COHRE Bulletin Latin America Vol1 No.2 2008

Vol. 1_No 2 August / September 2008

CENTRE ON HOUSING RIGHTS AND EVICTIONS

Bulletin_ on Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America 2008 | #02 PAG

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Editorial From the COHRE Americas Programme – CAP

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MINURVI Summit / New challenges to be faced

Politics and Management / Bogotá

Forced evictions and the reform of the Code of Civil Procedure / Brazil

Towards a Charter of the right to the city/ Mexico

Towards the implementation of the right to the city in Latin America: will there be space for civil society in the decision-making?

Housing and habitat in the two most recent Development Plans of the City of Bogotá

Human rights and the struggle to create a judicial framework for the prevention of forced evictions in Brazil

Progress towards Utopia: the right to the city is more than just a slogan

The next General Assembly of Ministers and Maximum Authorities of Housing and Urban Development in Latin America and the Caribbean MINURVI- : challenges to be met by States and the active role to be played by organisations in the search for a solid proposal that incorporates the right to the city in a comprehensive manner.

A review of governmental management since 2004 in the Colombian capital: between the intentions of a progressive focus on the subject of housing and habitat and the lack of programs and concrete results.

Tensions between a judicial system that promotes the right to housing and to the city and the failure of Brazilian civil procedure law to effectively guarantee implementation: an analysis of the need to reformulate Brazil's Code of Civil Procedure.

A news item on the recent meeting between the Government of the Federal District and civil society organisations to develop “The Charter of the City of Mexico for the Right to the City.”

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Credits | Support

Editorial From the COHRE Americas Programme – CAP

In this second edition, we continue with our objectives of increasing participation and encouraging reflection on matters relating to the right to housing and to the city in Latin American countries. This edition incorporates, for the first time, articles written by professionals who work in entities and on projects in defence of these rights, and the great majority of whom collaborate closely in initiatives with COHRE in the region. To them we extend our special thanks.

In each delivery of this publication, we enrich and consolidate a space for interaction and debate, while remaining alert to detect violations of the rights we are committed to defending in our daily work.

This present edition also analyses an outstanding event which will take place shortly in El Salvador: the XVII General Assembly of Ministers and the Maximum Authorities of Housing and Urban Development in Latin America and the Caribbean – MINURVI. On this subject, María Lorena Zárate, in her article “Towards the implementation of the right to the city in Latin America: will there be space for civil society in the decision-making?”, recounts the history and presents the challenges and the expectations facing this assembly.

The article that follows is a polished reflection by Alejandro Florian, entitled “Housing and habitat in the two most recent Development Plans of

Page 02 Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

the City of Bogotá”. Florian analyses the actions of recent public administrations in the Colombian capital, particularly on matters related to habitat and housing. He demonstrates how the political rhetoric for the respective Development Plans was innovative in approaching these subjects, but did not have much practical effect on the programs and projects themselves.

In turn, another peculiar situation in Latin America is analysed, this time in Brazil: the necessity of reforming the existing Code of Civil Procedure in order to enable legislation on the right to housing to achieve real advances and to realise the right to housing for the citizens of that country. Cristiano Müller, in his article “Human rights and

the struggle to create a judicial framework for the prevention of forced evictions in Brazil”, presents observations and recommendations on the subject.

Finally, “Progress towards Utopia: the right to the city is more than just a slogan” discusses the expectations raised in Mexico City by the development of the “Charter of the City of Mexico for the Right to the City”.

As in our first edition, we invite readers to continue to send commentaries and information on events relevant to themes of the right to housing and to the city in Latin America to the electronic postal address boletin@cohre.org.

MINURVI Summit / New challenges to be faced

Towards the implementation of the right to the city in Latin America: will there be space for civil society in the decision-making?

