State Conference of Cities opens debates on improving quality of life in Pará
Representatives from the three levels of government and civil society gather in Belém for three days to discuss proposals that will be taken to the national stage of the event
Until next Thursday (14), Belém is the center of discussions about the future of the cities in Pará. With the official opening of the 7th State Conference of Cities of Pará on this Tuesday (12), representatives from municipal, state, and federal governments, urban development entities, and civil society gathered at the Teatro Margarida Schivasappa in Belém to advance the development of solutions aimed at improving the quality of life in Pará's cities.
The event brought together around 600 representatives from society, coming from more than 100 municipalities in Pará, who carried out the initial stage of the Conference. State councilor Paulo Cohen, 63, who has been working in this area for over 20 years and is part of the Central of Popular Movements (CMP), said that "there is no construction of public policy for a country without the participation of organized civil society. Popular participation brings the reality of the people into the construction of policies. This is done through organizations, whether by social movements, NGOs, entrepreneurs, or civil society as a whole. That is why conferences are important, and this moment, in particular, because we build a moment where listening and deliberations count with the participation of everyone."
The national councilor for Cities, Raquel Ludermir, representative of the organization Habitat for Humanity Brazil, spoke about the expectations for defining concrete proposals aimed at the urban development of the State. "We are at an event that is very important from the perspective of popular participation, within the process of building what we call the National Urban Development Policy, the PNDU. This is a unique opportunity for all representatives of segments, civil society, popular movements, business entities, and public power to build proposals so that we can consolidate basic rights, such as housing, water and sanitation, sustainability, climate agenda - important issues, so that we can reflect together and build proposals," she emphasized.
Search for solutions - The executive superintendent of Housing at Caixa Econômica Federal, Sandro Machado, presented proposals for solutions to expand housing in Pará. "When we talk about housing, we talk about combating the housing deficit, and the Federal Government has a series of public policies aimed at this. It is important to discuss this at the Conference because, in a state like Pará, we managed to contract a number of housing units far below the target set by the Ministry in the first selections. And at this moment, we have open selections for 'My House, My Life' in the FAR modality, which is the Residential Leasing Fund, and we hope to increase the number of proposals. Bringing this knowledge to the municipalities is extremely important for us to reduce the housing deficit in the future," he emphasized.
In addition to Housing, proposals for policies in Sanitation, Urban Mobility, Land Regularization, Digital Transformation and Territory, Environmental Sustainability, and Climate Transition were discussed.
For Victor Almeida, director of the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Cities and executive secretary of the National Council of Cities, the event is an opportunity to increase Pará's representation in the development of national public policy.
"Pará is a state of great relevance in this new cycle of the Government. Our expectations are very high. More than 100 municipal conferences were held here, with approximately 400 elected and confirmed delegates for this state stage. We hope to consolidate all the proposals and demands from the municipalities at this stage to take them to the national stage and, with that, build the National Urban Development Policy as representatively as possible," said Victor Almeida.
Social dimension - The Secretary of State for Cities, Fernanda Paes, who presides over the State Council of Cities of Pará (ConCidades-PA), emphasized the importance of proposals that address the demands of the population, considering not only the practical aspect but also the social and environmental dimensions.
"I would like to express the commitment of the state government, represented by our governor Helder Barbalho, our vice Hana Ghassan, along with our minister Jader Filho, who, through the Secretary of Cities, has been developing works and projects not only in the direction of structural change in cities but also thinking about social and environmental aspects together. An example is the implementation of micro water supply systems powered by solar energy, which has been carried out in 53 municipalities in the interior. We are bringing water, but also dignity and sustainability. Therefore, it is important that all the proposals that will be developed at this Conference encompass these dimensions," highlighted Fernanda Paes.
The executive secretary of ConCidades-PA, Antônio Kether, reinforced that the Conference will have a specific moment for deliberation of public policy proposals, especially on the second day, when participants will meet by thematic axes to detail the suggestions developed by the municipalities.
"The 7th State Conference of Cities will ensure the effective participation of the population in the construction of public policies that truly address the demands. And this can only be built together with all those affected in society and its various segments. We need this moment to have this qualified listening that truly yields results. As Secretary Fernanda Paes says, public policies are not made behind closed doors," reiterated Antônio Kether.
The State Conference is held by the Secretary of State for Cities and Regional Integration (Secir), through ConCidades-PA, with sponsorship from Caixa Econômica and support from the Ministry of Cities and the City Hall of Belém. The program will include discussion and approval of 20 public policy proposals, which will be taken to the national stage of the event in October, aiming at the development of the National Urban Development Policy (PNDU).
Service: 7th State Conference of Cities of Pará. Days 12, 13, and 14 of August, from 9 am to 5 pm.
Locations: 1st and 3rd day at Teatro Margarida Schivasappa (Centur), at Avenida Gentil Bittencourt, No. 650, Nazaré neighborhood, and 2nd day at the School of Public Governance of Pará, at Avenida Governador José Malcher, No. 900.
