Check against delivery

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be here today to discuss a topic about which I care very deeply.

Susana Huovinen’s report has given us specific insights into the way in which intercultural cities make better homes for refugees and their broader communities – and we congratulate you on your work, Susana.

Your study is a chapter in the bigger but equally positive story about the role that diversity can play at a troubled time in Europe.

In recent years, we have seen record numbers of migrants and refugees making the journey to Europe’s shores, and there is little sign of those numbers abating.

Where these new Europeans are not treated fairly, where they are not integrated effectively, and where citizens in the communities in which they settle feel that their social rights are not being met, the seeds of division and discord are sewn.

More than that, this resentment opens the door to populists who will appeal to public grievance, invoke supposed “public will” and undermine pluralism, human rights and the protection of minorities.

Where this vicious cycle occurs, it must be broken.

And we know that intercultural cities have a big and positive role to play in achieving that.

Ten years ago, we had a theory: a belief that by moving away from the binary choice of assimilation and multiculturalism, and opting instead to harness diversity as a competitive advantage, we could improve our cities for all their residents and minimise any tension or conflict.

We believed that institutions and public spaces could be opened up to everyone, that enterprises and neighbourhoods could be mixed, and that trust and friendship could be built through everyday contact between people of different backgrounds.

Through the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, we enshrined this principle into our policies and programmes, in our Educational work, in our policies for inclusiveness and the intercultural cities programme to which 120 cities from 32 countries have signed up – so far – has continued to turn theory into practice, and citizens are reaping the rewards.

Last year, the interim results of an external study indicated that where cities design and implement intercultural strategies with their residents, local people are not only happier, but local services are more efficient, people report feeling safer and their economy grows.

These findings only underline why the Committee of Ministers was right to validate the intercultural cities approach in a formal Recommendation.

Membership of our network, and the implementation of this strategy, are often driven by individual city mayors.

So I have no doubt that Ms Person and Ms De Marchi, will be able to tell you first hand today how their shared commitment, determination and leadership have delivered intercultural benefits to Bergen and Milano, respectively.

A shared philosophy, applied to very different cities, with great results.

But if we want to go further – to ensure positive benefit for the 120 cities already signed up and the many more that may do so – we need to ensure that the inclusive ethos is supported by every level of government.

Cities can do a lot on their own – and a lot to encourage, support and learn from one another.

But national governments often have different priorities or policies that directly contradict the cities’.

In order for intercultural cities to succeed as best as they can, we need every layer of government pulling in the same direction.

We need learning, understanding and co-ordination all round, so that the value of inclusion is understood and implemented to maximum effect.

The Policy Lab for Inclusive Integration is our answer to that great challenge.

It is designed to foster dialogue and co-operative action at all levels: local, regional, national – and European too.

That way we can deliver a wrap-around approach with mutually-reinforcing and inclusive policies that deliver the greatest possible diversity advantage in any given city.

Ms Huovinen champions that approach in her report and Mr Nicoletti, Head of the Italian PACE delegation, and Ms Santerini, General Rapporteur on combating racism and intolerance, helped organise one such event in Rome, for Italian cities that are members of the Intercultural Cities programme.

They can attest to the value.

So I hope that Parliamentary Assembly members in this audience might consider whether cities that they represent, or that might experience difficulties with diversity in their country, could also benefit from signing up to the intercultural cities programme.

Your citizens can also benefit and the network is here to help.

This is an evidence-based, results driven philosophy of governance.

And it is a key to happier, safer, wealthier communities.

I congratulate you on your report Ms Huovinen and look forward to seeing the diversity advantage grow.