The Asia Pacific Coalition of Cities Against Discrimination (APCAD), a regional network under the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR), was relaunched at WHRCF10 in 2020 and the new Ten-Point Plan of Action endorsed. Gwangju City was confirmed as interim Chair and tasked with further development of the network and implementation of activities in partnership with UNESCO. Since October 2020 APCAD has focused on building membership and outreach. The actions of APCAD remain hampered by the pandemic, however, steps have been taken to start building APCAD activities through communication with members and projects to strengthen social inclusion in cities.

The occasion of the WHRCF11 will be used to present to members progress for the year. This includes the APCAD website, APCAD newsletter and City Policy Brief series. Gwangju International Center partnered with UNESCO to design a City Social Inclusion Marker System and outcomes of the expert consultation on this will be presented. Members will be up-dated on global activities through ICCAR.

In the next ten years, our world is racing towards achieving our global goals and commitment of leaving no one behind and putting the sustainability of our planet as the number one priority. However, the impact of climate change poses a challenge to State’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. While everyone recognises the effects of climate change on everything and everyone, processes to develop policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change often exclude those who will bear the most and most extended impact – the youth.

In today’s world, rapid urbanisation and a large youth population are two dominant patterns, particularly in developing countries. While growing, cities have also become younger – many of the world nearly four billion people under the age of 30 live in urban areas, and according to UN-HABITAT, it is estimated that 60% of urban populations will be under the age of 18 by 2030. Climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges cities today must face and address.

Cities play a pivotal role in creating social inclusion, equal access, and opportunities for their inhabitants to mitigate climate change and prevent its negative impact on human rights. At the same time, however, exclusion and inequality are widespread in cities. When cities fail to take affirmative measures to prevent human rights impacts caused by climate change, local governments put the most vulnerable at even more significant risks. Youth are often being excluded in decision-making processes while being among the most susceptible to the effects of climate change. When given a chance, active, informed, and involved urban youth can respond better to the global challenges and offer their knowledge to address local impacts.

RWI recognises youth as solution contributors to climate change and seeks to collaborate with young people to amplify their voices. Cities and local governments must also open their doors and work together with youth to address the many challenges climate change have posed to cities. Young people could bring climate change mitigation and adaptation alternatives that promote inclusion and participation in policy formulation.

Human rights education is a key element of local governments efforts to promote human rights, and, as of 2021, all local governments have included human rights education provisions in their ordinances. Diverse methods have been employed to further human rights education, but effectiveness has often fallen below expectations, and there have been many suggestions regarding how to increase the effectiveness of such programs. As such, we must renew awareness of the goals and necessity of human rights education, raise questions about whether the systems, cooperation measures and support provisions concerning practical human rights education are in place and functioning properly, and focus on the role and assessment of the National Human Rights Commission.

At the 'network' meeting of the 2021 World Human Rights Cities Forum, the Council of National Human Rights Commissions would like to shine the spotlight on the role of the human rights commissions in strengthening human rights education among human rights projects that are being implemented based on human rights ordinances. To further human rights education, the roles of the human rights commission in each region, as well as how such roles are manifested in the real world will be examined, desired roles explored and system improvement directions discussed.

We hope to strengthen the role played by local human rights commissions in human rights education to improve the human rights sensitivity of public officials as well as residents, and pursue qualitative changes in human rights awareness, while providing an opportunity for cooperation and communication to share new ideas.

Human Rights Cities - How far Have We Come and How Will We Move Forward?

1. Background
On December 7, 2017, a total of 25 local governments gathered to form the Korean Human Rights Cities Association. Through this, joint projects based on mutual exchanges, such as establishing solidarity and discovering human rights policies suitable for local governments have been promoted. In 2020, due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a working-level council meeting was held via video conference and a plan for human rights policy exchanges and mutual cooperation among member cities was discussed and opinions gathered to draw up a concrete plan. Starting with the first regular general assembly on April 27, 2021, a diverse range of activities have been carried out to protect and promote human rights, such as a press conference and delivery of donations to support Myanmar democracy movement. In 2021, the regular general assembly will be held as part of the 11th World Human Rights Cities Forum to discuss and realize human rights, involving civil servants, human rights activists, the general public, and academics. We hope that this meeting will serve as a platform for civil servants to gather together and share their experience with past human rights policy, explore the direction of future human rights policy and serve as an opportunity to promote the culture of human rights more broadly in the local community.

2. Theme, purpose, and main points of discussion
The theme of the session is 'Human Rights Cities – Where are we and how will we move forward?' Through this regular meeting, the Korean Human Rights Cities Association (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Association’) will share human rights policy case studies among local governments and provide an opportunity to thoroughly explore ways to build a culture of human rights in the local community for the future. We will expand our human rights policy network and look for ways to promote mutual development.

The Association shall deliberate on the following matters during the meeting:
1) We will share and systematically analyze all areas of human rights administration, including human rights norms, human rights organizations and agencies, human rights policy, human rights education, human rights violation relief measures, and operation of human rights commissions, all of which constitute the projects that have been promoted in each region so far.
2) Through case study sharing and analysis, we will gauge the current status of human rights policy in the local community and seek out policy proposals that can be applied in each region as we move forward.

While human rights principles have gained more recognition and interest among local governments since the pandemic, human rights cities are consolidating their role to guide policy innovation and collective action to fight inequalities, discriminations and build a new social contract with their inhabitants. Amidst the context of the COVID-19 crisis, local governments across the world have found in the human rights cities movement a source of inspiration, solidarity and legitimacy.

In some contexts, human rights policies put in place prior to the pandemic have allowed municipalities to better address the socioeconomic and political consequences of the crisis. In others, human rights have provided a catalyst for change or a meeting point between local governments and other local actors to make sure no one is left behind by this pandemic and the unprecedented global transformations that will follow.

Close to the crisis aftermath, local governments are facing more adverse conditions than in early 2020. While social expenditure is soaring for many, others meet recentralization trends and threats to local autonomy. Left alone in addressing the social emergency caused by the COVID-19 crisis, many also lack capacities to address the increasing local impacts of more structural, global crises: internal and international inequalities, international economic and financial system, climate change, the rise of populism and authoritarianism.

Facing this turning point, local leaders is looking at the twenty years old human rights cities movement to strengthen their local capacities while pushing for new collective initiatives based on human rights. In promoting daring campaigning initiatives, learning processes and new collective agendas, local governments are gaining a seat in the global human rights conversation. They are also at the forefront of human rights’ next generation like digital rights.

Realizing the Right to the City and building safer cities for all requires fighting violence and abuse against women and girls as they have a profound and lasting effect on society. According to the World Health Organization, overall, 35 % of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. While there are many other forms of violence that women may be exposed to, this already represents a large proportion of the world’s women.

VAWG is both a form of discrimination and a violation of human rights that remains far too prevalent and hidden. Identifying the nature, causes and consequences of these situations and developing adequate responses that can help women and girls to live better in both urban and rural territories is a collective responsibility which involves all levels of government.

Local governments from all over the world are increasingly adopting their own policies and approaches to prevent and address VAWG while focusing on advancing women’s rights. They are stepping up to claim a vision for cities in which people, especially women, can live without fear of abuse or violence. To achieve this vision, local governments focus on preventing these crimes, providing support and protection to victims, and producing accurate monitoring schemes of VAWG at the local level.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the importance of implementing proximity-based policies addressing domestic violence. It also highlighted existing problems of accessing services easily and quickly, reminding why tackling violence against women and girls should be a top priority for local governments.