Eight partnerships join network for human rights

On September 1st, the ICLD made a call for declarations of interests for the new initative Municipal Partnerships for Human Rights, which will create a network of municipal partnerships between Sweden and the Southern Africa-region. Six Swedish municipalities have now been accepted to the network; Falun, Bollnäs, Ovanåker, Kungsör, Piteå och Lund (links in Swedish). Two more are expected to join shortly. These municipalities have all been matched with one partner each from either South Africa, Botswana or Zambia.

We are proud to be able to celebrate Human Rights Day today on December 10th by investing in the local work for human rights and democracy in Sweden and Southern Africa. Our ambition is to create new good examples and methods on how to work with human rights locally, in order to spread these examples to more municipalities.

Johan Lilja, Secreterary General at the ICLD

The collaboration starts with a year of inception, where a three year project on the theme of human rights will be planned. Many municipalities have been interested in conducting projects about inclusion and participation of children and youth. This is an especially relevant topic in Sweden, where the UN Convention on the rights of the child became law on January 1st 2020. The municipalities have been granted 300 000 SEK for the inception year, the total sum for all four years may rise to close to three million SEK per partnership. The funds will finance the exchange between the municiplaities, such as travel, lodging annd other expenses in relation to exchange trips and network meetings.

Within the network, the municipalities will receive support from experts on human rights and researchers. The ICLD will arrange joint network activities for all partnerships, which in the first year will focus especially on how the municipalities can include civil society and universities in their upcoming projects.