Italy today promoted a side-event at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on the fundamental role of local and regional governments in promoting human rights.
"Local governments are in the front line in guaranteeing human rights for all," Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in Geneva, stressed.
The event was organised by Italy on the occasion of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, together with Paraguay, the OHCHR (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the University of Bologna.
The meeting - reports a communiqué from the Representation - highlighted how local and regional governments occupy the closest position to the communities and are of the utmost importance in guaranteeing access to essential public services and promoting inclusive decision-making processes, including combating inequalities. The initiative therefore advocated for greater involvement of local authorities in the UN system so that they are recognised and valued as key actors in the protection of human rights. "Human rights originate at the local level. Local governments are at the forefront in guaranteeing human rights for all because of their proximity to the people and their essential role in implementing policies on the ground. They are in direct contact with the population: they receive questions, requests and complaints from residents, developing and implementing policies that directly affect their lives," Ambassador Grassi stressed.
The Permanent Representative then emphasised the importance of cooperation between individual States and their local governments in the Human Rights Council and recalled the relevance of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), to which Italy submitted last 20 January, to stimulate the implementation of human rights by local authorities. The future of global cooperation," he added, "is based on a multilateral system that includes cities as well as local and regional governments. "We are a candidate to become a member of the Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term and we will ensure that we continue to contribute, in this capacity, to strengthening the role of regional and local governments in the multilateral system, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that individuals enjoy human rights". The President of the Interministerial Committee on Human Rights (IACHR), Min. Plen. Giovanni Iannuzzi, to represent how the HRC represents a unique example of involvement and information of local levels, thanks to the continuous cooperation with, among others, the National Association of Italian Municipalities and the State-Regions Conference, of which it is an integral part.
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