Project Background
The basis of the Charter-agenda for Human Rights in the City project arose during the Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion (FAL) of Porto Alegre (Brazil), a forum of mayors that has been held since 2001 simultaneously with the World Social Forum. One of the aim is to build and develop, together with civil society, alternatives for public management in the process of globalisation. From its very foundation, local mayors from all over the world accepted the challenge of occupying a political space in the international scene and assuming an active role by implementing public policies of social inclusion.
During the 5th FAL, held in Porto Alegre in 2005, a work plan was approved in which it was established that one of the thematic axes of the FAL was Human Rights in the Cities. One year later, in the 6th FAL held in Caracas, the commitment in favour of social inclusion was reasserted, as the necessary mean, to achieve an equitable society and a more participative democracy. This is why the working group on Human Rights was established, coordinated by the Diputació de Barcelona, with the aim of elaborating the Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City. This working group is a part of the Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy Commission of UCLG, chaired by the Mayor of Guarulhos, Brazil and co-chaired by Ricard Gomà, deputy mayor of Barcelona, Spain.
On the occasion of the last UCLG world congress (United Cities and Local Governments), held last October in Jeju (South Korea), the International Permanent Secretariat Human Rights and Local Governments (SPIDH) was entrusted the task of leading the working group on the World Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City. From now on, the SPIDH of Nantes will assume such responsibility with the backing of the Nantes Metropole, of the Western Loire Region, of the Loire-Atlantic department and of the City of Nantes.
