Commentary

Crime prevention policies and strategies have been adopted by many governments 
throughout the world.  A large number of cities worldwide have mobilized to improve safety and implement integrated and cross-cutting prevention strategies. Just ten years ago there were only a dozen of such strategies being implemented at best, on two continents. Today, they are more than a hundred.

The United Nations adopted the Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime in 2002, which emphasis that governments at all levels must exercise their  leadership in this area by implementing integrated strategies and fostering prevention partnerships. Governments should also provide appropriate funding, make use of the knowledge accumulated so far, as well as take account of the diverse needs and situations of women and men, and vulnerable groups in society.
 
Prevention is not an ideology nor an end in itself.  It is a means to achieve sustainable development which recognizes interdependence, and an expression of hope and confidence.  It is a way of defining the rules of living together, since the rule of law and especially penal law, cannot do so alone.  Prevention cannot root out all crime or insecurity. These phenomena often remain  very complex and unpredictable.  Just as public health policies cannot guarantee the health of all and recognize the necessity of curative medecine, prevention does not pretend to be able to reduce the risks for every citizen. Prevention strives to make every person aware that living together is not a 'given' but rather, a voluntary act nurtured by patience and sustained effort.  Let us then celebrate this aspect of prevention, as it is reflected in the wide array of examples included in the Compendium of  Promising Practices prepared by ICPC for the Workshop, and by the eminent speakers who  have come from all regions of the world to present their intiatives at the Workshop on April 23rd.

Daniel SANSFAÇON, Ph D
Acting Director General, ICPC