Inclusive and Resilient Cities
for Sustainable Families
Presentation of the Venice Declaration
Panel Discussion with audience participation
in Observance of the World Cities Day 2018
Co-organized by the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD),
the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations,
the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations,
UN-DESA Division for Inclusive Social Development
and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, (UN-HABITAT),
with the collaboration of the Veneto Region (Italy),
the Department of Bouches-du-Rhône (France),
the Regional Union of Municipalities of Attiki (Greece),
the Community of Madrid (Spain)
and the European Local Inclusion and Social Action network (ELISAN).
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 – 1.15-2.30 pm
Conference Room 11 – United Nations Headquarters – New York
Full webcast of the event
PROGRAMME
Moderator
Ignacio Socias
Director of Communication and International Relations
International Federation for Family Development
Opening Remarks
Helena Yánez Loza
Deputy Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the UN
Text…
Filiep Decorte
Deputy Director
UN-Habitat New York Office
Keynote Speaker
Bahira Trask
The Role of Families and Family Policies in Achieving Inclusive Societies
Professor and Chair, Human Development & Family Sciences, Delaware (USA)
Background paper…
Presentation…
Regional and local experiences
Hairil Fadzly Md. Akir
Deputy General Director
National Population and Family Development Board (Malaysia)
Sylvie Carrega
Deputy Mayor, City of Marseille (France)
President of the European Local Inclusion & Social Action Network
Venice Declaration Signing Ceremony
Roberto Ciambetti
President
Regional Council of Veneto (Italy)
Closing Remarks
Venice Declaration Signing Ceremony
Martine Vassal
President
Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council (France)
Georgios Ioakimidis
President
Regional Union of Municipalities of Attiki (Greece)
Alberto San Juan
Director General
Family and Childhood, Community of Madrid, Spain
Through the following video:
Closing Remarks
Daniela Bas
Director
United Nations DESA Division for Inclusive Social Development
Q & A
BACKGROUND NOTE
The Regional Council of the Veneto Region has promoted, supporting the proposal of the International Federation for Family Development, a project on Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families, directed to cities and Regions that wish to actively contribute to “making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” (SDG11) and show their commitment by signing the Chart that includes the Venice Declaration. It aims to follow-up on the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda signed in Quito, Ecuador by gathering good practices from local, regional and national authorities on family responsive legislation, into making cities more resilient, inclusive and sustainable for all. It has a family perspective to benefit each and every one of the members of the family as of older persons, parents, children, persons with disabilities and indigenous people. All the members of the family are related to various social realities so, a family perspective will contribute to a holistic approach of any policy intervention (A/RES/72/145, 8).
The commitment of their members will consist on presenting once a year a report about the results of their work on the following points [1], included in a Chart to be signed previously by them:
1. Housing. Cities design should mind older persons and their families while facilitating access to housing for families in vulnerable situations (New Urban Agenda, Habitat III, n. 32, 46), involving inclusive urbanization, promotion of smart and intergenerational cohousing with common use of services, efficient energy saving, flexible buildings, and intergenerational living arrangements to provide care for the older persons and cheaper housing for the younger (A/RES/72/145, 5).
2. New technologies. The need of connecting people through new technologies should be also included to ensure social inclusion, to bridge the digital gap via training of older persons. [2]
3. Education. Inclusive and quality education for all and promotion of lifelong learning (SDG 4) should lead to the improvement of accessible and affordable participation of older persons in educational activities for the youth, intergenerational meeting places for cultural and leisure activities (New Urban Agenda, Habitat III, n. 32; A/RES/72/145, 6).
4. Healthcare. Organization of campaigns to promote healthy habits and lifestyles, especially those targeted to promote mental well-being and to meet the needs of older persons, setting the necessary structure to stimulate innovation and intergenerational relations in hospitals as well as medical attention of visitors and tourists (New Urban Agenda, Habitat III, n. 37; SDG 3).
5. Safety. Create of a welcoming environment in urban settlements based on solidarity, mutual well-being and social interaction, through information and training on crisis situations. [3]
6. Clean air. Promote the creation of green areas, tax benefits for garden buildings, progressive reduction of pollution produced by public transportation and increase of charging points for electric cars and support for circular economy.
7. Transportation. Design of a plan to make public transportation more rational and accessible, dissuade citizens to use private cars, and to take advantage of teleworking.
8. Affordability. Plan to facilitate access to housing for families in vulnerable situations, including promotion of smart cohousing solutions for different target groups with common use of services, efficient energy saving and flexible buildings, and intergenerational urban arrangements to provide care for older persons and affordable housing for the youth.
9. Leisure and tourism. Foster of active engagement in the volunteering sector to conserve and restore the cultural and touristic of the city, as well as tools to facilitate access to cultural activities for all through special prices and ad hoc exhibitions and locations for museums, theatres, etc.
10. Vulnerable families. Establish specific programs to recognize the value of unpaid work and care, and address the needs of families in vulnerable situations, including single parent families, large families, migrant families, etc. (A/RES/72/145).
[1] Statement submitted by International Federation for Family Development, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, E/2018/NGO/12.
[2] ECOSOC Integration Segment, Plenary Session, Statement of Ecuador, New York, May 1, 2018, https://goo.gl/UXWQU3
[3] Plenary Session, Habitat III, Statement of Malaysia, Quito-Ecuador, October 17-20, 2018, https://goo.gl/YWiErp
