Bohicon

The vision of Bohicon as a Human Rights City or Territory is to build an inclusive, supportive, and participatory community where every citizen benefits equally from public services and development opportunities, without any form of discrimination.

The municipality aims to promote local governance based on respect for human dignity, transparency, citizen participation, equal opportunities, and social justice.

Through this vision, Bohicon intends to strengthen people’s access to basic social services, encourage social cohesion, protect vulnerable groups, and foster an environment of peace, tolerance, living together, and resilience to climate change.

The municipality also wishes to sustainably integrate human rights principles into its policies, programmes, and local development actions in an effective and efficient manner, in order to ensure harmonious and sustainable development for the benefit of all communities.

Why is the role of local governments essential to promote, realize, and respect human rights?

Local governments, as the level of government closest to citizens, play an essential role in promoting, realizing, and respecting human rights because of their proximity to communities and their responsibility for managing local public services.

They intervene directly in fundamental areas such as access to education, drinking water, healthcare, information, security, civil registration, and basic infrastructure, all of which constitute essential rights for citizens.

Furthermore, local governments promote citizen participation, social inclusion, equal opportunities, and consideration of the needs of vulnerable groups in local policies. They also contribute to preventing discrimination and strengthening social cohesion through awareness-raising initiatives and participatory governance.

Through their daily work in direct contact with communities, local governments are key actors in the practical implementation of human rights at the local level.

Why are human rights relevant values and a useful framework to guide local action?

Human rights constitute relevant values and a useful framework for guiding local action because they place human dignity, equality, social justice, and inclusion at the centre of public policies.

They enable local governments to orient their actions toward meeting the essential needs of populations, particularly regarding access to basic social services, citizen participation, transparency, and good governance.

The human rights framework also promotes fairer local management by ensuring that no segment of the population is excluded or discriminated against in access to opportunities and public services.

By integrating human rights principles into local policies and programmes, local governments strengthen citizens’ trust in institutions, reinforce social cohesion, and contribute to sustainable and participatory development.