Panel Discussion on the
Venice Declaration
with the participation of the Sao Paulo Municipality and IFFD
Sao Paulo, 3 August 2022
The Municipality of São Paulo – through the municipal secretariats of International Relations, Strategic Project and Planning – and the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) held on 3rd August a debate on the Venice Declaration, targeted to local administration managers.
The Venice Declaration was proposed within the scope of the project “Including Cities for Sustainable Families”, promoted by the International Federation for Family Development, an institution in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. It is a commitment between signatory cities in view of achieving the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The cross-sectional endeavor proposed in the Venice Declaration can be considered as a challenge for the public administration in Brazil and can generate great advantages for the management of public policies.
As a consequence, the debate had as its main purposes: the dissemination of the Venice Declaration and related actions for public servants; the promotion of engagement of secretariats with affinity to the theme; the training of managers and civil servants on the subject, in relation to the 2030 Agenda and the dissemination of initiatives to reach the community.
Rodolfo Canônico, from Family Talks, and the whole team of Cidade de São Paulo who have made the work with Venice Declaration possible, with Ignacio Socias.
Opening
Thinking about families as subjects of rights and working towards their fundamental and constitutional rights, based on public policies, was the keynote at the opening of this meeting, which brought together the following authorities: Fernando de Mello Barreto, acting municipal secretary of International Relations of the São Paulo City Municipality; Ignacio Socias, Director of International Relations and Communication at IFFD; Alexis Vargas, executive secretary of Strategic Projects; and Vivian Satiro, executive secretary of Planning and Priority Deliveries.
In his speech, Mello Barreto welcomed the speakers and stressed the effort and commitment of the São Paulo City Hall to observe and exchange experiences with other countries: “São Paulo can and will contribute every time more with good practices in public management”.
Socias pointed out that the Venice Declaration comes to bring beacons so that municipalities can work with a view to guaranteeing housing, health, safety and other goals for the well-being of their citizens. “Families are the ones that always support those in need, such as children and the elderly. Parents need public transportation, accessible parks with fit urban furniture and architecture for the elderly, as well as more public facilities. That is what we are talking about and we promote the communication of good practices about it. We are also working in the creation of working groups for issues such as circular economy and food security, with the participation of the signatories of the Venice Declaration, including São Paulo”.
Another point Socias mentioned was the importance of access to new technologies and quality public information. He also addressed intergenerational dialogue, exemplifying models in urban design that combine the requirements of different ages, as it already happens in cities in Europe.
With Ambassador Fernando de Mello Barreto and Vivian Satiro holding the final version of the 2021-2024 goals of the municipality, of which 23 relate to the topics of the Venice Declaration.
Discussion
At the round table, moderated by Professor Dr. Wilson Levy, secretary Alexis Vargas and secretary Vivian Satiro presented the Municipal Plan for Early Childhood, the Goals Plan and the Multiannual Plan now in progress.
The Municipal Plan for Early Childhood is structured around four axes:
1. Guarantee the conditions for the intersectoral articulation of the programs, projects and actions of the city for comprehensive care in early childhood;
2. Ensure that all children in early childhood receive education, care and stimulation that contribute to their integral development;
3. Guarantee protection and provide conditions for the exercise of rights and citizenship in early childhood;
4. Guarantee the right to life, health and good nutrition for pregnant women and children in early childhood.
“Each government that starts from this plan needs to present its goals and results. Thus, by 2030, we will seek to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Children”, explained Secretary Alexis Vargas. He detailed that a territorial diagnosis was carried out and the action strategy is provided for in the City Hall Goal Plans. Thus, actions are relevant to confrontations according to the vulnerabilities of the population.
Vivian Satiro discussed the Goals 2021–2024 Program, a document required since 2008 by the ‘Lei Orgânica do Município’, based on civil society claims and which aims to prioritize management projects until the end of the four-year period, implementing the commitments of the Plan of Government into strategic planning actions, with pre-defined budget binding.
The Goals Plan has six axes, 27 strategic objectives, 77 goals with their respective indicators and 306 initiatives. Of these, 40 were included after the Public Consultation period, which lasted between April 2 and May 10, 2021 and included 37 public hearings, in addition to proposals received in writing by the open government platform ‘Participa+’. With a total budget estimated at R$ 30.9 billion, including funding and investment resources, the document also presents the regionalization of the proposed goals, when feasible.
“Almost 40% of the goals in our Goals Plan are for the São Paulo Fair and Inclusive action, with 23 goals dialoguing more specifically with the Venice Declaration”, explained Vivian Satiro. She said that Early Childhood is a priority in a cross-cutting effort, also in the ‘Plano Plurianual,’ the medium-term budget planning that determines priorities and aims to give transparency to the application of resources.
The secretary noted that there is a ranking of this by areas, and ‘Capela do Socorro’ was pointed out as the most vulnerable of all in the city. As a consequence, it received 7% of the investments to face its needs.
In closing, Vivian Satiro highlighted the launch by the municipality, last March, of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, a commitment to sustainable development recognized by the 193 member countries of the United Nations, including Brazil.
More recently, in July, the municipality promoted the ‘Virada ODS’, with cultural, educational, rounds event, hackathon and an international congress, with the aim of popularizing them and engaging residents from all parts of the city in the Sustainable Development Goals, as established by the 2030 Agenda.
Pics by André Godoy
