The role of local actors in enhancing Security and Preventing Urban Crime 25 years of ...

105 Pages·2007·0.52 MB·English

Safer Cities Programme UN-HABITAT

The role of local actors in enhancing Security
and Preventing Urban Crime

25 years of international debate

Compendium of UN Guidelines, resolutions and
international declarations

Printed with the financial support of the Government of Canada
National Crime Prevention Strategy, Department of Public Safety
and Emergency Preparedness, Canada
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presentation...............................................................................................................................................................................4

UN RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS

Technical Cooperation and Interregional Advisory Services in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice,
ECOSOC, UN Resolution 1995/15...........................................................................................................................................5

Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime, ECOSOC, Commission on Crime and Criminal Justice, New
York, United States of America, April 2002.............................................................................................................................8

Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, China, September 1995...........................................................................16

Habitat Agenda, UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, Turkey, June 1996....................................21

“Beijing + 5” Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century,
23rd Special Session of the UN General Assembly, June 2000, New York, United States of America..................................26

UN-HABITAT Governing Council Nineteenth Session Resolutions, Nairobi, Kenya, May 2003...................................29

INTERNATIONAL DECLARATIONS

Conference on the reduction of urban insecurity, Barcelona, Spain, November 1987......................................................34

II International Conference on Urban Safety, Drugs and Crime Prevention, Paris, November 1991............................49

International Forum on Security in the City, Saint Denis de la Réunion, France, December 1995..................................52

Mayors’ Summit on Safer Cities, Vancouver, Canada, March 1996...................................................................................54

International Forum of Mayors for Safer Cities, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 1998..........................................57

The Cities' Manifesto for "Safety and Democracy", Safety and Democracy Forum, Naples, Italy,
December 2000.......................................................................................................................................................................60

Forum Ivoirien pour la Sécurité Urbaine "Des Stratégies de Prévention pour des Villes Plus Sûres",
Yamoussoukro,Côte d’Ivoire, décembre 2001........................................................................................................................73

First International Seminar on Women’s Safety: Making the Links, Montreal, Canada, May 2002...............................77

Nelson Mandela Metropole Declaration on the Development of Citizenship among Youth in Conflict
with the Law on the African Continent, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, June 2002.............................................................81

Prevent Gender-Based Violence in Africa, Kampala, Uganda, September 2003................................................................86
International Conference on Sustainable Safety: Municipalities at the Crossroads, eThekwini
Municipality (Durban), South Africa, November 2003..........................................................................................................89

Mayors' Declaration, International Conference on Sustainable Safety, eThekwini Municipality (Durban),
South Africa, November 2003................................................................................................................................................92

Africities Summit 2003, Yaoundé, Cameroon, December 2003...........................................................................................93

Mayors' Declaration on Community Safety, Africities Summit 2003, Yaoundé, Cameroon,
December 2003.......................................................................................................................................................................97

International Seminar for Safer Cities, Guarulhos, Brazil, December 2003......................................................................98

Declaracion de Monterrey, Conferencia Internacional de Jóvenes en Riesgo en América Latina y el
Caribe, Monterrey, Mexico, Octubre 2004..........................................................................................................................100

Safe Cities for Women and Girls, Bogota D.C., Colombia, November 2004....................................................................102

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INTRODUCTION

Crime and violence have a severe impact on urban development prospects, livelihoods and quality of life in
cities across the world. As major factors that jeopardise our quest for socially, economically and
environmentally vibrant cities, urban crime and violence have been the focus of discussion for cities and their
partners for at least the past three decades. The debate has centred on the understanding of causes and vectors
of violence and crime, its linkages with other urban issues, in particular urban poverty and urban
management and governance, and on the strategies addressing it in a sustainable way, without jeopardising
democratic systems and up holding human rights and the protection of the most vulnerable.

The role of cities and other local actors has been a specific object of discussion, as cities have taken up more
and more a proactive role in addressing residents’ concerns on safety and personal security. Over thirty years,
cities have on several occasions reaffirmed their commitment to work on the prevention of crime, and have
pointed to the need for adequate international and national support to their action at local level. Key
milestone in this debate have been produced by the United Nations. In 1995 UN Guidelines for the
prevention of urban crime were adopted by the General Assembly. In 1996, the Habitat Agenda, endorsed by
171 countries recognised clear role for local authorities and spelled out critical areas for intervention and
support. In 2002, the UN formulated Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime which reaffirm the principles of
sound crime prevention.

