LAMPEDUSA CHARTER for Dignified Human Mobility and Territorial Solidarity

The Lampedusa Charter will be the result of a participatory process towards a joint municipalist call to recognize, defend and promote solidarity, dignity and human rights as grounding basis for a renewed, fair and effective governance of human mobility at all levels 

Spearheaded by Totò Martello, Former Mayor of Lampedusa and Councilor of the Political Council on the Right to the City and Inclusive Territories, the UCLG Lampedusa Charter process carries forward the legacy and the commitment of the municipalist movement towards a collective shift in the narrative on human mobility, highlighting the responsibilities assumed by the territories to ensure the dignity and coexistence of all people. Building on Dignity, Equity, Recognition, Participation, Community, Solidarity and Resilience as driving principles, this co-creation process aims to embody our constituency's vision to foster dignified human mobility as an absolute Human Right for all, irrespective of administrative status. 

This Process is #NotABorderTale

Our global constituency of Local and Regional Governments firmly asserts that human mobility and it’s local governance, that the LRGs are at the forefront of, are not a border tale, but a tale about people, neighbours.

With the Lampedusa Charter, our constituency takes the responsibility to put dignity, memory and peace at the forefront, with the whole society and all levels of government, from a renewed vision centered on the power of communities and the value of diversity, placing rights at the center to protect people, not borders.

As part of the UCLG Lampedusa Charter Process, a UCLG delegation visited the Italian island of Lampedusa last 3 October 2021 to participate in a yearly event to honor the victims of the shipwreck where 368 people died in 2013. Against this background, hour short film ‘Not A Border Tale’ follows the Lampedusa Charter process towards a global commitment on Human Mobility driven by communities.

Watch the Not A Border Talee short film👇

Towards the Lampedusa Charter

The Lampedusa Charter mandate was agreed at the UCLG World Council of Guangzhou in November 2020. After a year of collective reflection with the LRG network and partner organizations, through the Cities Are Listening experiences, the November 2021 UCLG World Council set forth the inclusion of the Lampedusa Charter as part of the People’s pillar of UCLG Pact for the Future.

Online Consultations Open! 

The Charter Process is currently open for a period of consultations through virtual events and written format, to amendments and feedback from UCLG members, partners and governing bodies, which will be incorporated in the Final Charter document to be endorsed, adopted and officially launched ahead of the next UCLG World Congress in Daejeon. 

Members and Partners are welcome to join the regional consultations through their Sections or directly through this platform. For an overview of the process, you can access here the Lampedusa Charter Process Report.

Reach the UCLG Human Mobility Team at migration@uclg.org to express your interest in participating in the online consultation process or visit the “Consultation phase” section to contribute directly!