The framework for human rights cities looks at the foundations, structures and tools that can help cities integrate human rights in a holistic and sustainable way in their work. It compiles the necessary elements which can be applied in a flexible way, adapted to the local context and the city’s resources. The tools support the structures, which in turn integrate the foundations - the rights and principles – into the city’s work.
The framework in a nutshell
Foundations - City commitments to human rights
- Commit to respect, protect and fulfil the rights and freedoms in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU law
- Commit to protect, respect and fulfil international human rights standards
- Commit to the UN’s SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- Commit to contribute to international monitoring mechanisms
Structures - Mechanisms and procedures to help integrate human rights into day-to-day work
- Adopt a declaration to affirm the city’s commitment to human rights
- Nominate an elected representative on human rights
- Establish a human rights office or department
- Establish a consultative participatory council on human rights
- Establish an anti-discrimination office or local ombudsperson
- Report annually on human rights in the city
- Cooperate and develop partnerships with national, EU and international human rights bodies
Tools - Methods and resources to support human rights work
- Mainstream human rights across city work and activities
- Apply a human rights-based approach across city activities
- Develop knowledge through training and human rights education
- Take human rights into account in the budgeting and procurement processes
- Establish and implement a local human rights action plan
- Check the compatibility of local decisions with human rights
- Raise people’s awareness about human rights
- Monitor and evaluate the city’s work in a participatory way
- Cooperate transnationally and contribute to the peer-to-peer exchange and mutual learning between cities on human rights