As the issue of crime and violence takes new dimensions and remains one of the key challenges to
sustainable urbanization, this collection of international documents presents the commitments and policy
statements issued by governments and cities gathered to discuss different dimensions of urban crime, to
review practices and lessons learnt, to identify gaps and needs in terms of analysis of trends and issues,
availability and access to technical tools, and formulation and enactment of appropriate policy frameworks.

The commitment and the ‘demands’ of the various actors take shape in these resolutions and declarations, as
a trajectory in the international debate, with its milestones and areas of growing consensus and focus. As they
prompt us to action and further reflection, they can also be the basis of a renewed effort to build and support
partnerships for safer cities and communities.

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

The p resent document collects only two types of documents:
• UN Guidelines and other official UN documents dealing with urban crime prevention
• Declaration and conclusions issued from gatherings of cities and practitioners discussing urban crime and its
various dimensions

Actor s involves span from the UN member states, to associations of local authorities in the various regions, to expert
organ izations, NGOS and practitioners.

The d ocumentation is organised in two sections, with the UN documents in the first part and other declarations and
resolu tions in the second part. They are presented as much has possible in chronological order and in English. When an
Engli sh version was not available, the original, either French or Spanish has been used.

The original documents, and more information on the meetings and organizations that issued most of these declarations
is accessible trough http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/safercities

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TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND INTERREGIONAL ADVISORY SERVICES
IN CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION 1995/15.

49th plenary meeting
24 July 1995

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1994/22 of 25 July 1994, on technical cooperation in the field of crime prevention
and criminal justice,

Recalling also its resolution 1994/16 of 25 July 1994, in which it requested the Secretary-General to provide
adequate funds to build and maintain the institutional capacity of the United Nations crime prevention and
criminal justice programme to respond to requests of Member States for assistance in the field of crime
prevention and criminal justice, if necessary through the reallocation of resources,

Recalling further General Assembly resolution 49/158 of 23 December 1994, on strengthening the United
Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, particularly its technical cooperation capacity,

Convinced that establishing the rule of law and maintaining efficient criminal justice systems is one of the
essential elements of developmental efforts, and recognizing the direct relevance of crime prevention and
criminal justice to sustained development, stability, security and improved quality of life,

Underlining the fact that one of the most effective ways to meet the needs of States in this area is through
operational activities, such as advisory services, training programmes and the dissemination and exchange of
information,

Recognizing the need, in making specific proposals on the resolutions of the Ninth United Nations Congress
on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders related to technical cooperation and advisory
services, to take into account the capacity of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice
programme and its future role in providing services in that field,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the technical cooperation and
advisory services of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme;

2. Welcomes the call of the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of
Offenders for intensified efforts to strengthen the rule of law by means of international cooperation and
practical technical assistance;

3. Reaffirms the high priority attached to technical cooperation and advisory services as a means for the
United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme to respond to the needs of the international
community in the face of both national and transnational criminality and to assist Member States in achieving
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the goals of preventing crime within and among States and improving the response to crime, in accordance
with General Assembly resolution 46/152 of 18 December 1991, on the creation of an effective United
Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, and in line with the recommendations of the Ninth
United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders;

4. Stresses the importance of continuing to improve the operational activities of the United Nations crime
prevention and criminal justice programme, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition,
so as to meet the needs of Member States, at their request, for support in crime prevention and criminal
justice, by undertaking advisory services and training programmes and by carrying out field studies and
action-oriented research at the regional, subregional, national and local levels, also drawing upon
extrabudgetary contributions;

5. Expresses its appreciation to Member States and other entities supporting the United Nations crime
prevention and criminal justice programme, through contributions to the United Nations Crime Prevention
and Criminal Justice Fund or by other means, and invites them to continue their support;

6. Invites Member States to contribute to the activities of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal
justice programme by other means, for example by providing the services of associate experts, by providing
the services of consultants and experts for training purposes and advisory missions, by developing training
manuals and other material, by offering fellowship opportunities and by hosting problem-oriented workshops
and expert group meetings;

