ADVISORY BOARD ON HUMAN SECURITY TWELFTH MEETING. 8-9 November 2012 UN Millennium Hotel New York. Agenda

Transcription

1 ADVISORY BOARD ON HUMAN SECURITY TWELFTH MEETING 8-9 November 2012 UN Millennium Hotel New York Thursday, 8 November 2012 Agenda 10:00 am Opening remarks by Ms. Sonia Picado, Chair 10:20 am Welcome remarks by Ms. Catherine Bragg, ASG, OCHA 10:40 am Update on the activities of the HSU since the last meeting of the ABHS by Ms. Mehrnaz Mostafavi 11:15 am Examples of the application of human security i. Feedback by Mr. François Fouinat on his recent visit to UNTFHS project in Madagascar ii. Regional initiative in Latin America by Ms. Sonia Picado 12:00 pm Follow-up to General Assembly resolution 66/290 (A/RES/66/290) - Statement by Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General 12:20 pm Update on the process leading to A/RES/66/290 - Statement by Mr. Yukio Takasu, SASG on human security 12:40 pm Briefing on Member States expectations of A/RES/66/290 - Statement by Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations 1:00 pm Luncheon hosted by Ms. Catherine Bragg

2 2:30 pm Perspectives of Board members on A/RES/66/290 and follow-up strategy Friday, 9 November :30 am Strategic Plan for :30 am Management of the UNTFHS 12:00 pm Concluding remarks by Ms. Sonia Picado 12:30 pm Luncheon hosted by Ms. Sonia Picado Minutes of the Twelfth ABHS Meeting The twelfth meeting of the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) was convened on 8 and 9 November 2012 at the UN Millennium Hotel, New York. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Sonia Picado and was attended by the following Board Members: Mr. Adebayo Adedeji, Mr. Jan Eliasson, Mr. Nabil Fahmy, Mr. François Fouinat, Ambassador Matjaž Kovačič, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, Mr. Vitit Muntarbhorn, Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida and Mr. Yukio Takasu. Also present were Ms. Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General on Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, as well as the staff of the Human Security Unit (HSU). Introductory Remarks Ms. Sonia Picado, Chair of the ABHS, opened the meeting by highlighting the significant progress that has been made over the past 12 months in advancing the human security concept within the United Nations. Specifically, she highlighted the adoption of General Assembly resolution 66/290 (A/RES/66/290) in September 2012, whereby Member States agreed upon a common understanding on human security, as a significant milestone in the advancement of human security. In light of this achievement, Ms. Picado emphasised the importance of this meeting and invited the ABHS to share their perspectives and ideas to further intensify the GA s commitment to the implementation of the resolution. Ms. Picado shared a message from Mrs. Ogata which urged Board Members to consider ways to capitalise on the consensus reached at the General Assembly by (i) advancing the implementation of the ideals of human security in the widest range of situations within the UN and beyond, (ii) seeking financial support for the work of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) from Member States, and (iii) discussing the possible transition of the HSU into an independent office that can communicate and collaborate with a wider range of UN and non-un entities. In closing, Ms. Picado introduced the new members of the ABHS; Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Jan Eliasson, 2

3 Mr. Vitit Muntarbhorn, and Mr. Ramtane Lamamra. On behalf of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Ms. Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General on Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, welcomed the members of the ABHS and expressed her gratitude for their leadership in advancing the human security approach. Reflecting on the achievements of the past 12 months, Ms. Bragg noted that the release of the second report of the Secretary-General on human security, the plenary meeting of the GA, and the adoption of A/RES/66/290 underscore the convergence of views among the membership, as well as the growing acceptance of human security within the United Nations. While highlighting the new opportunities presented as a result of the A/RES/66/290, Ms. Bragg also reminded the Board of the challenges facing the UNTFHS and urged them to carefully consider the ways in which political and financial support for the Fund can be expanded. Follow-up to A/RES/66/290, Statement by Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Eliasson welcomed the opportunity to be part of the Advisory Board on Human Security. Having worked on national security issues, Mr. Eliasson highlighted that the emphasis on human beings and their human security is an important development. Indeed, he asserted that international and national security efforts should be measured with regard to their impact on human security. In this regard, he noted that the implementation of A/RES/66/290 and its focus on human security should be the measure of how well we are doing in the realms of international and national security. In addition to placing people at the center of security discussions, Mr. Eliasson also noted that the added value of human security is its emphasis on the integration of the corresponding pillars of peace and security, development, human rights and the rule of law. He stressed the importance of concretely translating the concept of human security within each and among these pillars. Update on the process leading to A/RES/66/290, Statement by Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on human security Thanking Mr. Eliasson for his inspiring message, Mr. Takasu briefly outlined the events that led to A/RES/66/290 beginning with the integration of human security into the formal mechanisms of the UN in Through the efforts of the Friends of Human Security (FHS), the Human Security Network (HSN) and the Secretary-General, the first GA resolution on human security (A/RES/64/291) was adopted in July The resolution led to intensive consultations among Member States on the notion of human security and areas where human security could bring added value to the work of the Organisation. Based on inputs from Member States, the second report of the Secretary-General on human security was released on 5 April Following the GA plenary meeting on the report of the Secretary-General, Mr. Takasu commended the Governments of Japan and 3

