25 November 2004: In collaboration the League of Arab States (LAS), the Arabic translation of the report of the Commission on Human Security (CHS), Human Security Now, was launched at the headquarters of the LAS in Cairo. Over ninety participants including member states of the LAS, representatives from international and regional organizations, donors, journalists and academic institutions were present at the event.
The Secretary-General of the LAS, Mr. Amre Moussa, opened and moderated the proceedings. Following the keynote address by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, a member of the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS), comments were made by four distinguished intellectuals from well known research centers in Egypt: Dr. Al-Sayeed Yassin, Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, Dr. Salah Amer, Cairo University, Dr. Ahmad Youssef Ahmad, Arab Research and Study Institute, and Dr. Mohammad Al-Sayeed Saeed, Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
Mr. Moussa welcomed Mr. Brahimi and the participants and congratulated the Report for its focus on the protection and empowerment of people. He noted that with the end of the cold war, the United Nations, through this Report, had made a bold attempt in addressing and finding solutions to the many challenges faced by the international community.
Mr. Brahimi thanked the League for their collaboration on the launch of the Report and for their willingness to take part in this important intellectual dialogue. Mr. Brahimi noted that while the concept of human security is broad and comprehensive, chief among its objectives is "freedom from fear" and "freedom from want" that enable individuals and communities to live a life of dignity, empowerment and security.
Following Mr. Brahimi's remarks on the implications of human security within the region, as well as possible policy recommendations proposed by the Report, comments were offered by the panelists and the participants. While there was general appreciation for the concept of human security and the work of the Commission, a few among the panelists felt that the Report did not adequately grasp the realities faced by many in the Arab region and subsequently fell short of delivering on its promise.
Nevertheless, many praised the Report for its emphasis on individuals and the need to safeguard their security, livelihood and dignity. Several emphasized the significance of human security as a complement to state security. For some, the Report provided an important framework for dealing with the shortcomings as well as the positive aspects of globalization. Others stressed the need for "dialogues among civilizations" that highlight the importance of a global human identity while respecting the rights of individuals to have various identities and associations. And many reiterated their hope that the meeting would be a starting point for the advancement of human security, in particular since the concept of human security and the Report remain novel and unfamiliar to many in the region.
Mr. Brahimi thanked the participants and the panelists and assured them of the UN's commitment to the promotion of human security, as indicated through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and the work of the ABHS. He also stressed his hope that the panelists, in collaboration with the UN and the LAS, would continue to focus on and strengthen the concept of human security in the Arab region.
Copies of statements made by Mr. Brahimi and the panelists are available in Arabic and English in PDF.
* For documents in PDF format Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.
You can download the reader free from the Adobe site.
BACK