The Democracy Innovation Award has been given to the KlimaSeniorinnen initiative from Switzerland. The group was announced as the 2026 winner by the Council of Europe at the closing session of the World Forum for Democracy.
The KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz initiative is a landmark democratic and legal mobilisation led by older women in Switzerland to hold public authorities accountable for insufficient climate action.
Action on climate crisis
Through collective organising, scientific evidence, public advocacy and strategic litigation, KlimaSeniorinnen brought a case before the Swiss authorities and ultimately before the European Court of Human Rights.
The initiative demonstrates how citizens, particularly older women, can mobilise democratic and legal institutions to demand climate policies that protect life, health and dignity. It involves association members, individual applicants, lawyers, scientists, Greenpeace Switzerland and wider civil society partners.
Of the 21 ideas discussed at the forum three were shortlisted for the final vote:
- Creating Change, United Kingdom (Session 3 – Social justice and public services)
- The Citizen Lab, Morocco (Session 5 – Democratic participation in the digital age: what tools for strengthening civic engagement ?)
- KlimaSeniorinnen, Switzerland (Session 2 – Citizen mobilisation for climate: rethinking governance in times of emergency)
“One of the biggest threats to democracy today is that many people feel that their voice makes no difference," said Tanja Gonggrijp, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, at the award ceremony. But all of your initiatives show that when people get involved, they can bring about real change in their communities.”
The forum in Strasbourg brought together 1,400 participants from 60 countries worldwide.
Learn more about the World Forum for Democracy
Deputy Secretary General Tanja Gonggrijp
How is the European Convention on Human Rights protecting you?
