International and local organizations meet during the weekend prior to the Habitat III thematic conference in Barcelona
Barcelona, 29th March.On April 2nd and 3rd, various organizations and local governments that advocate for the right to the city will hold the European Regional Meeting of the Global Platform for the Right to the City.
This event will be held just before Habitat III's Thematic Meeting on Public Spaces, an event organized by the Barcelona City Hall, which is part of the Habitat III (HIII) official process. HIII will be the third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which is held every 20 years; HIII will take place in Quito, Ecuador, on October 2016.Next
More than 50 participants from various countries and work fields –social movements’ representatives, experts, international networks, local governments and human rights advocates are expected to attend the meeting. This European meeting follows the international meeting held in Sao Paulo (November 2014) and the African and Asian regional ones (November and December 2015, respectively). The main aims are to present the Platform and analyse the obstacles, challenges and particularities regarding the implementation of the Right to the City in Europe, as well as to strengthen regional alliances, discussing the meaning of the “right to the city” concept in the region and to share information on the regional process towards Habitat III.
During the recent Habitat III preparatory meeting in Prague, the GPR2C strongly called for the inclusion of the right to the city in the New Urban Agenda that will emergefrom Habitat III. The GPR2C also call for the commitment of all involved stakeholders to the effective implementation of the R2C. Additionally, the participation of civil society and local governments in this process is essential to achieve cities in which human rights are fulfilled. The GPR2C also calls for the right to the city to be protected, promoted and implemented in all Habitat III official documents, and advocates for inclusive and free of discrimination cities, cities committed to political participation, with quality public space and cultural diversity.
The Global Platform for the Right to the City is an international network that gathers many organizations from America, Africa, Asia and Europe, including social movements, NGOs, networks and forums, academic institutions, public sector, foundations and international organizations. The GPR2C was created in 2014 in order to advocate for the right to just, democratic and sustainable cities.