Geneva Conference: A Transformative Approach in Creating Safer Cities Today and Tomorrow
WHEN safety has become the shared goal to achieve cities’ sustainability in the future, there lies a question, what are the indicators of safety? This is surely a fair question considering local authorities are facing different challenges within their respective context. In pursuing that goal, the demand for knowledge and expertise to address safety issues in cities is vast. Hence, it is necessary to learn the experiences and results accomplished by local governments together with their citizens, and upscale or transfer the practices they do.
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Responding to the global recognition that inclusive, safe and resilient cities and societies are becoming a cornerstone for sustainable development, UNHabitat and Geneva Peacebuilding Platform in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and with assistance from the United Nations Office at Geneva held an international conference “Reviewing the State of Safety in World Cities: Urban Solutions for Crime, Conflict and Insecurity,� from 6 to 8 of July 2016, taking place at the Palais des Nations and the Maison de la Paix in Geneva. Bringing together representatives from various institutions, this meeting became an exchange platform of practices on achieving safer cities. The goal is surely to establish a firm understanding that integrated approaches to urban safety, crime prevention and conflict prevention is an integral part of city governance. UCLG ASPAC’s Secretary General, Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi was invited to share how the organization has performed in contributing to the pursuance of safer cities. On her remarks, she also recognized that there are many member states that have not taken concrete steps in implementing the SDGs. She added that local governments should have access to finance, knowledge of successful safety improvement practices, tools and data to enable them integrate safety and gender equality in planning and management. Partnering with UN-Habitat in organizing this conference, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform is an inter-agency network linking peacebuilding actors, resources, and expertise, not only in Geneva but also worldwide. Founded in 2008, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform is a joint-project of 4 institutions: The Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP), of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies; the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP); Interpeace; and the Quaker United Nations Office, Geneva (QUNO). UCLG ASPAC felt honored to be invited in this important gathering and is looking forward to taking this further through positive partnerships to support safer cities today and tomorrow.