The City of Maceió
Since 2021 the city of Maceió has advanced to establish a collaboration agenda with stakeholders from all levels: cities, association of cities, international organisations, non governmental organisations and multilateral institutions. At the national level, Maceió actively participates in relevant forums, especially those coordinated by the National Coalition of Mayors from Brazil. Relevant advances in the local agenda in public innovation, digital government and data protection were the result of the combined efforts of Municipal Secretaries within the scope of Forum Inova Cidades and Forum on the General Data Protection Law. Also, Forum Unicidades has contributed to the formulation of the public agenda for urban development. The city of Maceió is the lead of Forum Inova Cidades.
At international level the city of Maceió is engaged in several cooperation initiatives. The Institute for Research and Urban Planning of the City Hall is responsible for Maceió international relations agenda and is the present coordinator of the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, an international cities network with more than sixty members that works to strengthen public capabilities to promote and protect human rights in the digital environment. In addition to cities, the coalition is supported by UN Habitat, Eurocities, and United Cities and Local Governments, and has developed projects with these international organisations that benefit cities from all over the world. In 2023, the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights’ annual meeting in Bordeaux Métropole assembled international organisations and more than 50 representatives from 20 member cities.
Debates on Digital Inclusion, Artificial Inteligence, Data Protection, and Digital Rights.
To share the results of an intense year and celebrate the achievements of these cooperation, Maceió organised together with the National Coalition of Mayors from Brazil a unique moment for cities to share their best global practices. The international event Connected Cities Integrated People will convene officials and staff of city halls to discuss artificial intelligence, data protection, digital rights, and digital services. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in working sessions and also to participate in roundtable discussions, presentations, and showcase their city’s efforts, projects, and actions.
On September 5th and 6th participants from Forum on Brazilian General Data Protection Law, Forum Inova Cidades, and Cities Coalition for Digital Rights will engage to present international and national perspectives about the use of technologies in roundtable discussions, lectures, and to showcase their city’s efforts, projects, and actions in the areas of digital rights, artificial intelligence, data protection, and digital inclusion.
Annual Meeting of the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights
As part of the Connected People Integrated Cities Conference the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights will host the Annual Meeting of 2024 in Maceió, Brazil. The meeting will be a unique opportunity to gather political representatives and technical staff from cities and partners to celebrate the latest achievements of the Coalition and to share milestones reached in the implementation of a mission oriented approach to protect and promote digital rights. Cities and partners will share the stage to present best practices and successful collaboration projects in the field of digital rights.
UN Habitat Consultation in Latin America: International Guideline on People Centred Smart Cities
The International Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities aim to provide a novel normative foundation and global approach to support national, regional and local governments in ensuring urban digital transformation focuses on people, fosters community engagement and participation, promotes sustainability, and supports inclusive growth. Through the Guidelines, the aim is to shift from technology-driven to people-centered smart city development towards promoting cities and human settlements that are inclusive, sustainable, prosperous and respectful of human rights.
To ensure that the International Guidelines are developed through an inclusive consultative process, UN-Habitat organizes regional, thematic and stakeholder consultations. This consultation on September 5th in Maceió will provide the opportunity for local, regional and national government officials in Brazil, Latin-America and beyond to directly share experiences, perspectives and priorities as input for the drafting process of the International Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities. Government officials, representatives, urban professionals and civil servants working for local, regional and national governments, including Mayors and Secretaries from Brazil from Brazilian cities, Representatives from Cities in Latin America, G20, and from the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, are invited to join the exchange by sharing their input and feedback, prompted by several guiding questions.
For more details about the program and to register for the event click HERE.
