Local and regional participation in the Universal Periodic Review and SDG process, in relation to the right to adequate housing

The side event will be held in the margins of the 48th session of the Human Rights Council and of the SDG11 Roundtable co-organised by the Geneva Cities Hub, UNECE and UN-Habitat. It will also be held in the margins of the UNECE Ministerial meeting on housing which will support the regional exchange of experiences and good practices for promoting access to affordable, adequate and resilient housing in livable cities as part of States’ response and recovery plans to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The side event will examine:

• How the experience of local and regional governments in the framework of the SDGs follow-up and review mechanisms could be adapted and/or replicated with the UPR?
• What have been the main drive behind the participation of local and regional governments in UN processes?
• What have been the benefits and challenges of enhanced participation of local and regional governments in UN intergovernmental processes?
• How could UN agencies/entities support that process?
• How can tools already put in place to facilitate civil society participation in UN processes be adapted and/or replicated for local and regional governments?
• Why would States not only accept but also encourage the participation of local and regional governments?

Moderator

• Ms. Virginia Brás Gomes, Senior Consultant GCH and member of the Advisory Board of the Geneva Human Rights Platform (former CESCR President)

Welcome

• Ms. Kamelia Kemileva, Co-director, Geneva Cities Hub
• Ms. Sara Hoeflich, Director, Learning, United Cities and Local Governments

Key Note speaker

• Mr. Miloon Kothari, former Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing

Discussants

• Mr. Robert Lewis-Lettington, Chief, Land, Housing and Shelter Section, UN-Habitat
• Ms. Nargiz Arupova, Programme Manager, UPR-Info
• Ms. Ms. Doris Andoni, Head, Housing Policy Ministry of Finance and Economy (Albania) and Chair of the UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management
• Mr. Gianni Magazzeni, Chief of Branch, OHCHR
• Ms. Geneviève Sevrin, Director General, Cités Unies France

A light lunch will be provided by the Geneva Cities Hub from 12h45 on site

COVID certificate required