19 April 2004: The report of the Commission on Human Security (CHS), Human Security Now was launched at the European Policy Center (EPC) in Brussels. The event was co-organized by EPC and the UN Office in Brussels. Mr. Peter Sutherland, EU Commissioner and a member of the CHS introduced the report.

In presenting the conclusions of the Commission, Mr. Sutherland made particular reference to the growing interdependence between nations and the ever increasing interconnections among issues. He highlighted the significance of the human security approach, which by focusing on individuals and communities allows to look at today's issues in an integrated manner and respond with concrete strategies to deal with them. Furthermore, he noted that globalization, when properly and fairly managed, can be a source of development and social progress. In this respect, he insisted on the role that a unified Europe can play on the continent and in the world at large in harnessing its resources to address the multifaced nature surrounding poverty and conflict.

Following the opening presentation, comments were offered by Mr. Jeremy Kinsman, the Canadian Ambassador to the European Union, Ms. Haleh Bridi, the World Bank Special Representative to the European Union, and Dr. Kennedy Graham, Senior Fellow at the United Nations University. A lively period of questions and answers concluded the meeting.

After the meeting, Mr. François Fouinat, the former Executive Secretary of ABHS met with a number of EU officials from the security, external relations and development sectors who welcome the conclusions of the report and underlined the complementarity of the analysis and objectives of the report with their own approaches and programmes. The EPC and the UN Office in Brussels also agreed to further collaborate with the ABHS in areas of mutual interest.

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