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María Lorena Zárate*

Latin American cities, home to more than 77% of the population of the region, present well-known challenges, including: poverty, spatial segregation, a precarious existence and vulnerability to disasters that we are continually generating. Paradoxically, the governments of the region have abandoned their responsibility for urban-territorial planning in favour of allowing private appropriations of urban spaces and failing to restrict real-estate speculation. At the same time, they ignore, and even criminalise people's individual and collective efforts to obtain a roof over their heads and a decent place to live. The city-as-merchandise is promoted over the cityas-a-right and only those who can afford to pay can access a home.

For more than 20 years, a group of international networks, social and non-governmental organisations, workers unions and academics have demonstrated our commitment to creating new paradigms and social practices of production and enjoyment of human settlements. We have shared the principles of the democratic management of land; of the full practice of citizenship; of the social function of land and property; as well as the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources. The right to the city and urban reform unite our proposals in many countries.

We observe organisational processes that can

promote many things, including the development of model projects, the creation of conceptual, methodological and technological tools, and that can have an impact on public policies, the legal framework, and financial and management instruments. So-called civil society has conquered important spaces of deliberation; nevertheless, these are not sufficient nor do they have the depth that they should have in terms of citizen participation in the decisions that affect us. At the regional level, our involvement is yet more limited – often to forums and meetings in which we certainly can be heard, but which, in general, have few repercussions.

Worse still, they do not have the needed continuity.

The General Assembly of Ministers and the Maximum Authorities for Housing and Urban Development in Latin America and the Caribbean - MINURVI (see box) has existed since 1992 as an annual thematic forum that, with support from the UN-HABITAT Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, furthers debate and promotes declarations and agreements at the level of the Summit of Ibero-American Presidents (Cúpula Ibero-americana de Presidentes). Many of the documents produced

by MINURVI emphasise the importance of strengthening the role to be played by the State, of improving the planning and urban and rural management of the land and of promoting participatory social processes for the deve-

lopment of public policies. Unfortunately, we do not see how that can be transformed into reality.

In an unprecedented action at the most recent Summit with the Heads of States, the Ministers of Housing and Urban Development were instructed to “promote the implementation of the right to the city by generating public policies that will ensure access to land, to adequate housing, infrastructure and social equipment and to sufficient and sustainable and sustainable sources of financing”. (Declaration of Santiago, Action Plan Point 29, November 2007). In view of the magnitude of this challenge, the next MINURVI Assembly should surely discuss the creation of an institutional space to define the strategy and a plan of action to be followed in order to advance in this manner.

Many organisations have undertaken to collaborate in a substantive manner and we have formally requested the possibility to present a joint statement and proposal for general guidelines on how to conceive and approach the right to the city in an integrated manner.

Several months ago, we developed and are currently distributing a collective Declaration that is intended, on the one hand, to reinforce the principals and strategic guidelines that constitute the right to the city (not merely aspects of housing and adequate infrastructure) and, on the other hand, to focus on a num-

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MINURVI Summit New challenges to be faced

ber of measures to be advocated at the national level and implemented in coordination with various departments of state, provincial and local governments. The design, execution and permanent supervision will depend on the involvement and active participation of diverse sectors of civil society (and not only the private sector; because not everything is a question of money).

Our proposals may be summarised under four headings which we feel are fundamental and urgent: Strengthening of the processes of production and social management of habitat; Democratisation of the management of territories and of access to land and buildings; Regularisation of tenure and access to public services; Harmonisation of the national and local legislation with international standards and undertakings assumed in respect of human rights.

Some hundreds of national, regional and international organisations and networks from 14 countries are promoting this document, as part of a shared agenda of action for the coming months and with the intention of enlarging the scope of the debate and of formulating a joint proposal. The process is still open. The result depends on all of us and must be more than a pile of paper full of good ideas and better intentions.

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

The next General Assembly of Ministers and the Maximum Authorities for Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean MINURVI – El Salvador, September 2008 For a space for dialogue and proposals for the effective implementation of the right to the city in Latin America During the first week of September, the XVII Assembly of MINURVI will meet in El Salvador (www.minurvi.org), following two days of a “technical phase” during which we will exchange studies, diagnoses and proposals on human settlements in Latin America.

