{"id":24957,"date":"2025-07-23T17:00:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalcitieshub.org\/?p=24957"},"modified":"2025-09-05T17:00:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T15:00:44","slug":"advancing-human-rights-from-the-ground-up-lrgs-and-nmirfs-in-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalcitieshub.org\/es\/advancing-human-rights-from-the-ground-up-lrgs-and-nmirfs-in-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"Fomento de los derechos humanos desde la base: los GRL y los NMIRF en el punto de mira"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On 23 July, the Global Cities Hub, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Geneva Human Rights Platform, and UCLG co-organized a full-day workshop, under the theme \u201cEnhancing national reporting and implementation of human rights through coordinated engagement at the local and regional levels: the role of NMIRFs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held at the Palais des Nations, the event brought together a wide range of actors \u2013 representatives of States and local and regional governments (LRGs), international and national city networks, human rights experts, civil society, and academia \u2013 to exchange on how to better integrate LRGs into the international human rights system, which has historically been centred on State actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Vital but Overlooked Role<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

LRGs are primary actors in ensuring the fulfilment of human rights. From housing and health to education, food, and sanitation, their responsibilities touch on nearly every aspect of daily life. Yet, their contributions are not adequately captured by the UN human rights architecture, an international system created by States, led by States, and still largely focused on States alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can NMIRFs help bridge the Gap?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants explored the potential of National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs)<\/a>. These governmental structures mandated to coordinate reporting and implementation of recommendations from UN mechanisms (Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review) and other regional human rights mechanisms, may help systematize LRGs participation. However, this is only possible if States are willing, as the international human rights system currently offers no formal entry point for LRGs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiences shared in Canada, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Argentina, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and South Africa, among others, underscored a common thread: where trust and cooperation exist between national and local levels, effective collaboration is possible. Interestingly, political structure alone does not determine success\u2014what matters is political will, mutual recognition of roles and clarity about who holds the responsibility as a duty bearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LRGs\u2019 inclusion in NMIRFs therefore depends entirely on the State\u2019s willingness to recognize them as duty-bearers and key actors in human rights implementation, rather than treating them, as it is often the case, as NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structural Challenges and Emerging Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants discussed the challenges on both sides in engaging LRGs in international human rights work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n