7. Calls upon the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and other international, regional
and national funding agencies to support technical cooperation activities devoted to crime prevention and
criminal justice and, in pursuance of their mandates, to include such activities in their programmes, utilizing
the expertise of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme in such activities and
cooperating closely on relevant technical assistance projects and advisory missions;

8. Calls upon all relevant international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to continue
cooperating with the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme in support of its
operational and technical activities;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to facilitate, as appropriate, joint initiatives and the joint formulation and
implementation of technical assistance projects, involving interested donor countries, funding agencies and
other relevant entities, and to organize meetings of interested donor and recipient countries;

10. Notes with appreciation the contribution of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice
programme to United Nations peace-keeping and special missions, as well as its contribution to the follow-up
to those missions, inter alia, through advisory services, and encourages the Secretary-General, as a way of
strengthening the rule of law, to recommend the inclusion of the re-establishment and reform of criminal
justice systems in peace-keeping operations;

11. Notes the work of the crime prevention and criminal justice programme on collecting and disseminating
data and other information on technical cooperation projects, and requests the Secretary-General further to
strengthen the capacity of the Secretariat to establish and develop relevant databases, by cooperating in this
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endeavour with the United Nations Development Programme and the network of institutes cooperating with
the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme;

12. Reiterates its appreciation for the provision of the services of two interregional advisers for crime
prevention and criminal justice and strongly recommends to the Secretary-General that those posts should be
retained and that the interregional advisory services of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal
justice programme should be further strengthened to support technical assistance activities, including short-
term advisory services, needs assessment, feasibility studies, field projects, training and fellowships;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to provide, within the regular budget, appropriate resources for the
United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme to provide better planning support and
backstopping for the interregional advisory services, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/158
and Economic and Social Council resolutions 1994/16 and 1994/22.

Notes
1/ E/CN.15/1995/6.
2/ A/CONF.169/16, chap. I, resolution 2.

Available at: http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc/1995res.htm

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GUIDELINES FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
COMMISSION ON CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Report on the eleventh session, Official Records 2002, Supplement No. 10
16-25 April 2002, New York, United States of America

Draft resolution II
Action to promote effective crime prevention
The Economic and Social Council,
Bearing in mind its resolution 1996/16 of 23 July 1996, in which the Economic and Social Council
requested the Secretary-General to continue to promote the use and application of United Nations standards
and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice matters,
Recalling the elements of responsible crime prevention: standards and norms annexed to its
resolution 1997/33 of 21 July 1997, in particular those relating to community involvement in crime
prevention contained in paragraphs 14 to 23 of that annex, as well as the revised draft elements of responsible
crime prevention, prepared by the Expert Group Meeting on Elements of Responsible Crime Prevention:
Addressing Traditional and Emerging Crime Problems, held in Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 September 1999,
Taking note of the international colloquium of crime prevention experts convened in Montreal,
Canada, from 3 to 6 October 1999, by the Governments of France, the Netherlands and Canada, in
collaboration with the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime in Montreal, as a preparatory meeting
for the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders,
Noting that the draft elements of responsible crime prevention were considered at the workshop on
community involvement in crime prevention, held at the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of
Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Vienna from 10 to 17 April 2000,
Acknowledging the need to update and finalize the draft elements of responsible crime prevention,
Aware of the scope for significant reductions in crime and victimization through knowledge-based
approaches, and of the contribution that effective crime prevention can make in terms of the safety and
security of individuals and their property, as well as the quality of life in communities around the world,
Taking note of General Assembly resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, entitled “Revised draft
plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the
Challenges of the Twenty-first Century”,1 in particular the action on crime prevention in order to follow up
the commitments undertaken in paragraphs 11, 13, 20, 21, 24 and 25 of the Vienna Declaration,
Convinced of the need to advance a collaborative agenda for action with respect to the commitments
made in the Vienna Declaration,
Noting with appreciation the work of the Group of Experts on Crime Prevention at their meeting
held in Vancouver, Canada, from 21 to 24 January 2002, and the work of the Secretary-General in preparing
a report on the results of that interregional meeting, containing revised draft guidelines for crime prevention
and proposed priority areas for international action,2
Recognizing that each Member State is unique in its governmental structure, social characteristics
and economic capacity and that those factors will influence the scope and implementation of its crime
prevention programmes,