We are the many networks, movements and organisations that have requested a space to present to the Ministers and Authorities for Housing and Urban Development our thoughts on how to proceed towards the implementation of the right to the city in this region. Although some of us have been able to participate on previous occasions, we do not yet know if it will be possible this time. Therefore we are coordinating the preparation of our own activities (known as parallel events) where we can reflect, discuss and spread knowledge of what we have learned from a vast experience of shared work towards promoting, defending and implementing the human rights associated with habitat.

The joint declaration we signed in October in Valparaiso showed us that, even without mechanisms for direct dialogue, we know how to make ourselves heard by those who make the decisions. From now on, will there be an institutionalised space where we can jointly contribute to the construction of cities which are more just, democratic and sustainable?

The statistics show that more than half of existing homes and many entire neighbourhoods were constructed by the residents themselves. Is it not time that the public policies, the programs and the budgets recognise, encourage and support these efforts?

For more information on this process and to join the discussion, click on http://derechoalaciudadhic-al.blogspot.com/

* María Lorena Zárate is the coordinator of the Office of Habitat International Coalition – América Latina (HIC-AL), based in México City. Since 2003, she has been responsible for international projects of production, the social management of habitat, and the right to housing, land and the city.

She has contributed to various publications and has participated in many events dealing with these themes.

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Politics and Management / Bogotá

Housing and the habitat in the two most recent Development Plans of the City of Bogotá

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

Alejandro Florian Borbón*

The official discourse from the past and current administrations of Bogotá has indicated, regarding issues of housing and habitat, firm intentions of introducing innovative and progressive policies.

However, in practice, the administration from the years 2004 to 2008 achieved very little and expectations vary for results from the present administration. There have been many good intentions stated and there is great hope that the intentions will be converted into programs and projects in the public institutions charged with implementing the work budgeted for housing and habitat in the city.

During the last two administrations (20042008 and 2008-2012), Bogotá has had Development Plans1 that in their structure and promotion presented challenging formulations. The first, “Bogotá without indifference”, prepared by the Luis Eduardo Garzón administration, was touted as a plan based on a focus on rights.

The second, “Positive Bogotá: to live better”, from the present Mayor Samuel Moreno, states that its structure should be understood as “a perspective of rights, population and territories 2 ”. Both documents have expressed commitments to the undertakings made by both Mayors when they were candidates for election

with the Polo Democrático Alternativo (a political party made up of a range of members of the democratic left of Colombia).

Some observations on the Development Plan developed by the administration of Luis E. Garzón (2004-2008) merit considerations. The first observation, as far as housing and habitat are concerned, is that the well-intentioned formulation of “a focus on human rights and ESC rights” is no more than a title. In fact, not the slightest conceptual or technical reference to the right to adequate housing can be found in the text, nor was any effort made to provide an institutional interpretation – in significance and content – to the idea of “(a) focus on rights” as applied to housing.

The targets set out in the plan concentrated on the number of homes constructed, the number of improvements, the number of inspections, and the number of subsides, etc.

During the three administrations prior to the above-mentioned, Bogotá had constructed the conceptual and institutional bases of a public urban development policy in relation to social housing, which were oriented towards fulfilling the public function of urban

development, as foreseen in Law 388 of 1997. Massive projects were implemented to improve land concessions, the living conditions in neighbourhoods and the resettlement of people living in dangerous areas. Formally, these programmes were first included in the Land Use Plan of 2000 and in the revision of 2003, and incorporated concepts like the right to housing and social production as complementary alternatives. This recognises that housing priorities, access to urbanised land and management of land use, from the point of view of the quality of life in the city, are related to definitions of responsibilities and investments of some aspects of urban development (public services and collective transport, for example).

On the other hand, the city had already advanced in the understanding that adequate housing is made up of a number of attributes, some of which determine the quality of life, and are therefore collective in nature and are clearly defined in the organisation of the layout of the city. In this respect, the city had already taken a number of steps forward, including: (i) incorporating tools for the management of city land in the Land Use Plan (Plan de Ordenamiento); (ii) adopting a value-

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Colômbia Politics and Management / Bogotá

added tax by action of the City Council; (iii) initiating a proposal for institutional reform contemplating the creation of a Secretariat of Housing (oriented to manage the investments related to housing and habitat being made by different sectors responsible for related activities in the city).

