Workshop in Lisbon to promote international dialogue and knowledge exchange on urban resilience
An expert workshop on the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and urban resilience development took place on 20 November, hosted by the Municipality of Lisbon. The aim of the workshop was to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, best practices and lessons learned at international level in the area of risk management and urban resilience, especially those related to earthquake and other types of natural disasters.
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), based on its research and experience in establishing public-private partnerships and testing innovative models for security governance, contributed to the workshop’s round table discussion on building more resilient cities, with specific focus on the protection of critical infrastructures, the involvement of the private sector in the urban resilience system, and risk prevention and management at different levels through investment in research and innovation and the establishment of coordination mechanisms amongst relevant stakeholders.
The expert workshop, which was opened by Mr. Carlos Manuel Castro, Councillor for Security and Civil Protection, of the Municipality of Lisbon; and Mr. Hiroshi Azuma, Japanese Ambassador to Portugal, brought together more than 20 experts and professionals of prominent organizations of Japan and Portugal, as well as representatives from public services and the local government.
UNICRI’s participation in the workshop is part of the Institute’s Public-Private Security Policies Programme, which aims to facilitate and strengthen international dialogue on the protection of vulnerable targets and critical infrastructures.