Urban October is a global celebration organized every year by UN-Habitat and its partners to start global conversations about the challenges and opportunities created by the fast rate of change in our cities and towns.
The programme has kickstarted on World Habitat Day, which was held virtually on October 5 and hosted by the city of Surabaya, in Indonesia. The theme chosen for 2020 is "Housing For All: A Better Urban Future".
This topic is particularly relevant this year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that a house is a first line of defence against the virus and many other diseases and risks. A house gives a sense of belonging and well-being for people to grow, engage, live, work, and learn together. By providing a place for people to inhabit in safety and protection and with access to basic services, housing largely contributes to health and dignity.
Moreover, UN-Habitat strongly advocates for adequate housing as a pathway to migrant inclusion in cities. Adequate, affordable and well-located housing is a catalyst for other rights – for example the right to work, education, health, and security – as well as opportunities to meet and interact with the local community. For this reason, it is crucial to enable newcomers to shape a life for themselves in their new context.
Research has shown that adequate housing is among the three most important factors contributing to the successful integration of newcomers in cities, together with sufficient language skills and access to employment (Carter Tom, 2005, "The Influence of Immigration on Global City Housing Markets, Urban Policy and Research", Taylor and Francis).
With migration being an important contributor to urbanization globally, our cities are becoming much more diverse places to live in. Cities are the setting in which the reality of social and economic accommodation of newcomers and their interaction with the host community take place. Cities have the power to influence migrants’ life by removing the barriers to their social, political, cultural and economic inclusion.
As the MC2CM project has been stressing since its launch in 2015, cities are the first interlocutor of local inhabitants and therefore fundamental stakeholders regarding policy discussion on migration.
Promoting inclusive urban planning that accounts for the needs of migrants will allow for affordable, safe and accessible public spaces and urban services for all and foster an urban culture of inclusivity, where all are considered equal.
Improving access to adequate housing and basic services in cities is one of the fundamental pathways to allow migrant and newcomers to contribute as much as they could to urban development.
Consequently, UN-Habitat is launching on World Habitat Day the Housing for All Campaign to raise awareness, gather solutions and commit to housing for all, a central theme to our mandate.
At this particular moment of the COVID-19 crisis, we know that housing is at the centre of the recovery because we have seen the positive impact of providing homes and shelters to communities. With adequate housing and protections, people, even those in the most vulnerable situations, can thrive and cities can recover. It is central to make sure that no-one is left behind.
During these five weeks, we are going to engage everyone to commit to adequate housing for all. We will showcase the best housing solutions and ask partners to share theirs in order to inspire others.
With the COVID-19 crisis, more than ever, it is time to act for all people, their health, dignity, safety, inclusion and well-being.
Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
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TOWARDS BETTER CITIES FOR MIGRANT WOMEN
MC2CM AND UCLG-CSIPDHR HOST MULTISTAKEHOLDER SESSION ON MIGRANT WOMEN IN CITIES
Around 100 participants took part in the interactive working session “MC2CM Dialogue on Migrant Women in Cities” co-organized by MC2CM and the UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights (UCLG-CSIPDHR) last 10th of September. More than 20 cities participated in this collective brainstorming exercise to explore gender-sensitive approaches to local migration governance, together with international organisations, city networks, CSOs, migrant women associations and academia, sharing global and territorial insights into the challenges faced by migrant women and identifying barriers and opportunities for local action.
Following an introductory panel by UCLG, UN Women and New Women Connectors, political representatives from Sousse, São Paulo and Turin shared their experiences in gender-specific issues. Violence and insecurity stood out as some of the most pressing challenges for women throughout all phases of migratory processes, comprising human trafficking and exploitation, domestic violence and insecurity in accessing public space, among others. For local governments, limited mandates and capacities, as well as lack of dedicated resources, remain strong barriers to address realities on the ground. Cross-cutting approaches, tackling together gender, accessibility, protection and inclusion, were addressed as a cornerstone. This exploratory conversation was a first step towards strengthening gender-sensitive policy-making and urban planning at the Mediterranean and at global level, in cooperation with States and stakeholders, comprising migrants, civil society, academia and the private sector.
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MOVING THE DISCUSSION FORWARD, MC2CM HOSTS A COORDINATION WORKSHOP WITH CITIES
After 2 years of implementation of its second phase (2018-2021), the MC2CM project hosted a coordination workshop to update participating cities on project’s outcomes and plan with them the work towards the next steps and activities. The meeting held via Zoom on September 17 gathered representatives of 11 active cities working within the MC2CM project, namely: Amman, Casablanca, FAMSI, Irbid, Lyon, Rabat, Ramallah, Oujda, Sousse, Sfax and Vienna.
During the workshop the discussion has focused on 5 thematic areas: Dialogue and learning; City Migration Profiles; Targeted City Actions; Communication, Narrative & Global advocacy; MC2CM cities’ response to COVID-19. In each of the areas, the project team presented the achievements and the next steps to be implemented. To better adapt to cities’ needs, a dialogue has been launched to collect feedbacks, comments and orientations. The meeting has also been an opportunity for MC2CM partners to recall how the project’s achievements are being incorporated to stimulate their work for a better urban migration governance.
Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG, highlighted how the Mediterranean experience has been a motor to their work on migration at global level as in the UCLG Congress and its Manifesto on Migration, and in the Mayors Mechanism of the GFMD where UCLG plays a leading role. Julien Simon, ICMPD Regional Coordinator for the Mediterranean, recalled ICMPD’s commitment since 2011 to mainstream urban governance of migration in the global discussions and the work done to inform on the topic and include it in state dialogues, as in the Vienna Migration Conference or the Rabat Process among others. In this respect Christophe Lalande, Lead Housing Specialist at UN-Habitat, also highlighted the outreach of MC2CM within the UN agency, the inclusion of the MC2CM City Migration Profile methodology in the UN-Habitat 2020 Catalogue of Services as well as the space dedicated to migration in the latest World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi.
