The Government of Sierra Leone through he National Council for Civic Education and Democracy (NaCCED), the National Commission for Democracy (NCD) in collaboration with International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), with funding support from the European Union (EU), organized a two days Citizens’ Dialogue Forum starting on Monday 24th June to Tuesday 25th June 2024 at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel, Freetown on the Theme ‘Consolidating Democracy by Promoting Inclusive Participation’.

The dialogue forum brought together over 150 representatives from line Ministries Departments and Agency (MDAs), Political Parties, Civil Society, Media/Journalists, Faith Based Organizations, the Academics/Think Tanks, Private Sector, Youth and Women Groups, Electoral Management Bodies, from across the country.

The Dialogue Forum identified a number of constraints and challenges to citizens inclusive participation in the democratic processes, which include:
1. Over-centralization of service delivery system
2. Exclusion and marginalization of vulnerable populations in laws and policies formulation and development
3. Persistent weakness of state institutions in promoting inclusive participation
4. Unequal distribution of national wealth or economic injustice
5. Need for a democratic constitution that promotes the independence of critical national institutions, including the judiciary.
6. Insufficient levels of transparency and accountability in the national electoral systems and processes
7. Lack of sustainability of reparation support for war victims, including sexually abused women and children, amputees and people with disability and orphans.

At the end of the conference, the participants resolved that in order to increase citizens’ participation in consolidating democracy, the following actions ad recommendations were agreed:

  1. Urge the government of Sierra Leone to facilitate the inclusive citizens participation in the completion of the constitutional review process.
  2. Increase access to justice by fast-tracking justice delivery, openness, monitoring, and accountability
  3. Strengthen the institutional, administrative, and financial support for political parties, civil society, and media.
  4. Advocate and lobby for more technical and financial resources to support the implementation of District Council and Chiefdom development plans.
  5. Increase participation of citizens in social and economic policy formulation and implementation processes.
  6. Citizens Dialogue Sessions on the democratic process should be institutionalized, and translated into implementable road maps or action plans, with defined strategies.
  7. There is need to enhance transparency and accountability in the administration and management of national electoral processes e.g. vote counting, tallying, and transmission of election results.
  8. Increase the involvement of women, war orphaned children, the aged and other marginalized groups in advancing democratic consolidation.
  9. Enhance youth and young women economic development through empowerment and technical skills training.