1. LINKING VIOLENCE
REDUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN
URBAN SETTINGS
MANINDER GILL
SECTOR MANAGER, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN REGION
THE WORLD BANK
2. Overall Context
Violence reduction is an emerging issue at the World
Bank
Focus on preventive aspects of violence reduction
World Bank and client countries increasingly view it
as a “core development issue”
World Bank provides analytical, lending, convening
and advisory services on the topic
3. Challenges
Limited institutional mandate – only prevention
Difficult to work directly on important issues such as:
Gun control
Enforcement
Reform of security agencies
Difficult to lend large amounts of resources for
violence reduction
4. Strengths
Ability to work across multiple sectors: urban, social, public
sector, health, education, private sector etc. (Citizen Security
Beam in LCR)
Ability to work on a range of deep causes and risk factors
in urban settings: domestic violence, school-based
violence, community disintegration, urban decay, inequality
and exclusion, lack of opportunities for youth etc.
Ability to mainstream violence reduction within a number
of sectors in urban space (urban development, social
development, transport, health, education, public sector
management, private sector development etc.)
5. Strengths (Cont’d)
Ability to strengthening the evidence base on urban
violence reduction
Regional and sector studies
Impact evaluations
Information systems
“Knowledge Bank” – Special “hive” on Conflict, Crime
and Violence
6. Strengths (Cont’d)
Ability to work through multiple instruments
Analytical studies
Investment lending
Development Policy Loans
Help indirectly raise sensitive issues
Help create new institutions if necessary
Public Expenditure Reviews
7. Key Lessons
Bring violence reduction into the public and political
discourse, backed by numbers and evidence
Increase awareness among decision-makers about
approaches that can work
Strengthen, and help build trust in municipal institutions
accountable for addressing armed violence
