The city launches the Civil Dialogue Table, a permanent space for collaboration with social entities. This step aims to improve public policies and social cohesion in Barcelona.
Barcelona has taken a significant step towards improving its social policies by establishing the Civil Dialogue Table, a new body that will facilitate collaboration between the City Council and entities from the third social sector. This initiative, presented by Mayor Jaume Collboni, becomes the first stable space for dialogue between a public administration and social organizations in Spain, marking a milestone in local public management. The creation of this body responds to the recent approval of the Law on the Third Social Sector, which recognizes these entities as key actors in the welfare system. During its first meeting, Collboni signed the decree formalizing this collaboration, highlighting that
“constant dialogue is essential to address current social challenges.”
The Table aims to design, monitor, and evaluate public policies related to social cohesion and citizens' rights. This model seeks not only to strengthen joint work between administrations and organizations but also to ensure active participation from the third sector in decisions affecting the community.
In this first session, prominent representatives from the Catalan third sector participated, including the president of the Third Social Sector Table, Xavier Trabado, who expressed his satisfaction with this progress:
“This space will allow for fluid and effective communication among all involved actors.”
The importance of this table lies in its ability to generate concrete proposals and coordinate actions that respond to emerging social needs.
Over the years, Barcelona has been a pioneer in fostering shared governance spaces. Historically, it has established various sectoral councils that have allowed for continuous interaction between local government and organized civil society. However, with the creation of this new table, it is expected to consolidate a more structured model that promotes effective co-responsibility.
The Table will not only serve as a platform to discuss existing policies; it will also promote new formulas for co-production between the City Council and social entities. Stable mechanisms are expected to be established to ensure better public procurement and thus guarantee the financial stability of the social sector.
As this collaborative process advances, it is anticipated that innovative initiatives capable of addressing current challenges such as social inclusion or access to basic services will emerge. The City Council's commitment is clear:
“We want to build a more inclusive and fair future together for all Barcelonans.”
Interested citizens can follow the activities and initiatives arising from this new table through the official City Council website, where periodic updates on its progress will be published.
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