Security from disorder, crime and violence is fundamental for reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) — and, more broadly, for sustainable economic, social and political development. According to the 2005 Human Development Report, “violent conflict is one of the surest and fastest routes to the bottom of the HDI (Human Development Index) table — and one of the strongest indicators for a protracted stay there”. Since the early 1990s, developing countries have accounted for over half of all armed conflicts — almost 40% of which occurred on the African continent. Over the same period, crime and armed violence in countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, Central Asia and the Balkans are believed to have escalated, contributing to heightened real and perceived insecurity for literally millions of people.