“UN Approach to Human Security and the Re-launch of the Concept by the UN” – Mehrnaz Mostafavi, United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Chief of Human Security Unit In the final session, Mehrnaz Mostafavi, Chief of Human Security Unit of the United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described the UN approach to Human Security and the re-launch of the concept in its various implementation areas. She based her presentation on the latest report of the Secretary General, and the lessons learned on the application of human security in UN Trust Fund for Human Security. In the global context of widening disparities in income despite technological advancement, continued violent conflicts and the cumulative impact of natural disasters, Mustafavi said human security is gaining attraction and increasingly being accepted as the foundation for responding to a wide range of threats to security around the world. The practical implications of what UN was involved in particularly after the end of the Cold War has been based on the observation that human death is increasingly becoming much more a result of climate change, poverty, exclusion, internal conflict, then the external conflict which is associated more with traditional understanding of security. Human security provides an analytical framework to address the root causes of insecurities, encompassing freedom from fear, want and dignity, in identifying the needs, vulnerabilities and capacities of the people, said Mostafavi. She argued that it proposes comprehensive strategies that strengthen the protection and empowerment needed of the people to mitigate the impact of current crisis, and prevent the occurrence of these and future crisis. The core principle of human security approach lays in the emphasis on people, whereby voices of people guide the policies of action. She mentioned Secretary General’s third report on human security released earlier this month that catalogues wealth of experiences and lessons learned through implementing human security approach at national, regional, international levels. She gave an example from Nepal, whereby government in collaboration with UN was able to better assess the dynamics under which historically marginalized groups were being excluded in the postconflict restructuring and rehabilitation efforts. As a result, Mostafavi said services were tailored to specific needs of these groups in terms of language, gender and culture. Andean region of Peru was another example of a deeper analysis of the needs and vulnerabilities of the local population, along with greater recognition of their local capacities, leading to more effective and sustainable disaster risk management framework. The approach is also flexible to various needs to be tailored into national strategies and international responses in local contexts, as illustrated by the experience in the Colombian municipality of Soacha.
Human security is also elementary for the United Nations as a comprehensive approach with interlinkages among its three pillars – that is peace, development and security, and human rights. Accordingly, it has facilitated comprehensive and multidimensional strategies that capitalize on the comparative advantages of a diverse network of stakeholders. Lastly, besides the combined impact of its core principles, the strength of the human security concept lies in its two-pronged protection and empowerment strategy that further guarantees the development of appropriate and sustainable solutions to a particular situation of insecurity. Coming to the context of Balkans, Mostafavi recalled the recent economic losses, along with continued inter-ethnic tensions in some regions, challenging the future prospects. She said Western Balkans were particularly hit hard by the recent global financial crisis, and with a large section of the population living just above the poverty line, the region is especially vulnerable to such shocks. Marginalized groups, including Roma and displaced people, living in sub-standard housing with inadequate access to water, electricity and land, are particularly vulnerable, she said. Human security helps provide a disaggregated view of the socio-economic circumstances across communities, said Mostafavi, and as such, seeks to ensure inclusiveness and access to public services and economic opportunities that limit exclusion based on ethnicity, religion, gender, age or class. In concluding her remarks, she talkeda bout the projects under the Trust Fund since 1999, covering all regions. The projects covered the broad objectives of rebuilding war-torn societies; preventing, mitigating and responding to natural disasters; increasing harvests and strengthening food security; improving access to health care and education in times of crises; and mobilizing communities through participatory processes, local leadership and integrated capacity-building measures.