1 See Report of the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of
Offenders, Vienna, 10-17 April 2000, chap. I (A/CONF.187/15).
2 E/CN.15/2002/4.
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Recognizing also that changing circumstances and evolving approaches to crime prevention may
require further elaboration and adaptation of crime prevention guidelines,

1. Accepts the Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime, annexed to the present resolution, with a view
to providing elements for effective crime prevention;
2. Invites Member States to draw upon the Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime, as
appropriate, in the development or strengthening of their policies in the field of crime prevention and
criminal justice;
3. Requests relevant United Nations bodies and other specialized organizations to strengthen
inter-agency coordination and cooperation in crime prevention, as set out in the Guidelines, and, to that end,
to disseminate the Guidelines widely within the United Nations system;
4. Requests the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and
Crime Prevention of the Secretariat, in consultation with Member States, the institutes of the United Nations
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network and other relevant entities in the United Nations
system, to prepare a proposal for technical assistance in the area of crime prevention, in accordance with the
guidelines of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention;
5. Requests Member States to establish or strengthen international, regional and national
crime prevention networks, with a view to developing knowledge-based strategies, exchanging proven and
promising practices, identifying elements of their transferability and making such knowledge available to
communities throughout the world;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice at its fourteenth session on the implementation of the present resolution.

Annex

Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime

I. Introduction

1. There is clear evidence that well-planned crime prevention strategies not only prevent crime and
victimization, but also promote community safety and contribute to the sustainable development of countries.
Effective, responsible crime prevention enhances the quality of life of all citizens. It has long-term benefits in
terms of reducing the costs associated with the formal criminal justice system, as well as other social costs
that result from crime. Crime prevention offers opportunities for a humane and more cost-effective approach
to the problems of crime. The present Guidelines outline the necessary elements for effective crime
prevention.

II. Conceptual frame of reference

2. It is the responsibility of all levels of government to create, maintain and promote a context within
which relevant governmental institutions and all segments of civil society, including the corporate sector, can
better play their part in preventing crime.
3. For the purposes of the present Guidelines, “crime prevention” comprises strategies and measures
that seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society,
including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes. The enforcement of laws, sentences
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and corrections, while also performing preventive functions, falls outside the scope of the Guidelines, given
the comprehensive coverage of the subject in other United Nations instruments.3
4. The present Guidelines address crime and its effects on victims and society and take into account
the growing internationalization of criminal activities.
Community involvement and cooperation/ partnerships represent important elements of the concept of crime
prevention set out herein. While the term “community” may be defined in different ways, its essence in this
context is the involvement of civil society at the local level.

6. Crime prevention encompasses a wide range of approaches, including those which:
(a) Promote the well-being of people and encourage pro-social behaviour through social,
economic, health and educational measures, with a particular emphasis on children and youth, and focus on
the risk and protective factors associated with crime and victimization (prevention through social
development or social crime prevention);
(b) Change the conditions in neighbourhoods that influence offending, victimization and the
insecurity that results from crime by building on the initiatives, expertise and commitment of community
members (locally based crime prevention);
(c) Prevent the occurrence of crimes by reducing opportunities, increasing risks of being
apprehended and minimizing benefits, including through environmental design, and by providing assistance
and information to potential and actual victims (situational crime prevention);
(d) Prevent recidivism by assisting in the social reintegration of offenders and other preventive
mechanisms (reintegration programmes).

III. Basic principles

Government leadership

7. All levels of government should play a leadership role in developing effective and humane crime
prevention strategies and in creating and maintaining institutional frameworks for their implementation and
review.

Socio-economic development and inclusion

8. Crime prevention considerations should be integrated into all relevant social and economic policies
and programmes, including those addressing employment, education, health, housing and urban planning,
poverty, social marginalization and exclusion. Particular emphasis should be placed on communities,
families, children and youth at risk.

Cooperation/partnerships

9. Cooperation/partnerships should be an integral part of effective crime prevention, given the wide-
ranging nature of the causes of crime and the skills and responsibilities required to address them. This
includes partnerships working across ministries and between authorities, community organizations, non-
governmental organizations, the business sector and private citizens.

3 See Compendium of United Nations Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.92.IV.1 and corrigendum).
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