1. COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY
Working Group to Prepare the First Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas  
COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY
PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION
OF AMERICAN STATES
Washington D.C., United States, August 14th 2008
Valerie Sagant, Director General of ICPC

2. About ICPC ICPC’s missions:
Identification and dissemination of inspiring practices in prevention and community safety: planning of meetings (Next: Querétaro’s Colloquium on Women Safety in November 2008) and publication of compendiums ( New “International Compendium of Crime Prevention Practices” in September 2008).
Analysis of international trends ( New “International Report on Crime Prevention” in September 2008).
Technical assistance and support to national and local actors (Missions of expertise in Chile, Centro-American Observatory on Violence, etc.)
Creation of tools and planning of training sessions (“Practical Guide on Public Nuisances related to Drugs and Prostitution”, “The Key to Safer Municipalities”)

3. Increasing interest and requests
From all our partners in the region:
Support to National States to elaborate national strategies: ex: Haiti (with UNDP), Saint-Lucia, Trinidad-and-Tobago, Chile, Salvador
To Regional Organisations to develop tools such as : the Centro-American Observatory on Violence (definition of indicators)
To local authorities and NGO’s partners to promote community safety initiatives.
Main requests on:
International standards on crime prevention and public safety
Experiences in the other parts of the world
Concrete support with tools, guide, expertise, training…

4. Specificities of American hemisphere (in short)
High level of violence
Lack of trust in the public institutions, especially the police
Fast development of private security services, and gated communities
But also, a very dynamic network of community based organisations
Lot of inputs from the municipalities
Good network of universities and knowledge centres.

5. Identified needs
Strengthen the transversal and the interministerial approach: Public safety, but also, Justice, Health, Education, Social support…
Allocate more legal and financial resources to local authorities: decentralization, urban management and planning, cities' exchange…
Include a systematic and long term support to local partners, NGO’s, academics, including academic support to local projects.

6. Comments on the Declaration draft
PUBLIC SECURITY MANAGEMENT (20 to 26):
Add the acknowledgement of the role of the municipalities, and local authorities, and the need for partnership between all levels of State (national, regional and local) in public safety;
Need for a balance in the expenses devoted to security technologies and safety initiatives;

7. Comments on the Declaration draft
POLICE MANAGEMENT (27 to 30):
Why not a Public Safety Institute instead of a structure only devoted to the police:
Variety of partners involved in Public safety
Way to improve the partnership
Way to enhance the private sector participation.

8. Comments on the Declaration draft
PREVENTION POLICIES (31 to 34):
Section too broad and not sufficiently targeted; importance of the OAS technical assistance capacities;
Refer to the UNITED NATIONS GUIDELINES ON CRIME PREVENTION (2002); a Manual will be completed for the 12th Congress
Need to develop public safety diagnostics: surveys, qualitative analysis, observatories, geo-mapping…

9. Comments on the Declaration draft
Awareness on crime prevention and public safety cannot rely on medias’ campaigns only. Need to develop exchange between community groups, and also with the authorities: local and national Councils on crime Prevention and Public Safety, forums, speciliased concertation tables…
Need to disseminate good practices and policies
Limitation of emprisonment to be more efficient (lower level of recidivism, better re-integration) not only to reduce the costs

10. Additionnal comments
On the indicators: refer to the Observatorio centro-americano de la violencia
In 2010, the 12th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice will be hold in Salvador-do-Brazil (April). The Manual on the implementation of the Guidelines on Crime Prevention will be distributed.

11. Thank you for your attention,
Valerie Sagant
Director General of ICPC