us a message before we finish and share our satisfaction survey, which we invite you to please fill out because it allows us to provide feedback for this space. Oscar, uh, not the usual, immense gratitude, Lili, and to the colleagues of the citizen relations office of DAPRE, uh, which is an entity, a fundamental institution for the public administration of the country, because it is the head of the sector and the head of the public administration. From that institutional point of view, this exercise is fundamental . Immense gratitude and best wishes to everyone in their future endeavors, and we hope to meet again in other spaces where we can continue strengthening this collaboration and dialogue with the citizens. Thank you so, so, so much. Very kind. Thank you very much, Lili and colleagues. Thank you very much, Oscar. Many thanks to everyone who joined us. Likewise, thank you very much. This material is also available to be shared and disseminated. See you then in a future session. Thank you for completing this survey here. Thank you so much and until next time. There is the