Fourth International Steering Committee Meeting Held 

The fourth International Steering Committee Meeting was held on August 24 to share the updates regarding the Opening Ceremony, Roundtable, and Plenary Session, as well as to discuss details leading up to the event, with only one month remaining until the 13th World Human Rights Cities Forum.

The discussion began with following up on the keynote speech for the Opening Ceremony. While Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, was initially chosen as the keynote speaker due to his expertise and experience in the field, his inability to attend in person prompted a reconsideration. As the Committee agreed that an in-person keynote speaker would have a more significant impact than a virtual presence, new speakers were nominated, including JANG Hajoon, Professor of Economics at SOAS University of London, Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, Executive Director at the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and Mary Robinson, former High Commissioner for Human Rights. The final decision will be made at the upcoming Planning Subcommittee Committee meeting.

Following the discussions, SHIN Gyonggu, the Chair of the WHRCF International Steering Committee, provided updates on the Roundtable and Plenary Session invitations. The Roundtable, scheduled for October 4 from 16:30 to 18:00 KST (9:30 to 11:00 CET), aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences and policies among local governments from various regions. The goal is to identify human rights-based strategies and measures at the local level to address poverty and inequalities. Confirmed participants include KANG Gi-jung, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City; Sumastro, Mayor of Singkawang; Vicki Felthaus, Deputy Mayor of Leipzig; and Karolina Zdrodowska, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw.

The following day, on October 5, from 16:00 to 18:30 KST (9:00 to 11:30 CET), the Plenary Session will foster interactive dialogues between experts and local governments. leveraging human rights to co-create local pathways toward equality in response to growing poverty and inequalities. Following the keynote speech by Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, a panel discussion is expected to feature distinguished experts in various fields, including Jose Cuesta, Lead Economist at The World Bank, and CHO Munyoung, Professor at Yonsei University among others.

In addition, Committee Chair SHIN Gyonggu briefed the members on the process for selecting the theme of the next year's Forum. The process will start with the proposals being submitted by the International Advisory Committee and Planning Committee by the end of August. The International Steering Committee will then review these proposals and provide suggestions before the final nominations are presented for voting at the venue.

Lastly, the members also reached an agreement on the tentative schedule for the draft Declaration. As before, the Planning Committee will draft the declaration in advance, which will subsequently be reviewed by the International Steering Committee.