4 Jordan for guiding the intensive political process that produced the first substantive resolution on human security as outlined in A/RES/66/290. Briefing on Member States expectations of A/RES/66/290, Statement by Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations In light of the adoption of A/RES/66/290, Ambassador Nishida presented the Board with suggestions on the way forward with regards to both the UNTFHS and the advancement of the human security approach. He stressed the need to enhance existing support from Member States, while also gaining further support from key regional organisations such as the African Union and the European Union. Ambassador Nishida underscored the importance of the Board s engagement in activities to further deepen the understanding of the human security approach among Member States. He requested the Board s invaluable assistance to gain support on human security in their respective regions from Member States, international and regional organisations, as well as relevant institutions and NGOs. Update on the activities of the HSU since the last meeting of the ABHS Ms. Mehrnaz Mostafavi presented the Board with an update on the activities of the HSU since the last meeting of the ABHS in November In addition to the important work towards reaching a consensus at the General Assembly, the HSU has also made significant strides in advancing the management of the UNTFHS and the application of human security within the United Nations and beyond by (i) securing cofunding from UN Country Teams, bilateral donors, and national Governments towards UNTFHS funded projects, (ii) publishing outreach materials on the lessons learned, the added value and the mainstreaming of human security, (iii) developing and launching the new HSU website, and (iv) collaborating with civil society organisations in the application of human security. Examples of the application of human security Mr. Francois Fouinat briefed the Board on his recent visit to the UNTFHS funded project in Madagascar entitled Inter-Agency Project for a Human Security Project for the Prevention of Violence and Vulnerability Reduction for the Most Vulnerable Inhabitants of Antananarivo. Mr. Fouinat noted that with large segments of the population faced with widespread and cross-cutting insecurities, the project has been pivotal in promoting targeted responses that combine the expertise and capacities of the UN system, the Municipal Government and the participating communities. The resulting achievements of the project have led to growing interest in the added value of the human security approach by the people of Antananarivo. Mr. Fouinat closed by highlighting that while the project 4

5 is another successful example of the application of human security and its relevance to those most in need, nevertheless, challenges remained both in view of expanding the reach of the human security approach to other vulnerable areas in the capital, as well as removing the obstacles to inter-agency cooperation at the country level. Furthermore, Ms. Picado shared a video presentation on the activities and achievements of the regional project entitled, Promoting and Developing the Concept of Human Security in Latin America. Implemented by UNDP and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR), this regional initiative seeks to go beyond restrictive ideas of security in order to promote the adoption of a human security approach in understanding the challenges of security and development in Latin America. Ms. Picado highlighted how the project has contributed to disseminating the concept of human security in Latin America using lessons learned from projects in the region financed by the UNTFHS. Ms. Picado sighted this evidence-based approach to dissemination as crucial in deepening the understanding and acceptance of human security in Latin America among political leaders, policymakers, analysts and academics. Perspectives of the Board Members on A/RES/66/290 and follow up strategy Recognizing the window of opportunity opened by A/RES/66/290, Board members agreed on the importance to garner additional support for human security and the UNTFHS. In this regard, Board members recommended a human security event to be planned in New York during the first half of Ms. Picado suggested for the event to be linked to the 10 th anniversary of the report by the Commission on Human Security, thus bringing together different actors in support of human security. Furthermore, it was agreed that additional dissemination activities should be undertaken in 2013 so as to capitalize on the momentum gained in view of A/RES/66/290. As a follow up to A/RES/66/290, Mr. Takasu noted that the inclusion of human security into the post-2015 MDG discussions, peacebuilding considerations, and other related issues are further mechanisms for mainstreaming human security in the work of the United Nations. Mr. Eliasson and Mr. Takasu informed the Board that human security is indeed an area of focus for the UN in the current discussions on the post-2015 MDGs. Meanwhile, Mr. Muntarbhorn proposed a three-tier strategy at the multilateral, regional and national levels. Mr. Muntarbhorn explained that at the multilateral level, dissemination activities on A/RES/66/290 and partnership building on human security, could be augmented through the human security event in the first half of At the same time, multilateral events should be complemented with regional events on human security as well as lessons learned through UNTFHS funded projects at the national level. Mr. Nabil Fahmy noted that while the Trust Fund remains instrumental to the advancement of human security, outreach and advocacy efforts should also focus on building partnerships around human security activities, in particular, with national Governments. Mr. Fahmy underlined that although A/RES/66/290 is significant, nevertheless, many Governments still remained cautious on its application. Therefore, if the added value of the human security approach is to be recognized, collaboration with Governments should be an important avenue for enhancing support for human security and the UNTFHS. 5

6 Meanwhile, Ms. Mostafavi briefed the Board on other possible entry points for disseminating information on A/RES/66/290 including networks already established through outreach projects funded by the UNTFHS such as the Latin America regional project. Moreover, she informed the Board of growing interest expressed by external partners such as the European Union, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), Ministries of Health under PAHO, among others, for technical trainings on human security. These engagements could provide additional opportunities for building partnerships in support of human security. Adoption of the revised Guidelines of the UNTFHS based on A/RES/66/290 Ms. Mostafavi briefed the members on the following revisions to the UNTFHS Guidelines: (i) taking note of A/RES/66/290 in the introduction of the Guidelines; (ii) emphasizing that projects are be implemented with the consent of the recipient Government and in line with national strategies and priorities in order to ensure national ownership; (iii) requesting that projects more clearly indicate the organization that will take the lead for project management; and (iv) including a specific mention of how project information may be used for the purposes of outreach, lessons learned and best practices. The Board approved and endorsed the revised Guidelines. Follow-up actions The HSU will engage closely with the ABHS in organising a human security event to be held during the first half of The event will focus on the achievements made in advancing human security and the need to mobilize support around the follow-up to A/RES/66/290. At the same time, opportunities for national and regional level events will also be explored and, to the extent possible, supported in Ms. Picado closed the meeting by thanking the Board for their constructive discussions and guidance on the way forward. 6