Third Planning Subcommittee Meeting Held

The third Planning Subcommittee meeting was held on Tuesday, May 9 to discuss the provisional agenda and invitation list for the Opening Ceremony, Round Table, and Plenary Session at the 13th World Human Rights Cities Forum. 

The Committee members first discussed the Opening Ceremony, which will take place at 4 p.m. on October 4. It was agreed to minimize the time spent on formalities, such as overlapping congratulatory remarks in accordance with the values the Forum has been pursuing. Instead, it was suggested to invite keynote speakers that both have the reputation with general audience and expertise, as well as preparing performances related to the theme to attract the more attention from the public. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif were mentioned as possible keynote speakers.

The Round Table will take place at 4:30 p.m. following the Opening Ceremony. It will prompt discussions on the theme of “Human Rights Cities Responding to Poverty and Inequalities”. Considering the wide range of the main theme, the Committee raised the need to focus on a specific agenda to allow for concrete and in-depth discussion. Conducting the Round Table in the form of an interview, where the moderator would be asking questions, was newly proposed to promote interaction. To expand the participation of mayors from diverse regions, utilizing the Gwangju Sister City Network and the UCLG City Network was recommended. The members also called for actively seeking practical measures to make the discussion reflected in policymaking in the future, such as by inviting lawmakers who are active in related fields.

The Plenary Session, jointly organized by the International Steering Committee, will be held at 4 p.m. on October 5. It will include two panels under the theme of “The impact of poverty on cities and territories” and “Human Rights Pathways to urban and territorial equality,” respectively. Distinguished experts and local governments from home and abroad will be invited to the panels, including Olivier de Shooter, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights; CHO Munyoung, professor at Yonsei University; and KIM Seung-Sup, professor at Seoul National University among others.

The third International Steering Committee meeting will be held on upcoming May 23 to confirm the invitation list that was discussed in the Planning Subcommittee meeting. The invitation process will begin shortly thereafter.