Minutes of the Tenth Meeting

Minutes of the Tenth ABHS Meeting

The tenth meeting of the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) was convened on 11 and 12 April 2011 at the Beekman Tower Hotel, New York. The meeting was chaired by Mrs. Sadako Ogata and was attended by the following Board members: Professor Adebayo Adedeji, Mr. François Fouinat, Ambassador Matjaž Kovačič, Mr. Vijay Nambiar, Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida, Ms. Sonia Picado, and Mr. Bradford Smith.

Also present were Ms. Valerie Amos, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Ms. Frene Ginwala and Mr. Peter Sutherland, former members of the Commission on Human Security (CHS); Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Human Security; representatives from the Permanent Mission of Japan; representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; as well as the staff of the Human Security Unit, OCHA (HSU/OCHA).

1. Introductory remarks

Mrs. Ogata opened the meeting with a moment of silence to recall the immense loss of lives stemming from the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Mrs. Ogata then welcomed the members of the ABHS to the tenth meeting of the Board and extended a warm welcome to Ms. Valerie Amos, Ms. Frene Ginwala and Mr. Peter Sutherland, as well as representatives from the Permanent Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Looking back at the achievements of the Commission and the Board, Mrs. Ogata thanked the members of the ABHS and the CHS for their enormous commitment and contributions since the establishment of the CHS in 2001. Mrs. Ogata reminded the participants of the significant progress achieved to date and, in particular, recognized the importance of projects funded under the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS). Mrs. Ogata noted that in concretely addressing a broad range of human insecurities, the Trust Fund and the ABHS have come a long way in presenting the added value of the human security approach to the UN and the broader international community. Mrs. Ogata emphasized that these accomplishments, combined with current and emerging developments and challenges, provide the basis for discussing the future direction of the ABHS.

In welcoming the participants, Ms. Amos also highlighted some significant milestones that have been achieved in the past 12 months, including: the release of the report of the Secretary-General on human security (A/64/701) in April 2010; the informal panel discussion and the plenary meeting of the General Assembly in May 2010; the subsequent adoption of the General Assembly Resolution (64/291) in July 2010; and the informal thematic debate to be held in the General Assembly on 14 April 2011. These developments, she noted, illustrate the growing interest in the notion of human security and highlight the commitment of Member States to achieve a common understanding of human security and its application to the work of the United Nations.

2. Progress to-date and possible areas of consideration for the future

Board members agreed that to-date important achievements have been made, particularly in illustrating the added-value of the human security concept through UNTFHS funded projects. Subsequently, Members noted that as a result of UNTFHS funded projects an accumulation of lessons learnt and best practices that show how human security is a ‘reality-linked’ concept with significant practical applications have been established. In this context, Board members noted that more needed to be done both within the UN and beyond in terms of disseminating the accomplishments of these projects. Among different possibilities, Members considered a possible publication on a collection of concrete and successful projects under the UNTFHS as well as other innovative communication strategies that can reach a broader audience, including the youth and the private sector.

The Board was also requested to reflect on the substantive focus of the Fund going forward. As a result, several Board members noted that by concentrating the activities of the Fund, possible thematic areas on emerging threats could be considered. It was further suggested that the focus of the Fund should not be on geographical areas per se, but rather on areas that have significant multiplier effects and currently do not receive enough support. While Members felt it important for the Fund to address emerging threats, however, some Members also stressed the importance of maintaining a comprehensive focus that remains cognizant of the broad and context-specific notion of human security.

Invited by the Chair, Ms. Mostafavi (HSU/OCHA) briefed the ABHS on the promotional activities of the HSU, in particular, the organization of regional workshops. These workshops remain an important tool in disseminating the human security concept and in familiarizing UN agencies with the application of the human security approach. Several members of the Board concurred on the added value of the workshops and noted their contribution in providing important knowledge on the application of the human security concept and approach into UNTFHS funded projects at the country and regional levels.

3. Views on the future composition of the ABHS

Mrs. Ogata informed those present of her decision to resign as the Chair of the ABHS and requested Members to consider the future composition of the Board. Commission and Board members reiterated their enormous gratitude to Mrs. Ogata for her leadership as the co-Chair of the CHS and the Chair of the ABHS. Members confirmed their willingness and interest in continuing as members of the new Board.

The Board elected Ms. Picado as the new Chair of the ABHS for a two-year period, and requested Mrs. Ogata to remain as the Honorary Chair of the Board.

4. Revisions of the UNTFHS Guidelines

Invited by the Chair, Ms. Mostafavi presented the draft proposals for the sixth revision of the UNTFHS Guidelines. In providing a synopsis of the changes made, Ms. Mostafavi indicated that the proposed revisions were made primarily to simplify the application and the approval process under the UNTFHS. In addition, in order to use the Fund’s resources more effectively, the latest draft explicitly requires the applying organizations to ensure that projects are developed based on the core principles of the human security concept and approach. Moreover, the latest draft in addition to including a component designated specifically for the dissemination of the human security concept, promote projects that are also innovative and novel. The Board endorsed the draft proposal presented by the HSU/OCHA.

6. Next steps

Mrs. Ogata concluded the meeting by thanking the members of the ABHS and the Commission for their commitment and their willingness to serve on the new Board. She expressed her appreciation to the HSU/OCHA for their continued support and congratulated Ms. Picado as the new Chair of the ABHS.

The Board issued a press release in recognition of Mrs. Ogata’s outstanding work and her invaluable contributions to the advancement of human security. In closing, the Board scheduled its next meeting for November 2011.