Safer Cities is a UN-HABITAT global Programme launched in 1996. the Programme supports the Habitat Agenda, which acknowledges the responsibility of local authorities in crime prevention.
SIRP Safer Cities subcomponent aims to strengthen capacities of municipalities to formulate and implement safety strategies, and build effective partnerships with local actors: local self-governments, police, judiciary, NGOs, civil society organizations, media, etc.
Our objective is to create a culture of prevention and a safe environment for all urban inhabitants by supporting local authorities and stakeholders to address urban safety and reduce delinquency and insecurity. Safe environment, with developed mechanisms for crime prevention, is the basic requirement for successful integration and social inclusion of all vulnerable groups including refugees.
The methodology follows the worldwide experimented approach of UN-HABITAT Safer Cities Programme which designs a structured process to nurture local crime prevention capacities:

• identification and mobilization of key partners at the local level, who can contribute effectively to the reduction and prevention of crime;
• creation of a local safety coalition led by a public figure and supported by a technical coordinator. The technical coordinator in partnership with the local authority, co-ordinates, ensures continuity and focuses on strategic objectives;
• a rigorous assessment of the crime situation through a local safety appraisal based on institutional, informal and social research data. The appraisal seeks to identify, assess and prioritize safety problems and policies. Furthermore, it aims to generate consensus among partners. If more in-depth information is required, scientific data gathering approaches are available, such as victimization surveys, women's safety audits etc;
• formulation and development of a local strategy that includes a detailed plan of action, including responsibilities and a calendar, setting out the social, institutional and situational measures to be taken;
• implementation of the local strategy. This includes a range of short and long-term prevention initiatives or projects, which address the causes, manifestations and fears of crime;
• institutionalization of the participatory local crime prevention approaches through the incorporation of safety as a cross-cutting dimension throughout the structures of local government and the criminal justice system. This could require institutional reform.

Building the way to develop Safety Strategies in 6 Municipalities, a range of preparatory activities have been carried out in August and September 2006, through the identification and involvement of local stakeholders in the process of formulation of the Local Safety Appraisals – Diagnoses, the assessment of the crime situation based on published and un-published materials, informal investigations with key stakeholders in the municipality and with those affected by insecurity.

Local Safety Appraisals are encompassing all relevant data collected by local partners, as well as general data on municipality/city, demography, main socio-economic characteristics and trends. They were presented to local stakeholders from state, private and civic sector during second week of December 2006 on restitution workshops in Valjevo, Cacak, Kraljevo, Kragujevac and Pancevo. During these participatory events, stakeholders defined draft priority areas for development of Local Safety Strategies. It is foreseen that formulation of the draft versions of Safety Strategies will be finalized in autumn 2007 in all municipalities.