City Wide Nairobi Residents Convention on Crime Prevention Nairobi, 8 November 2004: Hundreds of Nairobi residents, city officials and development partners are scheduled to gather at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre today for a week-long convention aimed at addressing crime in Nairobi.. An initiative of the City Council of Nairobi in conjunction with UN-HABITAT and others, the convention is titled, A Safer City and Home for All - Making it Happen. It will hear views from various stakeholders on how to combat crime. It will focus on crime prevention, governance and civility. The highlight of the convention will be an award ceremony where the mayor will honour local communities with the best crime prevention strategies and a street carinval which will culminate in a public rally at Uhuru Park on Saturday 13 November 2004. In a joint message on the eve of the convention, UN HABITAT’s Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka and UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Paul Andre de La Porte, said: “Today, crime is a common responsibility for all citizens – and not just the police. The challenges that face Nairobi in addressing this scourge transcends sectoral interests.” Local Government Minister, Mr. Musikari Kombo, said the government’s agenda was to ensure safety for the citizens as well as investors. “In order for local authorities to achieve their core function of effective and efficient service delivery, safety and security are key elements for sustained economic development.” Nairobi’s Mayor, His Worship Cllr. Dick Wathika said: “We as a management and policy making team, aspire to fulfil the expectations of Nairobi residents and the business community by building collaborative partnerships and providing innovative quality services.” Background : The City Council of Nairobi (CCN) asked UN-HABITAT to offer technical assistance for a city-wide crime prevention. strategy. It started in April 2001. 1. Victimization Survey A victimization survey, complemented by a snapshot study on violence against women and a youth offender profile were conducted and presented at a City Stakeholders Workshop organised by the City Council of Nairobi. The victimisation survey was financed by UNDP and conducted by the Intermediate Technology Development Group - East Africa (ITDG-EA) under the guidance of an international consultant who conducted similar surveys in South Africa and Tanzania. 2. Draft Strategy In 2002 the City Council and the Provincial Administration conducted a series of consultations with city stakeholders. This culminated in eight high profile constituency consultations in April 2004 which resulted in a Full Council Resolution and a Draft Strategy on Crime Prevention and Urban Safety. An Interdepartmental Committee on Urban Safety chaired by the Deputy Town Clerk was also created. UN HABITAT and the Ministry of Local Government signed a memorandum of understanding to implement the city-wide crime prevention strategy and set the basis for resource mobilization with UNDP support. 3. The Safer Nairobi Convention Following the Full Council resolution, a Safer Nairobi Convention has been scheduled 7 to 13 November 2004 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre to discuss with residents the draft crime prevention and urban safety strategy, and set in motion a two-year Action Plan. The Citywide Convention will provide an opportunity to review crime information and management techniques, examine crime prevention pilot projects being undertaken in Nairobi, develop a city council-led coalition of stakeholders on crime prevention and an urban pact on crime prevention. For further information, please contact: Sharad Shankardass, Spokesperson & Head, Press & Media Relations Unit, or Ms. Zahra Hassan, Media Liaison, Tel: (254 020) 623153, 623151, Fax: 624060, E-mail: habitat.press@unhabitat.org, Website: www.unhabitat.org