STOCKHOLM, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Stockholm Security Conference opened on Thursday during which speakers addressed how cities best respond to global security challenges.
According to a press release, over 200 experts and practitioners attended the event, which aims to identify and manage the most pressing urban security issues, including gang violence, radicalization and food security.
With over half of the world's population currently living in cities, and predictions that this will rise to 75 percent by 2050, creating safe and secure cities is vital.
At the opening session, the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Urban Ahlin said that the high degree of urbanization today places entirely new demands on the organization of society.
Mayor of Stockholm Karin Wanngard highlighted the international character of cities, saying "Every major city is a reflection of the global arena and the issue of secure cities is an issue of global safety."
Dan Smith, Director of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), stressed that despite their vulnerabilities, cities also have huge potential for solving security problems.
"We need to hold in balance the security threats -- a challenge that we face, which is real -- and the enormous dynamism and creativity that cities are capable of. Especially in building resilience, cities' importance as an actor in security issues will only increase,"said Smith.
The conference, co-hosted by SIPRI, the Swedish Parliament and the City of Stockholm, lasts for two days.
