Participatory Budgeting as a Tool Contributing to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The paper investigates the participatory budgeting phenomenon in how it may accelerate many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support governments in reaching targets of the 2030 Agenda. The article analyzes the links between public participation in the budget process and sustainable development, illustrates the difference between participatory budgeting and other forms of public participation, and highlights the main effects of participatory budgeting. Results emerged from the analysis are that participatory budgeting as an adaptive mechanism can be integrated into the national objectives for the localization of the 2030 Agenda; that as a small-scale tool it can become a mechanism for testing numerous innovative approaches to public services provision; and that the “sustainable community creation” effect is the most important contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords

• participatory budgeting
• public participation in the budget process
• sustainable development goals
• open budget index
• voluntary national review