In a rapidly urbanizing world, the safety and security of our cities are ever more vital. SIPRI’s inaugural Stockholm Security Conference on Secure Cities marks the beginning of a new initiative aimed at identifying and managing some of the world’s most pressing urban security risks.
As many as 50 million people around the world live in conflict-affected cities and fighting in cities has a devastating impact on civilian populations—as witnessed in locations as diverse as Aden, Aleppo and Donetsk. A rise in coordinated terrorist attacks has led to mass casualties in Africa, Asia and Europe.
The challenges for cities are diverse: gang violence, radicalization and terrorism, the safety of public gatherings, police strategies, the trade-off between security and liberties, and more.
Rapid change puts pressure on scarce resources, complicates the delivery of utilities and services and endangers public health. Where resource allocation and access to services are unequal or unfair, further seeds of insecurity may be sown.
While advanced technology will bring new opportunities for cities, vulnerabilities also increase as the number of connected devices rapidly grows and regulators struggle to keep pace with changes in the marketplace.
This conference will be a timely venue to bridge policy, expertise and practise in facing these new challenges and strengthening vulnerable communities.
The following high-level participants are confirmed:
- H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden
- H.E. Urban Ahlin, Speaker of the Riksdag
- H.E. Karin Wanngård, Mayor of Stockholm
- H.E. Azita Raji, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden
- Mr Michael Chertoff, Managing Principal, Chertoff Group
- H.E. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Governor of Bangkok
- Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sustainable Development Goals (via live streaming)
- H.E. Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minster of Australia
- Ms Helena Lindberg, Director General of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB)
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, arma-ments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. SIPRI is consistently named as one of the world’s leading think tanks in the annual ‘Think Tank Index’.
www.sipri.org
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