Summary

Urbanisation is closely linked with increases in economic and social development. Yet, alongside all the growth and advancement taking place, cities across the globe are undermined by chronic insecurity, violence and corruption, including those resulting from crime challenges originating beyond urban or national boundaries. The security challenges of individual cities are increasingly a result of the intersection of individual vulnerabilities, local risks and illicit flows from across national borders. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable recognises that reducing conflict, crime, violence, discrimination, and ensuring the rule of law, inclusion, and good governance are key elements of people’s well-being and essential for securing sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda also explicitly highlights the promotion of safe, inclusive and resilient cities (SDG 11). In 2016, UNODC identified the need for more effective and evidence-based interventions at the urban level to strengthen resilience of communities to crime and violence, as well as to reduce their vulnerabilities to transnational illicit flows (like trafficking of persons, drugs, illicit financial flows, firearms and counterfeit goods). With two-thirds of the world population expected to reside in cities by 2050, these challenges will only continue to become more acute in urban settlements world over.