The 30 mayors, along with 100 leaders who participated in the 4th World Forum of Peace Cities and Territories, endorsed the declaration of the city of Bogotá as the conclusion of this international event. The declaration recognized the intention to build sustainable peace based on care and to combat violence in all its forms.
"From the most obvious expressions of violence to the structural inequalities and cultural divisions that undermine peace in our cities and territories, we must work towards human development that revolves around peace, culture, creativity, and quality of life. Only by doing so can we guarantee rights for all individuals and reduce the causes of violence in cities," states the final document.
On the last day of the forum, participants had the opportunity to visit the Care System of Colombia's capital and explore the Care Block in Lourdes, a locality in down town, guided by Mayor Claudia López.
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In this tweet, the Mayor expressed her gratitude to all the attendees of the 4th World Forum of Peace Cities and Territories 2023, held in Bogotá:
#EnVivo 🔴 Acto de clausura del 4to Foro Mundial Ciudades y Territorios de Paz 2023 #CiudadesDePaz.
— Claudia López Hernández (@ClaudiaLopez) June 29, 2023
Fue un privilegio aprender de ustedes, un gusto conocer sus experiencias y haber sido sus anfitriones. Bienvenidos siempre a Bogotá! https://t.co/a2U82VNiZK
The delegation from 16 countries received detailed information about the functioning of the Care Blocks, which are a fundamental part of the current institutional policy. These Care Blocks have gained international recognition for being pioneer models in Latin America, aimed at recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care work, thereby bridging gender gaps.
"The reason why we have been able to provide over 400,000 services and have 19 Care Blocks is that we were practical in using the existing infrastructure of the city. In Bogotá, we incorporated two elements of territorial planning: reducing travel times to make it a more accessible city, where the average distance for any itinerary is not more than an hour but rather 30 minutes," shared Mayor Claudia López with her guests.
After visiting the Care Block in the Santafé district, the local leaders from different countries who attended the event were welcomed at the Grand Hyatt Hotel with a performance by the "Coro de Hijos e Hijas de la Paz" (Choir of Sons and Daughters of Peace), which presented themes related to reconciliation.
Later, the forum attendees participated in several panels and discussions where they expressed their views on the importance of focusing their policies on caring for people to strengthen democracy and security through respect for youth and women.
"I believe we have a cross-cutting type of violence, which is macho violence, and in our case, there are many victims of verbal, physical, and the most terrible, which ends in femicide. Unfortunately, we cannot consider ourselves to be living in 100% peaceful spaces while this continues," said Pilar Díaz, Mayor of Esplugas de Llobregat, Spain.
In line with these statements, Mayra Mendoza, Intendant of Quilmes region in Argentina, expressed that "creating public policies together with citizens paves the way towards peace. Nearly three years after the legalization of abortion in Argentina, we continue to work to ensure its effective implementation because we still have very backward-thinking individuals who do not accept the law."
The female leaders delved into common issues during the afternoon panels and discussions, actively sharing their opinions. Among them were Clara Brugada Molina, Mayor of Iztapalapa in Mexico; Carola Gunnarsson, Vice President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions; Mayra Mendoza, Mayor of Quilmes; Carolina Cosse, Intendant of Montevideo, Uruguay; Paola Pabón, Mayor of Pichincha, Ecuador; and Pilar Díaz, Mayor of Esplugas.
Meanwhile, the Latin American female leaders who attended the forum also made their contributions focused on seeking synchronized policies for the entire region, always aiming to unite efforts that achieve more global effects, starting from the local level.
"We have a model of decentralization, and there were previous prefects who made significant contributions, and those who come after will bring further changes and transformations. But in my case, women were given a vote of confidence. In politics, we want more women working for women. We need institutional support to mainstream gender equality. We work on women's issues not because we are women, but because historically we have been denied the possibility of having rights, and because we represent over 50% of the population," explained Paola Pabón, Prefect of Pichincha in Ecuador.
Closing her participation in the second panel on how a care-centered approach advances equality, equity, and sustainability agendas, host Mayor Claudia López expressed, "To care for people, the planet, and democracy, we must remind ourselves every day that no matter how obvious it may seem, every right, every inclusion, every respect, every care, nothing is guaranteed until it is guaranteed for everyone."
The 4th World Forum of Peace Cities and Territories concluded with the transfer of the legacy from Bogotá to Montevideo in a ceremony attended by Mayor Claudia López, Intendant Carolina Cosse, the President of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Emilia Saiz, and the High Counselor for Peace of Bogotá, Diego Peña.
In a simple act, the mayor of the Colombian capital handed over the baton of this forum to the intendant of the Uruguayan capital, as the next edition will be held in Montevideo. As a symbolic gesture, she also presented a basket of products made by the House of Peace, an initiative that brings together citizens, victims, and former fighters who are united in weaving reconciliation.
In turn, the Intendant of Montevideo, Carolina Cosse, expressed gratitude for the development of this forum and received the baton, stating, "We are very grateful to receive this Forum from the hands of Bogotá, and we receive it with the commitment and conviction to continue weaving these peace initiatives together."
"Peace is a challenge of collective action, and it is a social contract that connects individuals that will drive us forward in the 21st century. You are always welcome to Bogotá, a land that will never cease its efforts to achieve peace," concluded the mayor at the end of the forum.
Here is the broadcast of the closure of the Peace Cities and Territories Forum 2023:
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