Jelena Drenjanin

Chair of the Governance Committee, Spokesperson for Gender Equality, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe

Jelena Drenjanin is a Swedish politician and a member of a municipal assembly. She is the Chair of the Governance Committee and the Spokesperson for Gender Equality in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. She is also a member of the European Committee of the Regions, where she is first Vice President of the European People’s Party (EPP) group. Holding a master’s in leadership in Education and Political Science, Jelena Drenjanin is an expert in the field of gender equality.  

 

 

Do you have any specific hopes and predictions for the future of urban security?

The use of artificial intelligence for urban security brings both opportunities and challenges. One of the main questions is how to identify, assess and mitigate risks in the use of artificial intelligence. For example, an indiscriminate use of biometric recognition of individuals in public places is problematic. Any such interference with fundamental rights should comply with data protection requirements provided for by the Council of Europe standards (Convention 108). In accordance with the caselaw of the European Court of Human Rights any such limitation of human rights should be prescribed by law, proportionate and “necessary in a democratic society”. 

 

 

Why do you think it is so important to involve citizens in urban security practice? 

The issue of trust in democratic institutions is of paramount importance. The Congress Governance Committee is currently finalising a report on deliberative methods at local level which puts in highlight best practices from municipalities and regions. The lack of trust in public policies and political process is detrimental to democracy. Therefore, raising public awareness on local public policies, including security policies, and involving citizens in them is beneficial to revitalise local democracy and to complement representative democracy.