(Stockholm 30 August): More than 150 policymakers, researchers and practitioners will gather at Artipelag in Stockholm on 15–16 September for the first Stockholm Security Conference. The conference is co-hosted by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the City of Stockholm and the Swedish Parliament/Riksdag. This year’s theme, Secure Cities, identifies and assesses the security challenges facing cities and ways to address them.
In a rapidly urbanizing world, the safety and security of our cities are ever more vital. SIPRI’s inaugural Stockholm Security Conference on Secure Cities marks the beginning of a new initiative aimed at identifying and managing some of the world’s most pressing urban security risks.
As many as 50 million people around the world live in conflict-affected cities and fighting in cities has a devastating impact on civilian populations—as witnessed in locations as diverse as Aden, Aleppo and Donetsk. A rise in coordinated terrorist attacks has led to mass casualties in Africa, Asia and Europe.
The challenges for cities are diverse: gang violence, radicalization and terrorism, the safety of public gatherings, police strategies, the trade-off between security and liberties, and more.
Rapid change puts pressure on scarce resources, complicates the delivery of utilities and services and endangers public health. Where resource allocation and access to services are unequal or unfair, further seeds of insecurity may be sown.
While advanced technology will bring new opportunities for cities, vulnerabilities also increase as the number of connected devices rapidly grows and regulators struggle to keep pace with changes in the marketplace.
This conference will be a timely venue to bridge policy, expertise and practise in facing these new challenges and strengthening vulnerable communities.
The following high-level participants are confirmed:
- H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden
- H.E. Urban Ahlin, Speaker of the Riksdag
- H.E. Karin Wanngård, Mayor of Stockholm
- Mr Michael Chertoff, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, The Chertoff Group
- Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sustainable Development Goals (via live streaming)
- Ms Helena Lindberg, Director General of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB)
A more detailed media advisory will be available few days ahead of the event. Contact SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner with any questions or to register for the event (professional media only) blenckner@sipri.org, +46 8 655 97 47