Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe, and the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Enrique V. Iglesias, will participate in an Inter-American forum on citizen security on September 12-13 in Medellín, Colombia, that will also feature presentations by international experts and the mayors of important Latin American and Caribbean cities.
On his last trip to Colombia as IDB President, Iglesias will greet officials, policy-makers and development projects experts with whom he intensively worked during his 17 years leading the world’s oldest and largest multilateral regional bank.
Violence prevention has been during the last decade one of the important concerns of the IDB, which supported Latin American and Caribbean countries in their efforts to overcome this complex problem that represents an obstacle for social and economic development in the region.
Entitled “Citizen Security and Violence Prevention: Examining Experiences and Challenges,” the forum is being organized by the IDB jointly with the Government of Colombia, the Departmental Government of Antioquia, the Municipal Government of Medellín, and the Medellín Chamber of Commerce for Antioquia.
During the forum the following activities will take place:
- The Presidents of Colombia and the IDB will evaluate the major challenges and opportunities for the region to confront the crucial problem of violence.
- Expert panels will analyze public policy formulation, the most effective measures to prevent violence and successful actions to increase citizen security.
- Mayors of important cities in the region, such as Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cali, Kingston, Medellín, Montevideo, Río de Janeiro, Sao Paulo y San Pedro Sula, among others,will discuss the problems from the point of view of the leaders of the urban centers.
The IDB has provided financing and other support for numerous programs for violence prevention and services for victims, addressing social and domestic violence in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Another important area of related activity has been improving the administration of justice.
The forum will take place in the Medellín Convention Center. Participants may register online at http://www.camaramed.org.co/www/index.asp until September 8.