14-15 March 2005: The International Conference on Human Security in the Arab Region was organized in cooperation with the and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The conference brought together experts from the Arab region and the international community, including ministers from Jordan, government officials from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, local and international CSOs, NGOs and academics as well as members of UN agencies and programmes. The participants discussed the merits and the shortcomings of the human security concept in the Arab region and, among others, felt that:
- At a minimum, every citizen should enjoy access to education, health services and income-generating activities. Citizens who are unable to meet their basic needs through their own efforts should have public support. In particular, particular attention should be given to vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, the handicapped, the chronically ill and people in isolated or remote areas. If States are unable to provide assistance, such assistance should be provided by the international community.
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The concept of human security and its underlying values of solidarity, tolerance, openness, dialogue, transparency, accountability, justice and equity should be widely disseminated in societies. To that effect, human security should be incorporated at all levels of education. The media, particularly radio and television, should be mobilized to organize awareness-raising campaigns. It should also encourage people to explore ways to enhance their own security and that of members of their communities.
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Civil society should be mobilized to participate in the promotion of human security. Special efforts should be made to mobilize women’s associations, academics, professional organizations and the private sector. This is to benefit from their resources, skills and proximity to ensure ownership of the concept of human security by local stakeholders and a wide dissemination of the culture of human security.
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Human security should be achieved especially at the local and at the community levels. However, resources are not always available in sufficient amounts. Therefore, the State has a role to play in mobilizing resources and allocating them among those who need them. In this respect, Arab States should be encouraged to offer and to receive moral, material and technical assistance from other Arab States and the international community.
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Many aspects of human security are deeply rooted in the Arab culture and Islam. Therefore, there should be no difficulty in adopting or implementing them in the Arab region.
At the end of the meeting, the Human Security Unit (HSU) agreed to continue to work in partnership with UNESCO and to promote a broader acceptance for human security among the member states of the League of Arab States. Also, possible collaboration was discussed between the HSU and the Regional Human Security Centre.
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