The National Seminar Urban Safety: Partners on Violence Prevention was held in Brasilia between June 15^th and 17^th. Its purpose was to promote and disseminate comparative experience and proposals to support the development of more cooperative prevention policies in Brazil, especially at the city level.

 

The event was promoted by the World Bank, the Inter American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, UN-HABITAT, UNESCO, UNODC, IWO, UNDP and the National Front of Majors of Brazil. In addition, federal institutions such as the National Secretariat of Public Security from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Cities, the Ministry of Health, and the SUBCHEFIA of Federal Affairs of the Special Secretariat of Political Coordination also supported the event.

 

More than 150 participants (mayors, delegates from international agencies, local and federal government, universities, NGO’s, etc.) participated in the three-day event that presented national and international experiences on crime prevention, and information sharing among participants.

The event consolidated a step towards the implementation by the Federal Government of Brazil of the so-called National Unified Public Security System. This system, coordinated by the National Secretariat of Public Security, is aimed at integrating public institutions at the Municipal, State and Federal levels under common, holistic policies to deal with rates of crime and violence across the country.

 

The seminar also marked the public presentation of the Urban Safety Reference Centre, which is to constitute a common executive unit for the on-going and daily promotion of dialogues, partnerships, and the dissemination of knowledge among municipalities, international organizations, research centers and NGOs devoted to the thematic areas covered during the event.