Now available-Recording of Webinar on Creating Inclusive Cities: Communities of Solidarity that Work for Everyone 

Access the audio and video recordings of a webinar on Creating Inclusive Cities across the Americas

On 21 November, PHAP organized an event together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN-Habitat discussing the lessons learned of two initiatives that are working to support refugee, migrant, IDP, and stateless residents across the Americas and create more inclusive cities. 

The event was moderated by UNHCR’s Safak Pavey, who underscored the importance of cities in refugee response in her welcoming words. This was followed by opening remarks by the Coordinator of Andean Countries at UN-Habitat, Roi Chiti, who introduced the Ciudades Solidarias Cities of Solidarity (CoS) initiative. This is an initiative that was created through the Mexico Plan of Action and the Brazil Plan of Action aiming to strengthen protection and integration efforts of the 70 participating local authorities from nine countries in the Americas. Through a process of institutional capacity building the initiative promotes the design and adoption of policies and programs at the local level to promote the inclusion of both refugees and migrants as well as the most vulnerable local communities. 

Giancarlo Guido Casassa, the Mayor of Surquillo in Lima, Peru spoke on how he broadened access to education and health services while also employing refugees and migrants in day-to-day city service provision such as waste collection and water provision. Héctor Geovanny López, Municipality of San Benito, Guatemala, highlighted how the Cities of Solidarity Program in San Benito has promoted initiatives to strengthen access and educational quality in the municipality for local youth and refugees. This has included promoting programs to improve youth participation through recreational, sports, and cultural programs.

Cecilia Cantos,  the lead at IOM on the Call to Local Action initiative, provided an overview of the Marrakech Mayors Declaration “Cities Working Together for Migrants and Refugees” that calls for the full and formal recognition of the role of local and regional governments in the implementation, follow-up and review of both Global Compacts, recalling that they are at the forefront of managing the impact of migration as well as the promotion of inclusive, safe and sustainable societies, as migration remains primarily an urban and local phenomenon.

If you missed this event, you can now access the video and audio podcast format recordings of the discussion on the event page.