The eleventh meeting of the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) was convened on 8 and 9 November 2011 at the Beekman Tower Hotel, New York. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Sonia Picado and was attended by the following Board members: Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, Mr. François Fouinat, Ms. Frene Ginwala, Ambassador Matjaž Kovacic, Mr. Vijay Nambiar, Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida, Mr. Bradford Smith, and Mr. Yukio Takasu.

Also present were Ms. Gwi-Yeop Son, Director of Corporate Programmes Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and representatives from the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, as well as the staff of the Human Security Unit, OCHA (HSU-OCHA).

1. Introductory Remarks

• Ms. Picado welcomed members of the ABHS to the Board’s eleventh meeting and extended a warm welcome to the new members of the ABHS – Ambassador Fahmy, Ms. Ginwala and Mr. Takasu. She also expressed her regrets for the absence of two additional new Board members, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra and Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, who could not attend the meeting due to unforeseen emergencies. Lastly, Ms. Picado conveyed the regards of Mrs. Sadako Ogata, the Honorary Chair of the ABHS, to the Board and its new members.

• In welcoming members of the Board to the eleventh meeting of the ABHS, Ms. Son reflected on the significant milestones that have been reached towards advancing the notion of human security at the United Nations. Ms. Son highlighted that these milestones illustrate the commitment of Member States to further discuss and achieve a common understanding on the notion of human security and its application to the work of the Organization. As Member States continue to deliberate the concept of human security, Ms. Son reminded the Board that this is a crucial moment for the advancement of the human security concept and also the future of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS). In this regard, she welcomed the Board’s guidance on ways to further strengthen the reach of the UNTFHS and its resource base.

• Following remarks by Ms. Son, Ambassador Nishida also welcomed the new members to the ABHS and called upon the Board to re-activate and re-energize their work in view of the challenges ahead. Towards this end, Ambassador Nishida stressed the important role that the human security concept can play in responding to the global impact of the ongoing challenges. 

2. Update by Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General (SASG) on Human Security

• In his capacity as the SASG on human security, Mr. Takasu shared with the Board some important developments over the past 12 months. He informed the Board of his recent discussions on human security, as well as meetings in Addis Ababa and Dakar where the issue of health and human security were discussed. In addition, Mr. Takasu briefed the Board on discussions at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in January 2011 during which possible contributions of the human security approach to the private sector and its activities in view of corporate social responsibility were discussed.

• Furthermore, Mr. Takasu informed the Board on significant developments since the last meeting of the ABHS, most notably, the General Assembly Resolution 64/291. In this regard, Mr. Takasu updated the Board on the follow-up to the Resolution and the subsequent informal consultations with Member States planned to be held from 14 to 16 November in New York. These consultations along with written inputs from Member States provide an important opportunity to clarify the reach of the human security concept and to allay misunderstandings over the distinction between human security and the responsibility to protect (R2P). In closing, Mr. Takasu expressed his commitment to help guide the consultative process and to provide a sound basis for Member States to reach a consensus on the notion of human security. If successful, Mr. Takasu noted that this could open new horizons for human security within UN activities and urged the Board to consider possible areas of action over the coming 2 to 3 years.

3. Perspectives of Board Members on the human security approach and its future

• With a view to further facilitate the acceptance of the human security concept among Member States, the Board turned its attention to the relationship between human security and R2P. Several Board members highlighted the importance for a clear demarcation between these two concepts and stressed the need to ensure that discussions on human security and R2P are kept separate at the General Assembly. Furthermore, members stressed that a consensus on human security cannot be forced and requires the time and space for genuine debate between Member States, coupled with greater efforts towards advocacy.

4. Building the ABHS-HSU strategy for 2012/2013

• To further bolster efforts to expand the donor base of the UNTFHS, several Board members considered novel co-funding arrangements where the combined resources of different Funds would not only enlarge the available resources but will also result in a more sustained integration of the human security concept into other relevant programme activities. Moreover, Board members also deliberated on the possibility of receiving funds form private foundations and corporations and requested the HSU-OCHA to examine the possibility of implementing this within the rules and regulations of the UN.

5. Next steps

• Ms. Picado extended her appreciation to the Board and thanked the HSU-OCHA for their preparation and assistance during the meeting.

• In closing, the Board agreed to meet again in 2012 and requested the HSU-OCHA to follow-up on its recommendations to further advance the understanding and acceptance of the human security concept.