Girona City Council, through the House for Non-Discrimination, organised today the conference “Public Policies on Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination”. The event, held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Ter Civic Centre, is part of the project “CTR: Commit to Rights/Compromís amb els drets”.
This conference on best practices and experiences aimed at promoting equal treatment and non-discrimination across Catalonia sought to raise awareness of discrimination and encourage the exchange of knowledge and tools for intervention to protect and advance rights.
Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Services to People and Catalan Language, Núria Riquelme Zurita, emphasised: “In Girona, we defend equal treatment not only as a principle but as an active public policy. Public administrations have a duty to ensure that no person is discriminated against on the grounds of origin, identity, gender, language or life circumstances. From the City Council, we promote a courageous and committed city that places people at the centre and works to dismantle structural inequalities.”
The session was divided into two parts: a series of keynote speeches and a segment on best practices. Professor of Constitutional Law and Director of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Human Development, Marco Aparicio, opened the event with the lecture “Evolution of Public Policies on Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination from a Human Rights Perspective”.
Next, journalist and social researcher specialising in gender, intersectionality and human rights, Sara Cuentas, delivered the lecture “Evaluation of Public Policies on Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination from a Decolonial Feminist Perspective”. Girona’s Citizen Ombudsperson, Marta Alsina Conesa, closed the first part with the presentation “Role and Functions of Citizen Ombudspersons in the Protection of Rights”.
The second part of the session showcased experiences and best practices from the Barcelona Office for Non-Discrimination; the Office for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination of the Government of Catalonia; Girona’s House for Non-Discrimination; the application of equal treatment and non-discrimination policies in Montornès del Vallès Town Council; and the guide for anti-racist transformation in local authorities, developed by researcher in anti-racism and non-discrimination, Alba Cuevas.
