As recognized in the European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City, the city is the collective space where citizens have the right to find the conditions for their political, social, and ecological fulfillment; that is, the realization of their individual and collective rights. Therefore, municipal governments have the obligation to promote, through all available means, the respect for dignity and quality of life, without discrimination, for all inhabitants. In other words, we local governments are defenders of human rights by placing them at the center of public policies. That is, public policies must guarantee the fulfillment of human rights in all their dimensions (availability, accessibility, acceptability, adaptability, quality, and sustainability) from a feminist and intercultural perspective, thus working for the public interest and the realization of the common good.
The Municipality of Sant Boi has extensive experience and a long-standing track record in the defense and promotion of human rights, ranging from advocacy (approval of motions related to the defense and promotion of human rights) to awareness-raising, including specific actions for the promotion and protection of human rights defenders at risk. In addition, the city has various strategic planning instruments that, through different public policies, work towards the achievement of human rights at the local level: from the 2030 Strategy to the Master Plan for Development Cooperation (currently being drafted after an evaluation process of the previous Plan), the Equality Plan, the Internationalization Plan, or the recently approved municipal plan “Sant Boi, Refuge City” (the second planning instrument linked to the reception of refugees in the city); as well as other measures and actions committed to the international dimension of the city. Participation in the campaign “10, 100, 1000 Human Rights Cities and Territories for 2030” will help strengthen this work and give visibility and dissemination to all these commitments.
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Adherence to the European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City (2001), Participating city in the Local Agenda for Human Rights project (2010) and member of the Xarxa de Pobles i Ciutats pels Drets Humans. Founding city (in 2013) of the Ciutats Defensores dels Drets Humans project.
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Member city of the Mayors for Peace network and member of the International Association of Educating Cities.
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Refuge City since 2016. We participate in various networks related to the protection of the right to asylum and have just approved the city’s second reception plan: Pla Municipal “Sant Boi, Ciutat Refugi”.