Subnational Oversight

Local Human Rights Commissions

In many countries, subnational human rights commissions operate at the municipal, county, state, or provincial levels, overseeing implementation of human right norms in their localities. In some instances, these bodies are charged with investigating and adjudicating complaints arising under national and local civil rights laws. Subnational human rights commissions are also often active in promoting human rights education in communities and hosting dialogues to address human rights concerns. Often, these subnational bodies coordinate activities, share information, and work collectively to promote human rights on a national scale.

Voluntary Local Reviews

The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as Agenda 2030, were adopted by all United Nations members in 2015. The 17 goals aim to achieve “peace and prosperity” for the planet by, among other things, addressing climate change, promoting equality, and ending poverty. As part of the SDG implementation process, the UN developed a process for nations governments to report their progress through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). This initial process did not include an independent role for local governments, but by 2018, several local governments began preparing their own progress reports, called Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). New York City submitted the first VLR to the UN in 2018. Since that time, hundreds of local and regional governments around the world have prepared and submitted VLRs, with many providing updates after their initial filings. In response, the UN has begun to recognize this movement and develop processes to support local and regional governments in monitoring and implementing the SDGs.

Human Rights Cities

The Human Rights Cities movement was launched by the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning following the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, Austria. These is no single indicator of human rights city status, but in 2011, the 1st World Human Rights Cities Forum of Gwangju, South Korea, defined Human Rights Cities as “both a local community and a socio-political process in a local context where human rights play a key role as fundamental values and guiding principles.” Generally, human rights cities have taken some formal steps to incorporate human rights norms into city laws, policies, and practices. Human Rights Cities exist throughout the world, including in Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa.

Cities for CEDAW

Cities for CEDAW is a United States-based grassroots movement to encourage subnational governments to endorse and implement the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The United States is one of only six UN member nations that have not ratified CEDAW. Cities for CEDAW aims to encourage local governments to honor the women’s rights treaty while also increasing pressure on the US national government to ratify the Convention.

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