Belgrade, 8 November 2007 - UN-HABITAT, UNICEF and UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime) Offices in Serbia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, have jointly organised the Round Table “Facing Juvenile delinquency in Serbia – Open dialogue between central and local institutions”. The conference was organized within the UN week calendar of events, with social inclusion as the overall topic.

Representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Section for Prevention and Repression of Juvenile Delinquency, and representatives of the Police Departments of the cities of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš, shared their experiences with UN-HABITAT SIRP partners from Valjevo, Cacak, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Nis and Pancevo, who have presented their ongoing activities and in particular the process of formulation of Municipal Urban Safety Strategies. Representatives of Municipal Safety Boards, Centres for Social Welfare, District Prosecution Offices, Courts of Law and the Valjevo Penitentiary Institution, took active part in the presentations and the following discussion, highlighting main issues and concerns at local level related to urban safety and security, with a focus on juvenile delinquency and substance abuse prevention.

During 2006 and 2007, the Municipalities of Valjevo, Cacak, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Nis and Pancevo, with the technical support of UN-HABITAT and the Safer Cities Global Programme, have formulated the Local Safety Appraisals, documents which represent the instrument to determine the extent of crime in the city, its manifestations, causes, impact on society and the public perceptions. This document is the basis for the formulation of the Municipal Urban Safety Strategies, currently being drafted.

The Round Table represented a good opportunity for constructive dialogue on the relevant theme of juvenile delinquency, substance abuse prevention, and safety and security in our cities and living environments. During the final session participants jointly identified and defined recommendations for further steps to undertake and strengthen collaboration, in the effort to make our communities better and safer. The objective of the Round Table was fully achieved, opening the space for new collaborations and joint initiatives.