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Human rights are a local issue as much as a global one. The city then, is a place where the local dimension of human rights can be developed, through new channels of deliberate, participatory and representative democracy.
The effective application of the human rights that were declared almost fifty years ago has now ground to a halt and in some cases is even regressing, calling for greater implication and responsibility from within cities. In the first instance, cities can afford the perfect local place for increased citizen and social participation in politics and in claiming human rights, which are part of the concept of citizens rights.
The city is like a laboratory in which new channels of deliberate, participatory and representative democracy can be explored, as well as how to control and challenge decisions made by the authorities. Furthermore, as the host to immigration and with that the need for people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds to live together, the city claims democracy based on the concept of citizenship linked to residency rather than nationality.
By creating and fostering public places as income redistribution tools, cities also demand a place for solidarity, and as places of learning, along with the family and the school, respect for the values of sustainable development, peace and human rights.
Cities also consider the need to link up with each other, creating strategic networks that allow them to join forces and combat the economic, political and technological powers that run counter to human rights in a way that states seem unable to. They foster alliances between local authorities and social movements which form shields against the harmful effects of globalisation.
Issue:
Rural migrations towards the capitals of the third world and from these countries towards the cities of the rich world have made urban areas focal points for poverty, violence and inequality. An extreme example of such poverty are the 1 billion people, a third of the urban population, who live in misery in shanty towns; a figure that is estimated will double over the coming 30 years. City authorities are therefore at the frontline in safeguarding universal basic rights.
However, paradoxically, participation in state and international political decision making is denied to local or municipal authorities, which jeopardises the fulfilment of universal rights. Indeed, states themselves may be the prime culprits of rights violation and, moreover, may have little power to act against cross-border movements that elude state control. The result is that they are ineffective in protecting universal rights, as is their duty since these rights were proclaimed at the United Nations.
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Proposal:
- Boaventura de Sousa. Ban on closed neighbourhoods, pedestrianizing urban areas. Use of public places as a tool for social solidarity.
Jean-Pau Alduy. For cities to become a counterbalance to state power, an NGO for cities must be founded. If we develop a democracy for cities based on respect for identities and secularity we may be able to change the world."
Cities futures can be constructed through social NGOs to resist market forces. Bringing together social and political movements may be a true force to empower citizens.
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Stances:
Jean-Pau Alduy. There is no mention whatsoever in the recently drafted European Constitution of the role of cities in making Europe. Europe is still being designed from the nation-state perspective.
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Best practices:
- Three seeds have been planted for a strategic alliance of cities: 1) Charter of Local Autonomy, which unites many cities worldwide. 2) Porto Alegre Forum of Local Authorities. Bringing civil society and local authorities together. 3) United Cities and Local Governments, founded in Paris in May, 2004 as the UN of local authorities.
Saint Denis, an industrial, working-class city on the outskirts of Paris where 60% of the population is foreign, is seen as a prime example of social inclusion. Its initiatives and policies are considered to be pioneering in city management.
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AS World Urban Forum
RS Right to the City: Conclusions