Global Call for The World Day for the Right to the City: Stop Forced Evictions

October 31^th
2017 – The World Day for the Right to the City: Stop Forced Evictions

The Global Platform for
the Right to the City members, friends and allies from all around the world,
gathering
in Nairobi, Kenya,

Declare
the 31^th October of every year the World Day for the Right to the
City and make a global call for the right to the
city, and the universal opposition to forced evictions and displacements that are dramatically impacting both on our
urban and rural communities.

Forced evictions are a
gross violation of legally
recognized human rights.
According to international standards and commitments, such as the General Comments 4 and 7, national and local governments (including Executive, Legislative and Judiciary powers) are asked to (1) take preventive measures; (2) ensure sufficient
protection; and (3) guarantee that safeguards of all human rights are taken
prior, during and after evictions. Forced evictions are a threat to a peaceful
and decent life. Forced evictions cause terror and suffering for the most
disadvantaged, with devastating consequences for children and women^[i].

One year ago, at the
Habitat III conference held in Quito, 197 states approved the New “Urban”
Agenda, where they reaffirmed their commitment to
prevent arbitrary forced evictions and displacements and provide dignified and
adequate reallocation^[ii]. States also
recognized that property and land in cities and human settlements must fulfil
their social function, a fundamental component of the right to the city^[iii].

Nevertheless, despite
those commitments, these gross violations are still happening all over the
world. The New Urban Agenda embraced the Right to
the City vision, understood as the right of all inhabitants (present and
future; permanent and temporary) to use, occupy, produce, govern and enjoy
just, inclusive, safe and sustainable cities, villages and settlements defined
as common goods. Forced evictions, fuelled especially by the unlimited
development, are a clear threat to that shared vision.

Today, as a Global Platform integrating a broad range
of institutions and actors,we express our solidarity
with the people who face forced evictions, displacements, and loss of their
homes, lands, and livelihoods.

Today, we salute the
courage of hundreds of organizations, as well as the
consistency of national governments and local authorities when they protect
human rights legally recognized, and their different but relentless struggle
around the world for the right to the city and social justice in urban and rural areas.

Today, and according to our different roles and
competences, we commit to work together to denounce and urgently stop Forced
Evictions,
and to support the affected communities.

In this sense, we – social
movements, non-governmental organizations, networks and forums, academic
institutions, public sector, local authorities, foundations and international
organizations- urgently call upon states to respect their commitments under the
global agendas and human rights treaties, guarantee the social function of land
and property, implement the right to the city and immediately prevent and
remedy forced evictions.

We
welcome the UN Special Rapporteur’s commitment on this front and call upon UN
Habitat to assume urgently its responsibilities, providing the tools needed to
deal with forced evictions, in particular by reintroducing the “forced
evictions” indicator in the ” Slum Index” and restoring the UN Habitat Advisory
Group on Forced Evictions, with concrete capacity to intervene.

We will continue
monitoring and denouncing the forced evictions as gross human rights
violations. We will also continue mobilizing to defend our territories and
livelihoods.

STOP FORCED EVICTIONS AND DISPLACEMENTS!

RIGHT TO HOUSING AND RIGHT TO LAND NOW!

RIGHT TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND IN PEACE IN OUR
COMMUNITIES!

RIGHT TO THE CITY FOR ALL!

October 31
marks the first anniversary of the Habitat III commitments. We’d like to
propose this day as the World Day for the Right to the City. Every October 31
we’ll remind governments of their commitments to ensure equity, resilience,
sustainability, social justice and respect for the environment in human
settlements.

We invite you to join and share this call on your social media using
#StopForcedEvictions and #RighttotheCity. If you or your organization wish to
subscribe the call, please send an e-mail to contact@right2city.org

^[i] The right to adequate housing (Art.11.1):
forced evictions : 20/05/97. CESCR General comment 7

^[ii] New Urban Agenda, pars 31, 107 and 111.

^[iii] idem, par. 13 a)

List of cases:

1. Zimbabwe.
Evictions in Manzou Farm http://bit.ly/2yC0PZx

2. Chennai.
Over 400 families evicted in Chennaiunder the guise of ‘restoration of water
bodies’and disaster management http://bit.ly/2g7AzyG

3. Johannesburg.
Fattis Mansion Residents Question the Legality of their forced Eviction http://bit.ly/2yCVilA

4. Otodo
Gbame, Lagos, Nigeria. Thousands Displaced as Police Raze Lagos’ Otodo Gbame http://bit.ly/2yChyfg

5. One
million displaced in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kasai: UN http://bit.ly/2g8tkGU

6. Italy:
Police Beat Refugees During Eviction http://bit.ly/2yD2jD5

7. Diyarbakir.
Kurds forced to leave historic Turkey’s Sur district hit by violence http://bit.ly/2yC65ML

8. Negev:
Israel razes Palestinian village for 113th time http://bit.ly/2yCniGb

9. Expelled
Mexican Christians forced to live in wine cellar http://bit.ly/2yCn95h

10.
Al-Sharq governerate, Kuwait. ‘Should we
leave country’ – Fishermen without homeshttp://bit.ly/2yCG93H

11.
Forced evictions in Kolkata for
theFederation of International Football Associations’ (FIFA). Under-17 World
Cup 2 http://bit.ly/2xwd4qG

12.
6 Cas D’evictions Forcees de
Douala-Cameroun: Nkomba, PK14-17, Bepanda Axe Lourd, Bepanda Boulevard, Emprise
Ferroviaire, et Corres http://bit.ly/2xy32VM

13.
Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo: 11.000 familles paysannes de
Bilangalonzo sous éxpulsions (ITE 2016)

14.
Europe, France: L’expulsions des 400
personne, les familles roumaines des bidonvilles de la Petite Ceinture, Paris –
CNDH Romeurope (ITE 2016)

15.
South America, Brazil, Izidora, Belo
Horizonte: 8.600 famílias das ocupações urbanas ameaçadas de despejo (ITE 2016)

16.
Asia, South Korea: Militarisation of Jeju Island – Gangjeong Village
Committee against Jeju Naval Base (ITE 2016)

17.
Middle East,Israel/The Occupied Territories of Palestine, Negev:
Unrecognized Bedouin villagesin Beer Chiva – RCUV (ITE 2016)

18.
South-America, Ecuador: Comunidad de la Isla de Muisne amenazada con el
desalojo con la excusa del Tsunami (ITE 2016)

19.
South America, Ecuador: Violent evictions and threats for 5.000 families
living in Monte Sinai and surrounding areas, Guayaquil (ITE 2016)

20.
South America, Ecuador, Guayaquil: 350 families tenants of the Casas
Colectivas under eviction (ITE 2016)

21.
North America, USA: Detroit. The massive eviction of the impoverished by
the crisis who fail to pay thewater bill due to the privatization of the
sector (ITE 2016)

22.
Asia, India: Expropriation and evictions to make room for a third airport
for the national capital, New Delhi (ITE 2017)

23.
Asia, Sri Lanka: Land grabbing for tourism development, Panama Village
(ITE 2017)

24.
South America, Argentina: Evictions and gentrification in the historic
neighbourhood of La Boca, Buenos Aires (ITE 2017)