UCLG-MEWA celebrates the UN Human Rights Day. Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10th of December. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
At this occasion, UCLG-MEWA and its Committee on Social Inclusion reaffirms its commitment to implement a human rights-based and inclusive approach to urban policies of the MEWA region. An important current concern is the need to protect human rights of displaced populations which are in a great majority taking refuge in cities. UCLG-MEWA is developing its advocacy to voice the need for UCLG-MEWA municipalities to be recognized as actors of the humanitarian governance, notably as coordinator actors and major agent in the development of sustainable solutions for social inclusion. The World Humanitarian Summit to take place in May 2015 in Istanbul will be a major step in the development of this advocacy.
Reinforced social inclusion urban policies are another priority of the region and aims at a better inclusion of children,youth, women and elderly ones in the city life. “For a World of Inclusive Cities” published by the Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights of UCLG World is a valuable ressource for cities whishing to develop policy guidelines when conceiving and developing public policies on social inclusion.
In addition, the Final Declaration of Mexico’s International seminar of local governments for the Right to the City adopted in May 2015 reaffirms the importance of the Right to the City in a mostly urban world where inequalities are threatening common good living. This declaration describes the Right to the City as eight major commitments, providing a step forward for its implementation and targeting key objectives. The declaration also calls to increase networking by local governments with relation to the Right to the City and to build alliances with civil society, particularly within the Global Platform for the Right to the City, in order to influence the New Global Urban Agenda which will be disclosed during Habitat III (October 2016 in Quito, Ecuador).