Department of District Planning and the newly-formed Secretariat of Housing.

Their efforts were concentrated on keeping alive, on the one hand, the processes of organisation and planning of such large projects as the Operation Usme and the Zona Norte, while on the other hand protecting the conceptual and institutional advances achieved by prior administrations. Particularly, they focused on configuring a Habitat Policy that would integrate the institutional and conceptual advances of previous administrations with the policies of the Secretariat of Housing, which are oriented towards participatory management of the processes of the public function of urban development so as to include the collective components of the right to adequate housing.

For this reason, it came as a surprise to some of those who work in these areas that a left-wing administration proclaiming a social platform of “Bogotá without indifference”, such as that of the administration of Mayor Garzón (20042008), should adopt as a central axis in its housing management a classic neo-liberal policy of demand subsidisation to encourage the formation of new homeowners. The result was a disaster and was recognised as such by Mayor Garzón, in his comical way. With this admission, there would not be much point in analysing the matter further, were it not for the fact that those who lost from this policy were the City, the citizens left without adequate housing, and the public, social and private institutions of the sector.

We have many expectations for the Development Plan of the new administration of Samuel Moreno. It sets out principles such as: a city of rights; the right to the city; the global city; participation; decentralisation; effective and transparent public management, and sustainable finances.

However, during this disastrous period for the right to adequate housing, one must recognise the isolated efforts made by the

Without a doubt, to talk of a city of rights and of the right to the city is to generate great expectations. For the moment, we

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

can only express our opinion as to its formulation and discuss some of the ideas that are a cause for our concern. For example, if the new city administration proclaims its intention to focus public management on rights (for example, regarding the right to housing), then we consider that the administration should explicitly sustain the formulation which is postulated in General Comment No 4 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and is incorporated by the Colombian Constitutional Court into the national jurisprudence, wherein the concept of “the right to decent housing” is developed.

In this sense, we consider it necessary that the Moreno Administration's Development Plan, “Positive Bogotá”, be explicit on the interpretation of such concepts as “housing solution” and “conditions of habitability”. In addition, some expressions, which at first sight are apparently clear, on further consideration, are seen to require greater precision if the true nature of the action proposed is to be understood so that citizens know what to expect. For instance, what exactly is meant by: “construct residences”, “prepare the land”, “offer habitation”, “integral improvement”, “intervention in areas of

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Colômbia Politics and Management / Bogotá

urban renovation”, “manage” and “integral urban operation”?

It is possible that precise numbers or results do not exist in the cases mentioned.

Consequently, it would be more appropriate to explain the processes by which the administration intends to elaborate upon its proposals to establish indicators to direct the operational priorities and the social impact evaluation.

We can say, therefore, that the political discourse on housing and habitat in the city of Bogotá has evolved to include references to human rights, and more specifically to ESC rights, as elements of a striking discursive intentionality. However, we consider that much still needs to be done to achieve a coherent balance between the progressive ideological focus

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Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

and the projects of those public institutions that are charged with executing the programs for investment in housing and habitat in Bogotá.

This is the principal challenge facing the current administration: to give a sense of direction and obtain coherent results – listed in the Plan of Topics – to each one of the programmes and projects. This implies ensuring the provision of precise instructions and giving adequate support to the public servants in charge of the institutional instruments, so as to “make a qualitative difference” in the management process. Only in this way can one consolidate the priority of the city competencies in the collective components that determine the public function of urban development.

In Colombia, the public management or administration of the collective affairs of the City, which is the responsibility of each elected government, is realised in three stages: planning, execution and evaluation of the development strategy. The development plans concretise the planning process (the first stage of management) and should indicate the priorities for what is to be done during the respective mandate.

