Secrétariat International Permanent, Droits de l'Homme et gouvernements Locaux Nantes Pays de la Loire, France

The International Permanent Secretariat Human Rights and Local Governments (SPIDH) is a permanent structure, set up as a French association (under the French 1901 Act) in 2007 with two complementary missions:

• organise the World Forum on Human Rights in Nantes
• help to reinforce and develop worldwide networks of actors in the field of human rights, with a priority to the local level and the cooperation of the civil society action and the local governments.
  
  

Le SPIDH is morally and financially supported by the local governments of Nantes (the associatoin headquarters) and its region: « Nantes Métropole » (Greater Nantes Council), the Western Loire Region County Council, the Loire-Atlantique County Council and the City of Nantes.

In close partnership with the local political institutions, which are members of its executive board, the SPIDH is particularly interested in the implementation of human rights at the local level. This is the reason why the SPIDH works within local governments’ international networks. Thus, the SPIDH is:

• leading the working group which, within the World Federation of the United Cities and Local Governments UCLG, elaborated the Global Charter for Human Rights in the City. This text, both a declaration of principles and a proposition of actions, focuses on the role of local governments in terms of respect, protection and implementation of human rights. Based on their respective territories.

• A partner of the Conference of European cities for Human Rights
  
• Pole theme on Human Rights and Developments of the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP program led by the United Nations Development Program) on behalf of the City of Nantes.
  
  

Furthermore, the SPIDH is:

• A member of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Platform (FRA)
• A partner of the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR).
  
  

Beyond this cross-disciplinary theme related to the inclusion of human rights in the local politic action, the SPIDH is developing several more specific work themes:

• Human Rights – Environment – Development, trying to contribute to international debates on sustainable development by bringing a specific contribution to the full achievement of human rights.
  
  
• In connection with the issue of sustainable development, the SPIDH works closely with the University of Nantes and the Lascaux European Research Program (Law - Food - Land) around the issues of right to food, food sovereignty and security and access to land.
  
  
• Slavery, yesterday and today : since the beginning of the World Forum on Human Rights in 2004, the theme of slavery has been addressed and, as the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery was built in Nantes, the SPIDH wants to get involved in the fight against all contemporary forms of slavery that continue to exist throughout the world.