On December 10th 2021, the city of Leuven committed itself to become a Human Rights City by 2023. Here’s the translated statement of commitment:
Vision and objective
The city of Leuven wants to become a Human Rights City: a city that uses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a benchmark and guideline for local policy, and makes explicit reference in its policies and declarations to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. The city of Leuven wants to join other Human Rights Cities, a growing human rights movement that is convinced that local governments also play an important role in realizing, protecting and defending human rights, especially when human rights come under increasing pressure.
As a Human Rights City, the city of Leuven wants to:
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Realize and make human rights explicit;
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Strengthen support for human rights among the general public;
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Defend human rights and human rights defenders.
Commitments
The city of Leuven is committed:
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To shape Leuven as a Human Rights City within a scientifically substantiated framework;
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To develop a way of working that offers opportunities to all Leuven residents and various organizations from the broad civil society to participate in Leuven Human Rights City;
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To organize an annual human rights week with cultural and educational activities to broadly propagate the objective of Leuven Human Rights City;
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To cooperate with, among others, the KU Leuven, the Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM) and with Amnesty International Flanders;
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To structurally anchor the collaboration between these and other partners for the future.
Timing
The city of Leuven wants to officially declare itself as a Human Rights City on December 10th 2023, the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Human rights are under increasing pressure and are an important compass for weighing policy options.
On December 10, 2021, the city of Leuven committed itself to become a Human Rights City by 2023. By doing so, Leuven would become Belgium's first Human Rights City and wants to inspire other local/regional governments to take on a similar role in realizing, protecting and defending human rights.
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The city of Leuven has its policies and commitments screened for human rights efforts by the Federal Institute of Human Rights (FIRM). We are expecting to receive the first results by the end of this summer. The outcome of the screening (possible gaps, opportunities for improvement) will enable us to determine our main focal areas for future initiatives.
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From December 6th to 12th 2021 the city of Leuven and a dozen partners organised a first Human Rights Week, including a livestream (statement of our commitment to become a Human Rights City by December 2023, together with the KU Leuven and with the support of Amnesty International Flanders & the Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM)), a cartoon exhibition on the theme of human rights, writing campaigns in the context of the Amnesty International writing marathon, various films, a training… Through the series of activities we expressed our support for those who stand up for human rights, locally and worldwide. From now on, the Human Rights Week will be an annual event to strengthen the support for human rights and further defend human rights.
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The city of Leuven has engaged in promising exploratory conversations to join the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). We are expecting to become a member of the network in March 2023 and to provide protection for a first persecuted writer/artist and his/her family by the end of 2023.