2 “Development Plan Economical, Social and Environmental and of Public Works – POSITIVE BOGOTA: TO LIVE BETTER” Bogotá D.C, 2008 – 2012 – District Department of Planning.

* Alejandro Florian Borbón is a lawyer and has worked on habitat and social housing issues since 1982. He has worked for the National Federation of Popular Housing Organizations (FEDEVIVIENDA) developing various community activities and providing management assistance. At present, he is Executive Director of this institution. He also collaborated with the Ex-Mayor of Bogotá, Antanas Mockus S., in the United Nations Urban Management Program with Bogotá on issues of housing and urban development, during the period of 2000-2003.

Forced evictions and the reform of the Code of Civil Procedure / Brazil

Human rights and the struggle to create a judicial framework for the prevention of forced evictions in Brazil Cristiano Muller*

In recent years, the Brazilian judicial system has introduced several important innovations by adopting urbanistic instruments that promote both the right to the city and the right to housing.

However, this same legal system still includes other rules of law that are not in consonance with these innovative mechanisms. This situation results in an “outdated� interpretation of the law, most notably in relation to the prevention of forced evictions. In this sense, it can therefore be said that the effort to adapt Brazilian law with international standards on human rights continues to be a challenge to be overcome.

Since the year 2000, with the promulgation of Amendment 26 to the Constitution, which incorporated the right to housing as a social guarantee into Article 6 of the Brazilian Federal Constitution, various normative procedures have been drawn up to ensure that this right is effectively implemented in people's daily lives. With this determination, Brazil has taken the initial steps for

its inclusion in the judicial structure, in accordance with the obligations assumed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, where in Article 11 specifies protection for the right to adequate housing. Similarly, the Statute of the City was approved in 2001 along with Provisory Measure 2.220/2001. Both documents contain principles and judicial and administrative mechanisms and instruments on urban law and land ownership regularisation. With the approval of the new Brazilian Civil Code, the ordinary legislation adopted the constitutional concept o f p r o p e r t y, p r e v e n t i n g recognition of its socialenvironmental function, and on the other hand, judicially recognising innumerable situations of land possession that had not been previously considered in civil law. For example, we may cite the recognition of legal ownership for those who can prove that they had been in effective possession of the property where they live or produce for ten years (article 1.238

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Brazil Code of Civil Procedure

§ only); the recognition of urban and rural constitutional acquired rights (articles 1.239 and 1.240); and the recognition of special concessions for housing purposes as a real right (article 1.225, XI). However, these victories are contained within the scope of civil law and are not adequately protected by civil procedural law in this country. As such, although a legal framework for the right to housing and the social function of property undoubtedly exists, these rights are not concretised “in a real and effective manner” in the lives of persons concerned, nor are they in accordance with international human rights standards regarding forced evictions.

This last point regarding the prevention of forced eviction is the main reason why COHRE has been pressing forward with proposals, along with the National Forum on Urban Reform in Brazil (Fórum Nacional da Reforma Urbana no Brasil), urban and rural social movements, quilombola movements, magistrates, members of the Public Ministry, lawmakers and academics. In 2006, at a seminar in the city of Recife, many of these entities took part in approving a Brazilian Platform for the Prevention of Forced Evictions. This document, debated and developed by participants, proposed a series of recommendations that the Brazilian State

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

should implement in order to prevent forced evictions in urban and rural areas and in the territories of the traditional and ethnic communities. Among these recommendations is the need for the reform of the Code of Civil Procedure, which in practice establishes the way the law is applied i n t h i s c o u n t r y. F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e recommendations propose judicial, administrative and procedural protections against forced evictions. These should be specifically incorporated in that part of the Procedural Code that deals with special procedures for reintegration of possession to owners of land or property informally

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Brazil Code of Civil Procedure

occupied by others. It should require that the judge, before considering a request for a compliance order1, take steps to ensure that the occupier is not simply evicted without further consultation, and should designate a date for an audience to attempt a mediation between the parties. (S)he should preside over this audience together with the public minister, and all involved parties should be formally summoned to appear and should be duly assisted, where required, by the public defender. If no agreement can be reached, the judge should note the request for the compliance order for reintegration of possession but should include consideration of the obligation of the owner to fulfil the requirements of the legislation regarding the social function of property as one of the requirements for concession of the order. In this manner, and based on the reform of the respective procedural law, judges will be obliged to request information from the municipal, state and federal public authorities as to whether the land or

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property in dispute is effectively fulfilling the legally required social function. Thus, the actions taken by judges themselves in accordance with these recommendations would guarantee persons' right to adequate housing.

