The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) participated in the Oslo Consultation on Combating Religious Intolerance and Strengthening the Implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18, held on 13 and 14 January 2026 in Oslo, through our Coordinator Adrià Duarte.
The consultation convened a diverse group of stakeholders engaged in the implementation of HRC Resolution 16/18, including national governments, the UN system, national human rights institutions, parliamentarians, civil society organizations, religious and belief-based actors, academic institutions, and transnational municipal networks such as the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR) and the Strong Cities Network.
Within this multistakeholder dialogue, UCLG brought forward the perspective of local and regional governments (LRGs), underscoring the importance of human rights localization as a key pathway for translating international commitments into tangible local action. UCLG highlighted how municipalities operationalize freedom of religion or belief and non-discrimination through inclusive public policies, anti-racism and equality action plans, participatory mechanisms, and community-based dialogue, addressing intolerance in both physical and digital spaces.
The consultation also included a public event on 14 January, with the participation of high-level representatives, including the Mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe, who reaffirmed the city’s commitment to building inclusive societies. She stressed that “we want a city where all inhabitants feel at home,” highlighting diversity as “one of the city’s most beautiful strengths.” Emphasizing that “intolerance kills” and that “discrimination in all its forms is unacceptable,” the Mayor also underlined the importance of open and honest debate on religious practices when they may infringe upon other human rights, with the ultimate goal of full acceptance. Against the backdrop of rising religious intolerance, the discussion underscored the urgency of combating Islamophobia and antisemitism through concrete local action and a shared human rights framework.
UCLG’s participation reaffirmed the need to anchor HRC Resolution 16/18 in local governance, ensuring that the lived experiences of cities and communities inform global human rights frameworks and strengthen multilevel and multistakeholder cooperation in the fight against religious intolerance.