Int’l Forum Of Mayors On Crime Prevention To Be Held In Italy

Tehran, May 8, IRNA - The International Forum of Mayors on Crime Prevention and Security in Urban Settings will take place between 20 to 21 May 2013 at the United Nations Campus in Turin (Italy). The mayors forum is an opportunity for cities and local authorities to share knowledge, exchange expertise, experience and results achieved in implementing strategies to address the issue of security and crime in urban settings, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said. In 2008, for the first time, more than half of the world’s population was living in towns and cities. By 2030 this number will swell to almost 5 billion, with urban growth concentrated in Africa and Asia. Cities hold the promise of concentrated economic dynamism, access to services, and opportunities for democratic citizenship. To a large extent, urbanization is a transformative process, synonymous with modernization, and development. As countries urbanize they become more advanced, more developed and more prosperous, yet the experience of hundreds of millions of city dwellers is one of poverty and exclusion, violence and insecurity. The poor are denied the benefits of the right to the city. The challenge for the next few decades is learning how to take advantage of the possibilities urbanization offers - the future of humanity depends on it. Crime and violence hampers urban economic growth and weakens institutions, thereby undermining efforts to promote sustainable development and reduce poverty. The most vulnerable such as women, young people and other marginalized groups pay the price of this vicious cycle. Failure to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals will ultimately have an exponential negative effect on cities. Actions to improve urban security must embrace an integrated, participatory, multi-sectoral approach providing equal access to basic services and opportunities, and fostering synergies between the citizens and government institutions. In this spirit, the forum aims at contributing to innovative approaches to urban security involving sustainable and affordable measures to prevent crime and promote sustainable urban development./end