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MC2CM TARGETED CITY ACTIONS
The ACTION component is the implementation of MC2CM’s learnings and recommendations at the city level. In this frame, 15 Targeted City Actions activities are currently ongoing in cities of Tunisia (Sfax, La Marsa and Raoued), Morocco (Nador, Tangier, Oujda, Rabat, Casablanca, Tétouan, Larache, Alcazar-Quivir), Lebanon (18 Local Authorities), Jordan (Amman and Zarqa), and Palestine (Ramallah). MC2CM’s granted initiatives address the project Policy Recommendations and contribute to collectively achieving several objectives and targets of the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact on Migration.
During the past quarter, MC2CM created a space of sharing and learning through its Targeted City Actions Webinar series: An Insider Look at the Action. 9 Webinars hosting beneficiaries from local authorities, civil society and international organisations have been recorded so far, to showcase and share their initiatives with cities and stakeholders of the network and beyond, as well as to reflect on their contribution to the governance of migration in their local context. In its attempt to achieve far-reaching communications, the posters of the 15 actions, produced in 3 languages, proved to be effective visual aids used extensively to promote the efforts of all partners to achieve the intended impact.
Since our last newsletter, a lot has been achieved in this component. Amongst the TCAs’ capacity building activities implemented, the 2-day training course for the municipalities of La Marsa and Raoued on migrants services, as part of the I-MIGR action; the training for the municipalities of Sfax, Al Ain and Gremda on migrants’ rights, as part of ACMALS; the 6-day journalists training at the city of Nador on objective reporting, as part of Nador Social and Sustainable project. Much more on the TCAs in our upcoming newsletter. Stay tuned!
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COMMUNICATING MIGRATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: LESSONS LEARNT FROM OUR LATEST EVENT
The Mediterranean City-to-City Migration project (MC2CM) digital Peer-learning event on “Communication on Migration: Rebalancing the Narrative to Strengthen Local Governance”, took place online from 15 to 18 June 2020. The objective of this event was to produce an evidence-based analysis about communication on migration at local level. It specifically aimed to explore the ways local governments and authorities can rebalance the narrative on migration to strengthen local migration governance, foster social cohesion and increase the quality of life for all inhabitants.
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MC2CM LAUNCHES A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS TO SHOWCASE CITY RESPONSES TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
MEDITERRANEAN CITY-TO-CITY MIGRATION TALKS, LET THE VOICE OF CITIES BE HEARD
Cities are on the frontline to fight the battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of them are making a sensible effort to do it in an inclusive way. Providing care to all citizens, and especially to the most fragile, is what is at stake today. Human rights-driven approach, multilevel governance cooperation, trust-enhancing and evidence-based responses: this sanitary crisis represents a considerable exercise for local governments hosting migrant communities, a vast experiment showcasing initiatives that could lead the way for long-term sustainability approaches.
In partnership with the cities of the network, MC2CM has launched a series of interviews with representatives from local authorities to discuss and share best practices in support of migrants. How did cities manage to cope with this emergency? What is the role of cities in migration governance, especially when health is at stake? What are the main lessons learnt? To let the voice of cities be heard, Mediterranean City-to-City Talks leverage the potential of measures implemented on the field and showcase effective inclusion activities from the territories.
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#WeTogether International Migrants Day
18 December 2020 will be International Migrants Day. The observance of this year focuses on the stories of social cohesion, which are as varied and unique as each of the 272 million migrants living new lives and building new communities in every corner of the globe. We learn together, create together, work together, sing, dance and play together. We live together. That is the meaning of International Migrants Day and its message.
The MC2CM project will join forces together with other international organizations to raise awareness about this important occasion and showcase the contribution of our network’s cities in fostering social inclusion, protection and integration of migrants.
Stay tuned on our social media for more.
#WeTogether #MigrantsDay
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MIGRATION PROFILES - UPDATES FROM THE FIELD
After a reorganisation imposed by the COVID-19 crisis, the Profiling process of MC2CM cities has restarted in an online format with several Scoping Meetings and Local Stakeholders Group Meetings organised over the summer.
The MC2CM partners have successfully met with the local administration of Dortmund (Germany) in July and the M'diq Municipality (Morocco) in September to set the basis for the Migration Profile process. Identifying which stakeholders to involve in gathering the information and setting priorities, has represented a milestone to ensure constructive dialogue between various city actors as a foundation of the Migration Profile.
In July, Local Stakeholders Group Meetings were also carried out in Seville, in Oujda and with the cities of the Spanish Coastal Region (Cádiz, Puerto Real, Conil and Tarifa). Once again, the assistance and the readiness to innovate of local experts and municipalities have been crucial to support the MC2CM partners in holding these meetings in an online 3-hour format, a very different context if compared to the day-long in person methodology.
In the weeks to come the MC2CM partners will be participating in Scoping Meetings in Ramallah and Irbid, as well as in Stakeholders Group Meetings in Grenoble and Dortmund.This will be the first step to provide municipalities and local stakeholders with an analysis of the national and local migration contexts, as well as of the barriers to access services for migrants and the impact these have on the enjoyment of human rights, such as the Right to an Adequate Housing. The Profiles aim at developing knowledge of the local dimension of migration, establishing priorities and strengthening evidence-based policy making.
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