The second meeting of the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) was convened in New York on 18 June 2004. The meeting was chaired by Mrs. Sadako Ogata and attended by the following Board members: Professor Adebayo Adedeji, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Ambassador Koichi Haraguchi, Ms. Sonia Picado, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Mr. S. Iqbal Riza, and Mr. Bradford Smith. Also present were Mr. Jan Egeland (Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator), Mr. Eiichi Oshima (Japan), Mr. Hiroshi Minami (Japan), Mr. Peter Schmitz (UN Secretariat), members of the secretariat of the Advisory Board and representatives from the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

1. Introductory Remarks

•  Mrs. Ogata welcomed the Board members, Mr. Egeland and the participants to the second meeting of the Advisory Board. She thanked the secretariat of the Advisory Board for following up on the recommendations of the Commission on Human Security (CHS) and commended them for their work in this respect. She noted that the CHS report is currently in six languages (English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Russian and Arabic). Furthermore, she thanked the members of the Advisory Board and the CHS for their active engagement in dissemination and promotion activities. The Board recognized these efforts with satisfaction and acknowledged the necessity to sustain and develop these activities in order to maximize the impact of the conclusions and recommendations of the CHS.
  
  
  
•  Mrs. Ogata further briefed members on the ways that the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), of which she is presently the President, is attempting to incorporate the human security concept in its work programmes. She also welcomed the 27-28 February 2004 declaration from the African Union on a Common African Defence and Security Policy and its emphasis on human security.
• Mrs. Ogata spoke on the merger of the ABHS secretariat with the UN Trust Fund management and welcomed the creation of the Human Security Unit (HSU) in OCHA. She expressed hope that this new development will further enhance the dissemination and promotion effort.

2. Recent development on the UN Trust Fund for Human Security and the establishment of the Human Security Unit in OCHA

• Mr. Riza thanked Ambassador Haraguchi and the respective members of the Board for their commitment to the concept of human security. He noted that while much progress has been made, however, more governments should be encouraged to participate in the Trust Fund. Furthermore, he highlighted two additional areas for consideration by the Board: (i) strategic allocation of funds to priority areas and (ii) better procedural guidelines on the management of the Trust Fund. In this regard, he recommended that the Board examines the management processes at the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP).
•  Mr. Riza also suggested to make use of the UN network (Regional Commissions, UN Information Centers, etc.) for the dissemination and promotion purposes. He concluded by stating that the Secretary-General is "aware, appreciative and supportive" of their efforts to promote human security.
• Following Mr. Riza's comments, Mr. Egeland briefed the Board on the management of the Trust Fund. He noted that since assuming responsibility for the management of the Trust Fund in January 2004, OCHA has expeditiously reviewed projects, improved productivity, and achieved a more balanced allocation of funding under the Trust Fund. Notwithstanding, Mr. Egeland recognized the need to further improve the review and the management processes, notably insisting on integrated projects and giving priority to human security in Africa. He also noted the importance of the Advisory Board's role in providing guidance to OCHA on the concept of human security and its promotion and dissemination both inside and outside of the UN.
  
  
• The Board thanked the GoJ and the UN Secretariat for their efforts in mainstreaming the human security concept in the UN and welcomed the establishment of the new HS Unit in OCHA. Members unanimously agreed that the Trust Fund is an invaluable instrument for applying the human security concept into concrete activities and highlighting the added value and usefulness of the human security approach. Subsequently, it was noted that the linkage between promotion/dissemination activities with concrete undertakings are important and the Trust Fund should provide living examples of the human security concept. This, according to the Board, will be the best promotional tool for the Commission's message within the UN and beyond.

  
  
• Furthermore, it was recognized that in view of its capacities, the role of the Trust Fund should be catalytic, concentrating on projects that would help advance and mainstream the cause and the concept of human security within the UN and in the international community at large. The Board reiterated its hope that the Trust Fund should not be considered as "another source of funding." Specifically, it was noted that funding of HIV/AIDS projects, in view of existing arrangements, should not be a priority for the Trust Fund.

  
  
• On the management of the Trust Fund, the Board recommended the HS Unit to establish a set of criteria based on the human security concept to be used in the review process. It also requested the Unit to provide the Board with narrative statements on the status of projects as well as the overall situation of the Trust Fund. Finally, it urged the Trust Fund to work harder in ensuring that projects meet the established Guidelines, especially, with regards to multi-agency collaboration.
• The UN Secretariat assured the Board that the HS Unit will take into account the recommendations of the Board and will ensure that projects are selected based on the CHS's report and the established Guidelines. It was also agreed that efforts will be made to improve communications with participating agencies and programmes.

3. Dissemination and promotion of the CHS report

• Mr. François Fouinat provided an update on the dissemination and promotion of the CHS report (see Dissemination Progress Report). He informed members of the growing acceptance of the human security concept. He noted that while progress has been made, however, the message of the Commission has not yet reached the wider targeted audience. To achieve this objective, Mr. Fouinat highlighted the need for continued engagement by the CHS and the Advisory Board members with the dissemination and promotion efforts. He also noted the important role that the new HS Unit should play in promoting the human security concept. He suggested that linking concrete projects with dissemination activities would constitute a very powerful combination which can strengthen the message of the Commission and the work of the Advisory Board.
  

• Mr. Fouinat furthermore suggested that in order to multiply the limited resources dedicated to dissemination and promotion, it is important to develop partnerships with like-minded institutions and people who could relay the Commission's message to their respective areas and constituencies. This he noted requires a sustained effort by the new Unit.
  
  
• The Board agreed that in addition to the work of the HS Unit, members will also consider other avenues to reach and build a broad-based constituency among numerous and varied groups. Several possibilities included op-ed articles, project visitations with journalists, an abbreviated version of the report, and closer collaboration with civil society groups.
  

4. Discussion on thematic issues

• The Secretariat of the Advisory Board, in line with the directives of the Commission and the Advisory Board, presented two papers to the Board; one dealing with "the denial of citizenship" (see "Denial of Citizenship: A Challenge to Human Security" in PDF file) and the other on the issue of a "social minimum" (see the concept note on "Critical and Pervasive Threats to Human Security: The Case for a Social Minimum for People in Situations of Chronic Poverty, Internal Conflict and Sudden Economic Downturns" in PDF file). Both papers were deemed of direct interest and relevance by the Board. The Board endorsed both documents and members committed their participation in the follow-up initiatives.

5. Concluding remarks

• In closing, the Board requested Mrs. Ogata to remain as the Chair of the Advisory Board for another year, to which she kindly acceded. Also, at the suggestion of the Board, Mr. Fouinat, who will retire at the end of July 2004, agreed to remain at the disposal of the HSU if the need arises.