We are pleased to send you the 2014 Activities Report of the UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights.
The report sums up all the Committee’s activities throughout 2014. This was an intensive working year during which several activities were carried out, among them, the following:
- Adoption of the declaration “Cities for life and the right to the city: lines for the new agenda of Habitat III”, in the framework of the World Urban Forum (WUF - 5th to 11th April 2014), with the participation of Habitat International Coalition (HIC), Mercociudades and the World Forum of Peripheral Local Authorities - FALP.
- Co-organization of the “4th World Human Rights Cities Forum”, with Gwangju city (15th - 18th May 2014, Gwangju – South Korea).
- Participation in the organization of the International Meeting for the Right to the City, which took place from 12th to 14th November in Sao Paulo (Brazil), and where the Global Platform for the Right to the City was created.
- Participation in the progress report on the “Local Government and Human Rights” by the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee (UNHRAC).
- Promotion of inclusive, democratic and fair cities in the definition of the New Global Urban Agenda, with a view to the Habitat III Meeting of UN-HABITAT (Quito, 2016); through the Committee’s contribution to the UCLG GOLD IV Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization, its participation in the advocacy work of the UCLG Global Task Force, and alliances with civil society.
- The political promotion of the Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City and the European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City through collaboration on the report on “Local Government and Human Rights” by the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee (UNHRAC).
- Communication through the Committee’s website, newsletters and social networks.
Over the past few years, the Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights has experienced important political and financial changes. In 2014, in particular, the Committee had a very tight budget which slightly limited its capacities for action. In spite of these difficulties, the goals of the 2014 Action Plan were achieved. At the same time, the search for new partnerships with cities allowed the development of the network. Furthermore, the governing structure of the Committee has been changed so that the presidency is now collegial, co-led by all financing contributors.
However, we would like to inform our members that the 2015 Action Plan has important goals to be reached, and requires the follow-up of the important work initiated for the promotion of a model of urban development based on inclusive and participative cities where human rights are implemented, especially at a moment when those are key messages for the definition of the UN’s New Global Urban Agenda (Habitat III Summit, Quito, 2016). This is why the collaboration of current members, and of all other partners who have an interest in supporting the Committee, in any form, is essential to pursuing the important work initiated by the Committee in previous years.