As we have seen during the arab spring, the occupy movement and the outraged (indignados) mobilization, the fight for human rights, democracy and social justice is hugely present.
With the eurozone crisis and social policies cut off, it will probably be more intense in the next months.
Future will also be more urban. Cities (and metropolitan region) will play a key role, perhaps more important than countries (see here an interview of Saskia SASSEN for abc.es : ” las ciudades van a ser mas importantes que los estados). Cities will have to : work in closed relation with states, network with other cities and, partner with their territory of influence for ressources, food and land :
– Partner with states, because it’s at this scale that most of the mecanism (tax, export-import, big infrastructure) are organized.
– Network with other cities, because a lot of exchanges take place between these different and especialized territories.
– Partner with their territories of influence, because cities need more than ever bigger areas for bringing ressources like water or food, protecting from risks and develop primary transformation of products.
Cities institutions will need to improve their competencies in strategic planning and public services management. More than ever we need efficient public services and mobility infrastructure. More than ever we need to create polycentric, friendly living areas and solidarity between citizens. More than ever we need social policies and regular education for people working in a changing economy.
The ability to partner and involucrate a huge number of actors and entities : individuals, civil society associations of diferent nature and purpose, cooperatives, entreprises and public-private actors will also be needed.
In order to give coherence and projection of this role in the future, two norms will guide the actions and discussions : sustainable development and human rights.
Next week, during Rio+20 summit in Brazil, I think that two debates will transcend the general discussion.
First, what will be the role of local governments, in multi-level governance context and multi-polar world, in the future (we want) ? We will certainly assist to a tension between states and local governements in this inter-national negociation. UN-Habitat and UCLG (and other network like metropolis) will play a key role and will probably return back home with a mid-empty glass.
Second, at how level of importance human rights will be placed in the world green (and fair?) economy ? The key actors will be the OHCHR (Office of High Commissioner on HUman Rights Navi Pillay), Ibon International and, HRW and AI, who present recently a joint statement. The most important diferences between the UN conference and People summit declarations will probably be on this tension. This tension will then also transcend post2015 development agenda discussions.
For those who want to follow these two central debates and how these tensions will take place . You can follow on twitter the hashtags #rightsrio and #citieswewant. And two important events will take place at #Rioplus20 :
– Human Rights at the heart of Sustainable Development – 19 juin 2012 – 15:30 – 17:00 organised by OHCHR
– The urban summit– 18 juin 2012 – 9:00 – 18:00 (Basic Services at the core of Sustainable Development Goals; Multilevel Governance: The fair place of Local and Regional Authorities; Cohesion among territories: key to combating poverty; Enabling environments: legal and financial frameworks; Green Growth/Urban Design)
These debates, probably not be resolved at Rio+20, will continue to be at the center of the discussion at the World Urban Forum in Naples from 1st to 7th september 2012 http://www.worldurbanforum.org/ and during the #post2015 negociations.
Not finished and not corrected but published !!! I will do it very soon… this night !
Some links and articles :
– OHCHR special page on #rioplus20 (statement, letter, press) – http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Rio20/Pages/Rio20Index.aspx
– Rio+20 : Anchor sustainable development in human rights – Joint Statement by HRW and Amnesty International : http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/06/12/rio-20-anchor-sustainable-development-human-rights
– Saskia SASSEN ” Las ciudades van a ser mas importantes que los estados” abc.es http://www.abc.es/20120612/sociedad/abci-ciudades-importantes-estados-201206112005.html
– UN-Habitat : http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?page=view&nr=318&type=1000&menu=126
– UCLG rio special page : https://sites.google.com/a/uclg.org/rio20/
– UCLG Charter-Agenda on Human Rights in the city : http://www.cities-localgovernments.org/committees/cisdp/Upload/workinggroup/uclg_global_charter_agenda_hr_city_en.pdf
– Déclaration des collectivités territoriales françaises pour Rio+20 : http://www.afccre.org/fr/actualites/les-collectivit%C3%A9s-territoriales-d%C3%A9livrent-leurs-messages-dans-la-perspective-de-rio-20
#rightsrio #citieswewant #rioplus20 #localgov
Two pillars : human rights & sustainable development 