İSKEP- International Social Inclusion Summit Organised

International Social Inclusion Summit Held in İstanbul

400 people participated in the “International Social Inclusion Summit” which was organised on 17-18 May in İstanbul. The opening speeches were delivered by the President of UCLG-MEWA and Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Fatma Şahin, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Jean-Claude Frécon, Vice President of CEMR and the President of the Union of Municipalities of Greece George Patoulis, EU Delegation to Turkey the Head of Economic and Social Development François Bégeot, and the Head of the Directorate of European Union and Social Assistance of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies Uğur Güneş. During the summit, information and experiences of the 12 pilot municipalities of İSKEP were exchanged.

Fatma Şahin: “The World Goes Through a Test on Humanity”

The Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Fatma Şahin started her speech by delivering the greetings from the President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey Dr. Kadir Topbaş. She underlined that in this new world without frontiers and where globalisation exists, the concepts of social justice and sustainable development should be discussed again and highlighted recent legal arrangements targeting disadvantaged people. Emphasizing the importance of human-oriented social policies, she spoke about the global problems of war and poverty and said: “Wars mostly affect the disadvantaged groups. Turkey is making effort to help everybody out of its own borders to the degree of the possibilities. However; Turkey cannot solve these problems by its own, everybody should take responsibility. The world goes through a test on humanity and those passing this exam will leave their golden marks in the history. We will create a roadmap by using the conclusions of this summit and we will build bridges to the hearts of people.”

Jean-Claude Frécon: “For a Harmonized Society, It Is Necessary to Fight Against Discrimination and Respect for Diversity”

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Jean-Claude Frécon expressed his pleasure to participate in the summit and thanked all institutions and organisations that contributed to its realization, sending special thanks to the Union of Municipalities of Turkey. He stated that the Congress has been working on the concept of “social harmony” for many years and emphasized that local authorities have heavy responsibilities in ensuring equal access to human rights for all people. He said: “Local authorities need broader authorizations in order to ensure social harmony. For a harmonized society, it is necessary to fight against discrimination and respect for diversity.” He also underlined the importance of including local authorities in the policies created at national level and shared his evaluations on local integration studies in Turkey and Europe.

George Patoulis: “We Need to Think Globally and Act Locally”

Vice President of CEMR and the President of the Union of Municipalities of Greece George Patoulis reminded that local authorities have close contact with people and that the task area of municipalities is expanding despite decreasing budgets. He pointed out that municipalities now shoulder additional responsibilities related to refugees. Emphasizing the importance of support from central government and other city stakeholders in the fight against social exclusion, Mr. Patoulis said: “We need to think globally and act locally but also think locally and act globally.”

François Bégeot: “We Are Supporting 12 Municipalities and Strengthening Our Ties with Turkey”

EU Delegation to Turkey the Head of Economic and Social Development François Bégeot began his speech by highlighting the effectiveness and importance of this international summit, which brings together all major institutions and organizations in one place. He stated that social inclusion is one of their primary focuses and that they make efforts for a better society. Mr. Bégeot emphasized the significance of projects for disadvantaged groups, explaining that they are supporting 12 pilot municipalities within the scope of İSKEP and strengthening ties with Turkey through this cooperation. He added that this project is crucial in addressing the challenges faced by disadvantaged people in areas such as the labour market, employment, work-life balance, and local partnerships.

Uğur Güneş: “Improving Fund Management and Promoting Social Inclusion”

The Head of the Directorate of European Union and Social Assistance of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, Uğur Güneş, informed participants about the management process of the Instruments of Pre-Accession and explained efforts to achieve a more qualified management of funds in education, employment, and social inclusion. He shared numerical data of İSKEP, gave examples of studies targeting disadvantaged people, and provided key information about the ministry’s social policies.

Istanbul Local Integration Declaration Signed

On the first day of the Summit, the Istanbul Local Integration Declaration was signed. In the thematic speeches session, Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities Hayrettin Güngör and Team Leader of the İSKEP Project Paulo Pedroso delivered their speeches. Thematic sessions titled “Syrian Refugees and Integration” and “International Agenda and Social Integration” were also held, where participants exchanged information and experiences.

Final Day Sessions

On the last day of the summit, thematic sessions were organized under the themes of “Social Integration and Employment”, “Integration of Roma People”, “People with Disabilities and Social Integration”, and “Urban Transformation and Social Integration”. Municipalities, project stakeholders, and representatives of people with disabilities gathered to discuss the current situation, problems, and possible solutions.