An increase in violence by youth gangs in Central America is worrying the region's leaders, some of whom gathered in San José Friday and Saturday for a regional forum on the issue organized by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

About 150,000 young people in the region are involved in gangs, according to Gonzalo Abad, coordinator of UNESCO's Group for Youth Development and the Prevention of Violence in Central America.

The forum, called “Open Dialogue about Policies of Youth Development and Violence Prevention: Working Together for a Culture of Prevention,” gathered government representatives from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Representatives of the Organization of American States, the Central American Integration System and international cooperation agencies also attended.

The goal of this encounter was to promote cooperation and dialogue between governments in the region and find ways to decrease violence, a problem affecting public security, democratic government and the economies of Central American countries, said a statement from UNESCO.

Costa Rican Vice-President Laura Chinchilla said the countries most affected by gangs in the region are Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. She added that Costa Rica should work to prevent gang violence from increasing here while “there is still time.”

UNESCO worked with the Costa Rican government to organize the forum.

-ACAN-EFE