The European Forum for Urban Security (Efus) is the only European network dedicated to fostering discussion, cooperation and support among local and regional authorities in the field of crime prevention and urban security. Founded in 1987, it brings together nearly 250 cities and regions from 17 countries.
Recognised for its expertise by national and European institutions, Efus is a network that represents the diversity of territories and promotes the exchange of experience between local and regional authorities beyond political affiliations, according to the principle of: cities helping cities.
The Security, Demo Cities Manif
European cities offer citizens spaces of s being, which, albeit unfortunately unev unique in the world. We, the cities and reg the European Forum for Urban Security (Ef that the construction of Europe has broug first and foremost peace.
Today, however, lasting peace is under thre the war on our eastern borders. The very pr being undermined by populist gover governmental failures that undermine gover Across Europe, we are witnessing several European local and regional authorities, th in all its manifestations, but also widening that pose a major risk for our societies.
We, local and regional authorities, are dealing each day with emergency crises and long-lasting challenges and are doing so with increasingly limited resources. Gender-based violence in all areas and fields of life, particularly at institutional level, is one of the most serious types of structural violence. Violence linked to drug use and trafficking concerns and worries all communities today, whatever their size. The vulnerability of our citizens, particularly young people, and of our towns and cities to organised crime should encourage us to mobilise all sectors in a coordinated fashion to prevent and limit such violence. Increasingly frequent and intense climatic disasters, from the north to the south of Europe, are a new and major challenge facing local authorities.
Taking immediate a term action without fear dictate policy
It is essential that local and regional auth and a sense of powerlessness dictate their re Security is a common good and a fund democracy. It must be co-produced participation: priority must be given to form on principles of solidarity. Similarly, we m production mechanisms involve civil society
Focusing on inclusiv
We recognise that real inclusiveness is diversity and fluidity of urban populatio others leaving, changing demographics , migrants, tourists, night-time revellers vs. daytime workers…) and a certain lack of consistency between local, national and European policies. We are concerned to see latent vulnerabilities becoming more palpable in cities. In recent years, a succession of crises, notably the pandemic, has given rise to mental health problems. Our experience shows without a doubt that the more socially integrated and invested people are in their local community, the safer they feel. It is thus important for us to work together to strengthen social cohesion, because the more inclusive a city is, the safer it is.
The necessary alliance between security and human rights
Respect for human rights must be integrated as an overriding objective and essential element of any security policy, for all types of violence and crime. Our response must be systematically anchored in the respect not only for the rule of law, but also for universal human rights.
Now fully recognised as a Sustainable Development Goal by the United Nations, security must be seen not only as a fundamental human right, but also as a key condition of sustainable development.
The prism of sustainability can help us strike a balance between the immediacy of a risk and the need to make long-term investments in society. As such, when it is part of the social development of cities and human capital, prevention is necessarily the most rational choice.
Resilient cities, resilient citizens
The crises linked to climate change, after the Covid crisis which followed a wave of terrorist attacks in and against European cities, have also revealed the extent to which citizens and cities are resilient. Indeed, local authorities and citizens have demonstrated an impressive capacity for solidarity and action during these recent crises. By demonstrating their solidarity, citizens are giving us hope in our collective ability to react to and prevent multiple threats and encouraging us to adopt a global and proactive approach to urban security as opposed to the paralysing logic of fear.
However, in light of the social, economic facing Europe's cities and institutions, cert defending the closure not only of our borde By rejecting the fatalism of an anxiety-in assuming the responsibility of identifying where there is room for manoeuvre and pote
For cities and r freedom, security an
As European local and regional authorities, knowledge and the tools to help ensure the we are, by our very nature as local governm know that inclusiveness is the key to securi are committed to working to make our citie safe.
