From universal principles to local action
The international permanent Secretariat Human Rights and Local Governments, an association of French law (Act of 1901), created in 2007, is a permanent structure based in Nantes (France), charged with two main complementary missions, namely to:
- Help strengthen and develop international networks of actors in human rights, in particular actors in the field (NGOs and local governments);
- Organise the World Forum on Human Rights in Nantes every two years, with a view to bringing all the actors together.
This forum was created from its inception (2004) at the initiative of UNESCO (SHS), to support the networks of actors involved in the protection, respect, and implementation of human rights by strengthening solidarity between these different actors (policy makers, activists and NGO leaders, academics and international experts, representatives of international organisations, etc.). During the World Forum on Human Rights, everyone is invited to converse freely, exchange knowledge and good practices and debate on equal footing.
The 3rd World Forum on Human Rights was held from 30 June to 3 July 2008 and was attended by some 2500 participants and speakers of more than 100 different nationalities as well as 1300 schoolchildren from greater Nantes.
The permanent Secretariat of Nantes, which is mainly interested in local action, was entrusted the task of leading the working group Human Rights and local governments within the Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy Commission of UCLG. This working group aims to elaborate a Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the city.
The secretariat was established with the support of the Nantes Metropole (Urban Community of Nantes), the Western Loire Region, the Loire-Atlantique County Council and the City of Nantes and and works in close cooperation with its different partners.
Website partners
AIDH UCLG FRA Toogezer Ouest France CRID
