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Strong Cities Network: September Updates

Publication Date:

19/10/2021

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News

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— 2 minutes reading time

Above: In total more than 120 participants from 38 countries attended the UN General Assembly side event on 30 September

September marked two important occasions for the Strong Cities Network.

On 22 September, mayors and other representatives from some 20 cities around the globe participated in a meeting to revitalise the SCN’s International Steering Committee, which forms its leadership and decision-making body. During the course of the event, participants discussed the various challenges facing cities in preventing and countering violent extremism, as well as ensuring the SCN is fit for purpose. A short summary of the proceedings can be found here.

On 30 September, the SCN hosted a virtual side-event on the margins of the 76th United Nations General Assembly on The Role of Cities in Advancing Global Efforts to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North Macedonia and the United States Department of State, participants included mayors and other local leaders from around the globe as well as representatives of national governments, the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral bodies. You can watch a recording of the event on our YouTube channel here, and read a full summary here.

During these events, we also presented two documents for review:

The first highlights 10 steps that cities can take to prevent and counter violent extremism and is intended to help raise awareness among multilateral bodies, national governments and even cities who may not fully appreciate the range of P/CVE contributions they can make as part of a ‘whole of society’’ approach.

The second is an updated SCN fact sheet outlining the network’s mission, objectives and structure – to include the new regional hub model and a revitalised and more robust steering committee.

Revitalising the International Steering Committee: Summary

The International Steering Committee is the SCN’s leadership and decision-making body. Its role is to provide strategic direction to the SCN, promote the SCN’s mission, and ensure that the SCN remains driven and guided by its members. On 22 September, a meeting was held to revitalise the International Steering Committee and to discuss how to strengthen the network and further enhance its impact. You can read the short summary below.

UN General Assembly Virtual Side Event 2021: Full Recording

Watch the full recording of the SCN’s virtual side-event held on the margins of the 76th United Nations General Assembly. The event, The Role of Cities in Advancing Global Efforts to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism, was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North Macedonia and the United States Department of State, with speakers including Uzra Zeya, Under-Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Rights (United States), Vladimir Voronkov, UN Under-Secretary General for Counter-Terrorism, and Mayors Naheed Nenshi of Calgary (Canada), Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh (United States), and Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester (United Kingdom).

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