Gwangju to Host 2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum from May 15 to 17

Theme: "Human Rights Cities Resisting War and Violence"
45th Anniversary of May 18 and 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II
Call for Civil Society Organizations to Host Thematic Sessions Until the 14th

Scenes from the opening ceremony and plenary session on the first day of the 2024 World Human Rights Cities Forum held last year. Provided by Gwangju City

Gwangju City will host the ‘2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum’ at the Kimdaejung Convention Center from May 15 to 17 under the theme ‘Peace and Solidarity: Human Rights Cities Resisting War and Violence’.

Celebrating its 15th year, the World Human Rights Cities Forum has established itself as a major international human rights event that discusses the future vision of human rights cities through ongoing international cooperation, such as co-hosting with international organizations including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNESCO for six consecutive years since 2020.

This year is particularly significant as it marks the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Reflecting ongoing wars, state violence, and human rights oppression both domestically and internationally, the theme was selected through discussions with international organizations and experts from Korea and abroad.

Through the forum, the city plans to explore the proactive meaning of peace and seek ways for solidarity among human rights cities so that everyone can live peacefully and safely in the face of all anti-peace situations. Starting this year, the event period has been moved from October to May to coincide with the May 18 Commemoration Week, allowing more people to visit Gwangju and reflect on the values of democracy, human rights, and peace in May.

Prior to the forum, the city is openly recruiting organizations to lead the 2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum thematic sessions until the 14th. The thematic sessions, organized by civil society organizations, serve as a venue to discuss human rights issues related to the forum’s theme.

Applications can be submitted by downloading the application form from the official World Human Rights Cities Forum website and sending it to the secretariat via email. Detailed information about the recruitment can be found on the forum’s website.

Park Yongsoo, Director of the Democracy, Human Rights and Peace Bureau, said, “The World Human Rights Cities Forum, held to embody the spirit of May 18 Gwangju, is the world’s only international human rights forum created by citizens themselves. We expect this forum to serve as an opportunity to broadly discuss the end of war and violence.”