On May 26–27, 2025, over 60 representatives from more than 40 cities on site, plus nearly 40 participants online from 25 cities, gathered for the ECCAR Steering Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. This year’s meeting highlighted how institutional racism undermines trust in democratic institutions and perpetuates inequalities, particularly in healthcare systems where racism affects access, quality, and equity of care.
A central focus of the Steering Committee was the presentation of the Lausanne Declaration, a framework to combat structural and institutional racism in healthcare in Switzerland. This initiative, developed by the City of Lausanne and the University Centre for General Medicine and Public Health (Unisanté), consolidates recommendations based on international research and local experiences. The declaration emphasises that addressing racism in healthcare requires systemic change and must involve all levels, from daily interactions to institutional culture and national policy. It outlines seven concrete recommendations organised into four strategic pillars: organisational reform, improving communication, training health professionals, and data and research equity. The Declaration is available for download in English, German, and French below.
The first day of the meeting also included workshops that addressed racism in education, employment, health, and housing, showcasing promising practices from ECCAR member cities. In the evening, a short documentary presented by Şişli Municipality and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf emphasised intercultural partnerships.
The second day spotlighted Roma inclusion, with updates from ECCAR’s Working Group on Roma Equality and presentations of grassroots research projects, including one on Roma immigrants’ access to employment in Lausanne. The ECCAR Office presented recent developments across multiple working groups. The European Training and Research Centre (ETC) in Graz presented consulting services to support cities in implementing ECCAR’s 10 Points Plan of Action. Lastly, but importantly, a formal vote welcomed five new member cities into ECCAR: Bregenz (Austria), Oulu (Finland), Metropolitan City of Genova (Italy), Cagliari (Italy), and Wuppertal (Germany).
The event concluded with an inclusive cultural programme at the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, showcasing “Une œuvre, mon histoire”, a participatory exhibition where migrant women offered personal reflections on art in their first languages.
Attachment for download:
- The Lausanne Declaration (English, French and German)
