Human rights are the inalienable rights of all human beings, without any distinction, particularly of race, sex, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion, or any other status. The role of territorial governments is essential to promote, implement, and respect human rights.
Systematic training of political leaders, dissemination of quality information to citizens—especially vulnerable groups—on their rights, implementation of ongoing training modules, and an introduction program to human rights policy for new elected officials and personnel working with local and regional governments, exchange of good practices… all of this provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness of human rights among local and regional governments.
The role of territorial governments is essential in promoting human rights. Local governments must also implement ambitious policies to realize human rights, within their competencies: guarantee education for all, improve mental health care, support the homeless, and implement activities related to the right to health…
To respect human rights in our territories, we can in particular: adopt a forward-looking approach to human rights issues within local scope and competence, ensure that all public services are accessible and facilitate access conditions for different groups of rights holders, implement and maintain cooperation within the public sector, gain a better understanding of the situation of different groups or minorities present in society, design policies aimed at monitoring and influencing the behavior of private actors…
In short, there is not ONE national solution for reception, but as many solutions as there are local situations. The role of territorial governments is therefore indeed essential to promote, implement, and respect human rights.
Human rights are universal, inalienable, closely linked, interdependent, and indivisible. As Mayor of Rouen and President of the Rouen Normandy Metropolis, I strive every day to respect these rights, to the extent of my powers. They are a true compass for our public action.
As a truly useful framework, they allow us to adjust the public policies we implement and to evaluate the relevance of our actions. Human rights are present daily in local governments.
In Rouen, the municipal team is fully committed to making Rouen a welcoming territory: membership in the National Association of Welcoming Cities and Territories (ANVITA), organization of the International Migrants Day, drafting support letters for residence permit applications, launching support petitions… This work is coordinated with the implementation of the Reception and Integration Territorial Contract and Project (CTAI/PTAI) of the Rouen Normandy Metropolis, and the work of the "Rouen Welcoming City" Steering Committee of the City of Rouen.
In this context, we wish to continue our action in this area. The global campaign "10, 100, 1000 Human Rights Cities and Territories for 2030" aims to strengthen the international movement of Human Rights Cities and Territories. This campaign, initiated by the Co-Presidency of the Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights of UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments), aligns perfectly with the objectives of the City of Rouen.
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Membership in the National Association of Welcoming Cities and Territories (ANVITA);
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Organization of the International Migrants Day;
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Drafting support letters for residence permit applications, launching support petitions.