Protecting and Empowering People

Human Security Now

Remarks by Sadako Ogata

President Thabo Mbeki,
Ms. Frene Ginwala,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very happy to have this opportunity to convey this message on the occasion of the presentation of the report of the Commission on Human Security to President Mbeki, both in his capacity as Chair of the African Union and President of South Africa.

This is a very important occasion and I deeply regret not being able to attend in person.

I would be amiss if I did not start out by warmly thanking the critical contributions of Frene Ginwala, Speaker of Parliament of South Africa, Albert Tevoedjre, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to the Ivory Coast, and Lakhdar Brahimi, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan. The Commissioners from Africa have shaped the richness of this report in immeasurable ways. Their belief and vision for an Africa free from fear and want guided us in our work. .

As former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, I was confronted on a daily basis with the impact and consequences of insecurities upon people in Africa. Looking for ways to protect people displaced by war, violence and human rights abuses was a difficult challenge. Examining the means to assist people in conditions of abject poverty was also a serious task.

But at the same time, I was deeply impressed by people’s belief in the future, in seizing opportunities to go home and start again. South Africa, following the end of the apartheid regime, and Mozambique present two successful human security stories.

These experiences have deeply affected my thinking and belief in the need for human security.

As threats to national and international security emanate more and more from internal sources, it is important to shift attention to the security of people.

New thinking and policies about security are urgently required. People and countries feel more insecure and apprehensive today than at the start of the 21st century.

It is within this complex context that the Commission on Human Security has sought to develop a new security concept and policies that focus on people, more than on states. Assisted by ten distinguished Commissioners, Amartya Sen and I co-chaired the Commission. On 1 May, the Commission’s report was presented to the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

For the Commission, human security is concerned with safeguarding and expanding people’s vital freedoms. It implies that people should be protected from being killed, persecuted or abused; are free from the abject poverty that brings indignity and self-contempt; and able to make better choices.

Protection refers to the norms, policies and institutions essential to shield people and implies a “top-down approach,” notably strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance.

Empowerment underscores the role of people as actors and participants and implies a “bottom-up” approach. From the start, Frene Ginwala insisted on organzing consulations with people. Through holding hearings and meetings in South Africa and Benin, this report has benefited greatly from people’s insights and aspirations.

Human security also underscores the close linkages between gross human rights violations and national and international insecurities. The Rwandan genocide represents one of the worst human security failures, and the consequences still reverberate through the Great Lakes region nearly ten years later. Therefore, realizing human rights lies at the core of protecting and empowering people.

Human security also adds an important dimension to development thinking. By focusing on downside risks, human security emphasizes that people must be protected when facing sudden and profound reversals in economic and social life. In addition to “growth with equity,” human security is equally concerned with “downturns with security.”

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our understanding of security needs to respond to changing threats. It should also respond to the growing role and contributions of civil society groups and community leaders. States no longer hold the monopoly over security issues. People themselves are expected to shoulder increasing responsibilities in determining their own interests, aspirations and security.

The Africa-wide meeting with civil society, scheduled to take place on 26-27 May in South Africa, will be an important part of the process. By discussing and analysing this report and its policy recommendations, people gain ownership and promote human security.

I am pleased that the African Union and NEPAD are recognising the decisive value of human security and are incorporating it into their policies and programmes. To attain human security is a difficult and complex challenge.

Only when we can ensure the security of people, guarantee their livelihood and respect their dignity, can we say that human security is making a difference.

Thank you.