TOUR OF THE HABITAT WORLD SEEN BY CIVIL SOCIETY

Rights to the City

Dernière mise à jour le 6 September 2019

Definition

It consists of ensuring the effectiveness of this right, both collective and individual in the towns, urbanised zones and social areas in which one can freely choose to visit, depending on the size of your pocket, your area of residence, where one can get access to services provided by the collective without which there is no real urban life  (education, health, energy, telecommunication, transport, cultural development …).

The right to the city can only take the form of a law implying the right to protect you from being pushed out of a town. It focuses on those living in towns under unimaginable conditions (with no roof, no network, no job, no health care, away from your family etc.) The Rights to the city is to help benefit from a convenient lodging, have a well paid job, settle down with your family, live and be free of police harassment be you a citizen or not… but also, with all simplicity and specificity, live a beautiful, welcoming, healthy and environmental life.

Political stakes

Politically speaking, it is first of all, the recognition of the rights of each and everyone (be it living alone or in groups) to participate as a citizen (without any conditions relating to nationality), as a user of a town, participate on decision making so as to build and urbanise the towns.

The notion of city user is very interesting. It is present in most European laws asking for a more developed and concrete measures. The user is not a public   (an anonymous non organised group), nor the representative of a registered association authorised by the government to defend the general interest or not (dealing in lobbying), neither the land owner, (eternal opposition to illegal profits) nor the housing promoter   (tactful investor).

Law and stakes

Looking at it from the judicial side, it is the right to criticize this or that measure whenever the city rights are not respected. It is not forbidden that this judicial knowledge should boost the ability of the citizen to criticise issues relating to urbanisation in front of a court of law and also ask ownership to the property. ;  (which protects and defends the right of the property) or the general interest of public   (which sometimes are protectors of the public interests of their clients).

International Charter for the rights to the city

Since 20 years in Latin America, methods are being worked upon on the creation of an international charter for the Rights to the cities

This charter is not an addition to the already recognised international rights, but “implies interdependence between populations, resources, environment, economic relations and the quality of life lived from the present generation to the future generation. It comprises of intense structural changes of models of production and methods of consumption as well as the methods of appropriation of territories and natural resources.  She makes reference to seeking solutions against the negative effects of globalization, privatization, the scarcity of natural resources, increase in poverty in the world, the fragile nature of the environment and their consequences for the better follow-up of humanity and the planet.”.

The international Charter for the rights to the cities does orientate their propositions on three axes:

  • Full exercise of citizenship, which signifies that in exercising all fundamental Human rights and freedoms, must ensure the well being of the inhabitants in the towns in terms of justice, more respect in the production and social habitat management.
  • The democratic governance of the towns. Thanks to the participation and control of the society through direct and participative forms, in town planning and governance, in reinforcing public-local and popular organisations.
  • Social Function of property. Here we mean the importance of good living either individually or collectively. Where you live should be ecologically friendly to those in the urban area, and place a balance between urban and rural zones.

Sources : Réseau IPAMRéseau HIC

Global Platform for the Rights to the Cities

Under the influence of the Institute POLIS in Brazil, a meeting aimed at creating a global platform for the Rights to the city did take place 2014 ending. The objective is to ensure that engagements taken by the powers be as concerns positive actions to better the town be democratic, durable and inclusive.  One of the objectives of this platform is the recognition of this Right during their next habitat meeting termed Habitat III (Quito 2016).

«The international platform is out to contribute to the adoptions of engagements, roadmaps and projects aimed at developing deserved towns, democratic, durable and included in the organism of the United Nations, Federal governments as well as local authorities. A construction of an international Right to the City is very important for the reinforcement of the international social urban and national fight towards the collective roadmap aimed at developing the towns (post-2015.)  In the context of tourism, as seen in the third conference of the United Nations and relating to the lodging and durable development (Habitat III) in 2016 such as in international social forums and urban social international forums in 2017, the international platform defined sections. : The rights of people in cities; a democratic and participative ruling of cities; Economic and social inclusion to foster development in cities.

Amongst the organisations that belong to the international platform of the rights to the cities, there is: la Coalition internationale Habitat (HIC), ActionAid, Cities Alliance, l’Alliance Internationale des Habitants (AIH), la Commission des droits de l’homme et de l’égalité de CGLU sociale, la réforme urbaine nationale Forum (FNRU), Shack / SlumDwellers international (SDI), Femmes dans l’emploi informel – mondialisation et organisation (WIEGO), Habitat for Humanity, le Fonds mondial pour le développement des villes (FMDV) et Streetnet. The project is financed by la Fondation Ford. »

For more information do visit Plateforme Globale du Droit à la Ville

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