In order to further the approval process for the reform of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure, a Working Group with the Ministry of Justice was formed. This group met this year in two workshops. The first addressed a defence of the proposal presented to the Ministry by the Urban Reform network. The second, which was attended by many jurists familiar with the subject, held a debate on the feasibility of carrying out the reforms.

Resolution 1993/77 of the UN Committee on Human Rights established that the practice of forced evictions constitutes a grave violation of human rights2. For this reason, the adoption of the respective international standards is an urgent obligation that must

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

be assumed by the institutions of this country. In fact, Brazil seems to be moving rapidly towards the creation of a legal framework that promotes the right to housing by instituting legal instruments that establish protections regarding the social function of property. However, it is moving much more slowly to introduce into the judicial order regulations that prevent forced evictions and guarantee the right to adequate housing. It is only with activism from the national networks of human rights and urban reform that it will be possible to be victorious in this battle.

* Cristiano Muller is a lawyer practicing in Porto Alegre and holds a Masters Degree in human rights. Currently, he is a Legal Officer at the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE).

The compliance order in Brazil is an urgent legal request presented by a real estate owner in the framework of a legal process to carry out an eviction.

As Brazil is a State Party to the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, its government is legally obliged to respect, protect and guarantee the right to adequate housing and the right to property, including the prohibition of forced evictions, in accordance with Article 11(1). In addition, the State is also obliged to not interfere in cases where persons already enjoy the right to adequate housing, and furthermore, to protect such persons against forced evictions by third parties.

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Towards a Charter of the right to the city/ Mexico City Progress towards Utopia: the right to the city is more than just a slogan*

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

At an event that took place at the end of July, civil society organisations and local government authorities agreed on a course of joint action to advance the cause of human rights in the country's capital city. The instrument to be employed? – the development and implementation of “The Charter of the City of Mexico for the Right to the City”.

Our cities are very far from being the cities we want them to be. We can stop and ask any resident of any city street and find that (s)he knows and will tell us exactly what is wrong, what doesn't work and what is missing. For decades, we have had centres of research and learning in public and private universities specialising in the subject, that have produced hundred of pages diagnosing the problems of our cities and making recommendations to public administrators. At regular intervals, literally hundreds of urban development, land use regulation and environmental conservation programs are developed, discussed and approved. However, the more or less generalised impression is that nothing changes as the majority would like it to be. For a long time we have known that it is time to be realists…and to dream the impossible.

In Mexico City, over the past year, a broad group of organisations involved in the popular urban movement invited the local government to discuss the formulation and subscription of a Charter for the Right to the City. A number of departments and other public offices were involved in the process, as well as the autonomous Federal District Commission for Human Rights (Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito Federal – CDHDF). Also, the Habitat International Coalition – América Latina (HICAL) has kept in close contact with the local workers, taking part in the meetings of the Promoting Committee (Comité Promotor), inviting civil and academic entities to contribute to the development of documents explaining the motivations, expectations and principal contents of the proposed Charter.

