State Advisory Council for Participation

1. General information
The State Advisory Council was established in 2003 to give people living in Berlin without German citizenship the opportunity to influence the political life of the city. The legal anchoring in the Participation and Integration Act upgraded the status of the State Advisory Council. Today, the advisory council is anchored in Section 17 of the Participation Act (PartMigG). In particular, the members of the advisory council elected by migrant self-organizations now have a stronger position in shaping political processes.

2. Functions and tasks
The meetings of the State Advisory Council serve to provide advice, information and consultation on issues relating to the participation and migration policy of the Berlin Senate. The State Advisory Council draws up recommendations for the work of the Senate and for social groups.

Just how far-reaching the recommendations of the State Advisory Council can be is shown by the history of the Participation Act, whose predecessor law, the Participation and Integration Act, was largely due to the initiative of the State Advisory Council's Participation Working Group. The State Advisory Council also helped to shape the amendment of the PartMigG.

3. Working methods
The State Advisory Council has its own rules of procedure and meets three to four times a year. The key issues decided by the Council are discussed in more detail in working groups. Members can introduce topics to the plenary meetings in the form of speeches and draft resolutions. The committee votes on these and agrees on resolutions. The resolutions can be published. The meetings of the State Advisory Council are not open to the public. Guests may be invited to report on specific topics.
The State Advisory Council can also accept additional advisory members without voting rights.

4. Our topics
The focus of the consultation is on participation and integration policy. The orientation of the Berlin administration towards migration society and the equal participation of underrepresented groups are central topics. The consultation concerns all departments of the Senate administrations and aims to point out obstacles for migrants and their descendants and to work on overcoming them.

5. Members and composition
Representatives of migrants, representatives of relevant organizations in the field of migration as well as representatives of the Berlin Senate administrations and the districts work together in the State Advisory Council. The representatives of migrants are elected to the advisory council and are entitled to vote. Representatives of the senate administrations and relevant specialist organizations and associations have a permanent seat on the advisory council and are delegated.

The State Advisory Council may decide to include additional advisory members.
The Senate administrations take part in the meetings of the State Advisory Council. Participation should take place at the level of the State Secretaries. The member of the Senate responsible for integration (currently the Senator for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs) chairs the advisory council. The deputy chair is elected on the recommendation of the members with a migration background.

The State Advisory Council is composed as follows:

Voting members

• 13 elected representatives of migrants and their descendants
• one representative of the Advisory Council for Roma and Sinti Affairs
• the member of the Senate responsible for integration (currently the Senator for Labor, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination)
• the Commissioner for Participation, Integration and Migration
• one representative each

a) the Council of Mayors
b) the District Commissioner for Participation and Integration
c) the Senate Department responsible for anti-discrimination
d) the main staff council of the state of Berlin
e) the associations of independent welfare organizations in Berlin
f) the Berlin Refugee Council
g) the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Berlin Chamber of Crafts
h) the Berlin State Sports Association
i) the German Federation of Trade Unions

Advisory members

• One representative from the State Advisory Council for People with Disabilities

6. Dates
The State Advisory Council adopts its own rules of procedure and meets three to four times a year.

7. Contact information
Commissioner for Integration and Migration of the Senate of Berlin
State Advisory Council Team

Potsdamer Straße 65, 10785 Berlin
Phone: (030) 901723-113
Fax: (030) 9028-3141
E-mail: Landesbeirat@IntMig.Berlin.de

You can find more information about the State Advisory Council on the website of the Senate Administration: https://www.berlin.de/lb/intmig/themen/partizipationsbeirat/