Gwangju City Stands Tall as a Center of Global Human Rights Solidarity... World Human Rights Cities Forum 'Closes'

On the afternoon of the 7th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the 10th World Human Rights Cities Forum Plenary Session 1 held via real-time online video conference at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, proposing the "Gwangju Human Rights City 2030 Action Agenda" to expand practical human rights solidarity among human rights cities. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The World Human Rights Cities Forum, held online at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center, concluded on the 10th after a four-day schedule.

The closing ceremony proceeded in the order of a comprehensive report on the results discussed in the plenary session, special sessions, thematic sessions, and network meetings, followed by the reading of the forum declaration, remarks from past participants, and the closing address.

The forum declaration actively welcomed the participation of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO as co-hosting organizations and included a commitment to jointly strengthen the UN's role and actions in the human rights city movement.

At the newly added Human Rights City Mayors' Meeting in this forum, it was decided to actively implement the "Resolution on Local Governments and Human Rights" adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on the 6th. Additionally, it was agreed to actively encourage and promote the role of local governments in protecting human rights during infectious disease situations.

This year's World Human Rights Cities Forum achieved many accomplishments.

With the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO Headquarters newly participating as co-hosting organizations, the forum proved its recognition in the international community.

At the forum's opening ceremony, Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, delivered keynote speeches. Seventeen mayors from overseas human rights cities including Nuremberg, Germany; Ariana, Tunisia; Bogot?, Colombia; and Bergen, Norway participated, drawing attention to Gwangju and the World Human Rights Cities Forum.

Starting next year, the "Human Rights City Implementation Principles," to be established by the UN Human Rights Council, have been a major agenda discussed at the forum. This forum marked the beginning of international discussions as human rights city mayors expressed their commitment to implementation.

Also, meetings of UNESCO's "International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities" and the "Asia-Pacific Coalition of Cities Against Discrimination" were held at this forum.

The Gwangju City proposed the "Gwangju Human Rights City 2030 Action Agenda" as a joint task for world human rights cities to pursue by 2030, ensuring practical implementation.

Every year, meetings of human rights commissioners from 17 metropolitan local governments nationwide, workshops for human rights protection officials from domestic local governments, and workshops for civil society human rights activists' networks have been held. This year, a workshop for human rights protection officials from national education offices was additionally operated, and domestic cities that experienced state violence, including Gwangju and Jeju, newly organized the "Memory City Network Meeting," diversifying the domestic human rights city movement.

In his closing remarks, Deputy Mayor Kim Jong-hyo said, "Human rights have emerged as the most important value to prioritize in the post-COVID-19 era, and global solidarity is an unavoidable task of the times, as confirmed through this forum," adding, "Gwangju will continue to build a profound human rights history as the world's human rights central city."

Kim Jong-hyo, Deputy Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the closing ceremony of the 10th World Human Rights Cities Forum held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center on the afternoon of the 10th, delivered the closing remarks, and took a commemorative photo with the attendees. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

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