On Thursday, 22 May, as part of the 24th Conference of the International Observatory of Participatory Democracy (OIDP) in Córdoba, our Committee led the session “Building Human Rights Cities: Democracy, Participation and Social Action”.
The meeting brought together representatives of civil society, experts, and local and regional governments from Latin America and Europe, who highlighted local democracy as a fundamental pillar for protecting and promoting human rights. The role of public participation in building cities that guarantee and develop these rights at the local level was emphasized.
Our coordinator, Adrià Duarte, moderated the session, calling for a more inclusive multilateralism to make the universal human rights framework a reality:
“It is important to create a political agenda that shows the central role of local governments in action for human rights.”
Shared experiences
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Neuquén (Argentina): Luciana de Giovanetti, Secretary for Human Rights, shared how her municipality has established neighborhood committees specific to women, children, youth, and older adults. These committees offer free justice services and empower communities with knowledge about their rights.
“Half of our public agenda is defined through participatory and proximity work.”
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Quilmes (Argentina): Eva Ramírez, Assistant Secretary for Culture, emphasized the central role of community participation and cultural expressions in public spaces as tools for preserving identity and collective memory. In a territory marked by the aftermath of dictatorship, she stressed:
“Local governments are key to protecting and defending human rights, but also to building them. Telling our story, which has to do with identity and memory, is only possible as a community.”
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Seine-Saint-Denis (France): Maïra Topall, Coordinator of the International Observatory on Violence against Women, explained how her work has generated hope in the face of this problem. She also presented the “Women of the World” bus, a festive and itinerant initiative that carries out awareness and rights promotion campaigns for various audiences.
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Civil society (Ecuador): Melissa Santamaría, director of Habitar Colectivo, stressed the importance of public space in activating communities and guaranteeing their human rights.
“We want to design safe, accessible spaces that are designed for people.”
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Academia (Spain): Josep Maria Llop Torné, Director of the UNESCO Chair “Intermediate Cities: Urbanization and Development” at the University of Lleida, highlighted the potential of smaller territories to empower citizenship:
“We must democratize urban planning: people must be sovereign in public and urban policies.”
Building Human Rights Cities is a collective and democratic endeavor
With this meeting, our Committee reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the global movement of Human Rights Cities, providing a platform for exchange and visibility of the work that local and regional governments are carrying out to make the universal framework a reality at the local level.
In this effort, participation is consolidated as a fundamental pillar for broadening the notion of human rights: it is not only a matter of protecting, respecting, and guaranteeing these rights, but also of building active communities that promote them, live them, and transform them into collective action.