In a landmark event this past 31st of July, a meeting was set up to broadcast the initiative widely and to call on citizens to strengthen the effort through participation by grassroots organisations, the unions, professionals and the public in general. Before an audience of some 200 persons and in the presence of various local and national media networks, the Head of Government declared that this effort “was going to have many positive consequences for the future of the City” and pledged himself to listen attentively to all proposals submitted and also to invite the Legislative Assembly to construct “a legal instrument that would establish obligations, public policies and new forms of management.” In his contribution to the debate, the President of CDHDF emphasised that the creation of the Charter of the

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Mexico City Towards a Charter of the right to the city

City of Mexico on the Rights to the City “reflects a change in the democratic process of the entity (...) by means of a political-social pact in which the different elements of society participate.�

Although an initiative with these characteristics is unique in the world, it is inspired by the international debate and the local and national instruments already developed and being implemented (particularly the Brazilian Statute of the City). This heritage was recognised at the inaugural presentation of the fundamental strategies of the Right to the City, promoted by HIC-AL. However, the new Charter will only have an effective impact on the lives of the residents of the Federal District and the metropolitan areas of Mexico City if residents call for a process of appropriation and play a leading and enthusiastic role in its implementation from the beginning. For this reason, civil and social organisations of the Promoting Committee are formulating actions and presenting proposals to stimulate wide-ranging discussions during the development of the document and the design of the mechanisms for its implementation, and to encourage participation in adjustments and monitoring by all levels of society. To contribute to this work, a virtual forum is being created where it will be possible to share materials and send comments and suggestions that fuel this great shared Utopia. (For further details, see the website www.hic-al.org).

* This news item was written based on information provided by the HIC-AL Office. We particularly want to thank Ms. Lorena ZĂĄrate.

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

Page 13 CENTRE ON HOUSING RIGHTS AND EVICTIONS

COHRE – the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions – is an independent nongovernmental organisation acting internationally to promote and protect the right to adequate housing for everyone, everywhere. Since 1994, the organisation has promoted the search for, and the implementation of, solutions to problems such as the lack of housing and inadequate housing conditions. For this purpose, COHRE supports entities that work with human rights and itself acts with various intergovernmental departments in its registered consultative

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1_No. 2 | August_ September 2008

status with the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of American States (OAS). COHRE also holds observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

regional programmes. These latter are divided into: the Africa Programme (COHRE-CA), the Asia and the Pacific Programme (COHRE-CAPP), Europe (with special projects), and the COHRE Americas Programme (COHRE-CAP).

setlements. CAP also carries out activities at the national and international level, including fact-finding missions, litigation, monitoring and the promotion of campaigns against the practice of forced evictions.

To implement its actions, COHRE is organised by thematic programmes (the Right to Water Programme, the Litigation Programme, the Women and Housing Rights Programme, the Housing and Property Restitution Programme and the Global Forced Evictions Programme) as well as

Since 2002 the COHRE Americas Programme has been working in defense of the right to adequate housing in the region through capacity building programmes, legal assistance and promoting the right to land of minority groups and low income communities in informal

The COHRE Americas Programme organises these and other activities in certain target countries where it works jointly with local entities. The countries where these activities are being conducted currently are Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras.

Translation into English Emily Walsh

Photographs Cover + page 11 and 12 / City of México / HIC - LA Page 2 / Vila Dique (Porto Alegre, Brasil) / COHRE Page 8 and 9/ COHRE

The COHRE team – COHRE Americas Programme – CAP Claudia Acosta, Julián Díaz Bardelli, Gilsely Barreto, Carolina Fainstein (Right to Water Programme), Fernanda Levenzon (Right to Water Programme), Daniel Manrique, Karla Moroso, Cristiano Muller, Soledad Pujó, Victoria Ricciardi (Women and Housing Rights Programme), Robinson Sanchez Tamayo, Lucas Laitano Valente, Adriano Villeroy.

This publication is supported by:

Bulletin_ Housing Rights and the Right to the City in Latin America Vol. 1 – No. 2 – August/September 2008 Editor Sebastián Tedeschi (Coordinator of the COHRE Americas Programme) Coordination and production Soledad Domínguez (Communications Officer - COHRE Americas Programme -)

English Editing Deanna Fowler Graphic design GLOT (www.glot.com.uy) Layout Karla Moroso

This Bulletin is produced and published every two months by: COHRE – Americas Programme – CAP Rua Jerônimo Coelho, 102/31 Porto Alegre, RS - Brasil Te: + 55 51 3212-1904 E-mail: cohreamericas@cohre.org