The security of the human person -- "human security" -- is of paramount concern whether in war or peace. As a notion to guiding international and national development since the 1990s, it has gained traction in underlining freedom from want, freedom from fear and freedom to live in dignity. It is thus auspicious that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organising a key international conference tomorrow on human security and sustainable development, sharing and learning between international, regional and national experiences.
The seeds for integrating human security into the UN framework were sown by the setting up of the UN Trust Fund for Human Security in 1999, with substantial funds from Japan and support from Thailand. This was reinforced by a seminal report on human security from a high-level Commission on Human Security. The fund itself has supported a wide range of projects in many countries, interlinking between UN agencies, particularly to overcome gaps in such areas as food security, post-conflict community-building, disaster risk reduction, and reducing vulnerability in relation to migration and forced displacement.
Yet, from the outset, one of the quandaries facing human security was that, as an approach, it was left undefined for many years. Some countries were hesitant to use the term "human security" for fear that failings at the national level might give rise to intervention from outside. This fear has been allayed considerably by the adoption of a UN General Assembly Resolution on the issue in 2012. Resolution 66/290 helps to clarify the content of human security by underlining that it is people-centred and based on national ownership. It is distinct from the state's responsibility to protect its population from key human rights violations and it "does not entail the threat or the use of force or coercive measures".
Vitit Muntarbhorn is Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University. He has helped the UN in a variety of positions, including as UN Special Rapporteur..
The real test of human security is to identify its integration and implementation in a cross-cutting manner, interconnected with development, peace and human rights, with concrete outcomes. At the global level bridging with the national level, it is substantively linked with a variety of international commitments witnessed last year and this year.
Importantly, in 2015 , the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted as a follow-up to the earlier Millennium Development Goals. Targeted to the year 2030, there are now 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) interlinked with human security, even though the latter term is not used expressly. These include, among others, the promise to end poverty everywhere; to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education; to achieve gender equality; to reduce inequalities; to take urgent action against climate change; and to vitalise the global partnership for sustainable development. Concrete targets in regard to Goal 16 on the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, for example, include the end to violence against children; the provision of legal identity for all, including birth registration; and the protection of fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
While there is currently much debate on the issue of statistics, various targets can be implemented without too much complication, if there is the will to do so. For instance, in many countries, including Thailand, birth registration is compulsory for all, and this includes the children of irregular migrants. The more delicate area is in regard to political rights, particular freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The rule of law issue inherent in Goal 16 implies that military courts should not have jurisdiction over civilians and that where they try civilians, there should be appeals to civilian courts.
The SDGs are now to be bolstered by this week's World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, with its global Agenda for Humanity. This is premised on various core responsibilities for all countries, including the call for political leadership to prevent and end conflicts; the need to uphold humanitarian norms, such as protection of civilians in time of war (international humanitarian law); and the promise not to leave anyone behind as voiced by the SDGs.
While it is prospected that the Istanbul Call to Humanity will create a new financial platform to address protracted crises, such as to expand the Central Emergency Response Fund from US$500 million (17.5 billion baht) to $1 billion, a key consideration for human security will be how the UN Security Council will take up the cudgel of conflict prevention and resolution. A pivotal concern is to encourage the permanent members of the Security Council to withhold their veto power in relation to measures geared to preventing or ending mass atrocities. There is also a need for a People's Assembly in the UN as a real validation of "We, the People" under the UN Charter.
Another bridge to be built later this year is the September summit on Migration. The UN Secretary General's recent report, "In Safety and Dignity: Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants", forms the basis for a future Global Compact which is to facilitate inter-state cooperation and shared responsibility. A key outcome could be more financial commitment and equitable sharing of resettlement places for refugees fleeing their country of origin due to persecution, warfare and other forms of violence/violations. The forthcoming Global Compact aspires to cover annual resettlement needs identified by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or at least 10% of the total refugee population.
At the national level, a recurrent issue is how to treat non-nationals "on the move" who arrive in a country in search of aid and protection, especially if they come without documentation or in an irregular manner. Safe and orderly channels of migration should be promoted to manage such flows.
The root causes of displacement in the country of origin need to be highlighted, while the receptivity of the local population in the refugee- or migrant-receiving country could be nurtured through cross-cultural activities based on non-discrimination. Human security thus opens the door to responsibility-sharing not only as an inter-state concern but also as an inter-community and inter-personal challenge.