Zaragoza, 2-4 November 2006

UN-HABITAT SIRP Safer Cities team has traveled to Zaragoza, Spain, to participate in the International Conference entitled “Security, Democracy and Cities”, organized by the European Forum for Urban Security (FESU) and the City of Zaragoza from November 2 to November 4, 2006. More than 1000 participants, coming from more than 300 cities, that is, from 40 countries, took part in this conference.
The delegation from Serbia consisted of Mr. Radomir Stevanović, Advisor to the Mayor of Valjevo; Ms. Evica Erac, Social Worker in Kraljevo; Mr. Zoran Albijanić, Director of the Social Welfare Center in Pančevo; Ms. Svetlana Tanasijević, Local Self-Governance Kragujevac; Mr. Mirko Levajac, President of the Security Council in Čačak; Svetislav Paunović, SIRP Safer Cities National Coordinator and Marija Rauš, SIRP Socioeconomic and Civic Integration Coordinator.

During the three-day conference, participants had the opportunity to hear presentations of professionals working in the area of Urban Security in countries worldwide. Topics covered included: Youth Facing Violence, Public Spaces, Urban Planning and Security, Police and Communities, Public-Private Partnership, Trafficking and Organized Crime etc. SIRP Safer Cities Team members also used this opportunity to establish cooperation with several cities like Antwerp, Belgium. This will be of great importance for all team members, allowing them to see and possibly use some of the examples of good practice.
SIRP Safer Cities team also met with Laura Patrella, Coordinator and Cecilia Andersson, both from the Safer Cities Programme. They spent time consulting and understanding the global meaning of the Safer Cities, becoming more familiar with its activities worldwide and discussing planned and future activities in Serbia.

The conference was concluded with the adoption of the Zaragoza Manifesto on Urban Security, a document aimed to serve as a set of guidelines for the EU and other interested countries in the development of local strategies and action plans for addressing urban security and safety and crime prevention issues.

More information on the conference is available at http://zaragoza2006.fesu.org