“Human Rights Training for a Sustainable and Inclusive Community” was initiated as a governmental project proposed by the Gwangju Metropolitan City as part of a Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Fellowship Program. The project is operated by the Gwangju International Center in cooperation with KOICA. Recognizing the significance of local government officials in enhancing citizens’ human rights, the project aims at establishing human rights-oriented culture within the organizations that trainees belong to by raising human rights understanding and human rights sensitivity. Also, the program pursues to firmly build a system to ensure the realization of human rights administration at the local governmental level. To that end, the Gwangju International Center has been committed to coming up with various education modules and expanding expert pool in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights (RWI).

UNESCO Asia-Pacific Coalition of Cities Against Discrimination (APCAD) was officially launched at the “Regional Conference of Cities for an Inclusive Urban Society” held in Bangkok, Thailand, in October 2006. The long-term goal of APCAD is to provide local authorities with an operational program that will allow a more efficient implementation of policies for a greater social inclusion of their city dwellers in the full respect of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all areas of public life, including political, economic, social, and cultural sectors. As a lead city of UNESCO APCAD, Gwangju Metropolitan City has assigned the Gwangju International Center (World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat) to conduct diverse cooperation projects with UNESCO, including APCAD Inclusive City Marker System development and a pilot project of City Art Lab.

APCAD Inclusive City Marker System is designed to check the degree of inclusiveness in policy implementation and to discuss cities’ concrete development direction in line with the objectives of UNESCO APCAD, namely: “provide local authorities with an operational programme that will allow a more efficient implementation of policies for a greater social inclusion of their city dwellers in the full respect of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.” While carrying out research on inclusion markers in various cities, UNESCO APCAD has set up criteria for the markers. The Gwangju International Center (World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat) has been committed to sharing policy performances related to the markers and further expanding cities network in close cooperation with the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok. As part of the efforts, best practices on the cities’ inclusion and implementing the Marker System will be shared at the annually held World Human Rights Cities Forum.

UNESCO International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR) is an initiative launched by UNESCO in 2004 in response to the calls for establishing a network of cities to jointly fight against racism and discriminations. Since its inauguration, UNESCO ICCAR has developed as an influential coalition that has put efforts in eradicating racism and discriminations through public policies and program, gathering over 700 city members around the globe. The objectives of UNESCO ICCAR are to garner attention on global solidarity and cooperation to promote inclusive urban development free from all forms of discrimination. To that end, the Gwangju International Center (World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat), chair of UNESCO APCAD, has taken an active role as part of the ICCAR Global Steering Committee.

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