ADVISORY BOARD ON HUMAN SECURITY FOURTH MEETING. Agenda

Transcription

1 ADVISORY BOARD ON HUMAN SECURITY Wednesday, 19 October 2005 FOURTH MEETING 19 October 2005 Beekman Hotel New York Agenda 10:00 am Introduction remarks by Mrs. Sadako Ogata, ChairIntroduction of new board membersadoption of the agenda 10:30 am Progress report by OCHA (Ms. Margareta Wählstrom) 11:00 am Management of the UNTFHS Presentation by UNDP Africa Bureau (Tanzania project) Revised Guidelines for the UNTFHS Development of evaluation criteria (additional input from UNICEF) 12:15 pm Expansion of the donor base of UNTFHS Presentation by the Government of Japan Discussion 1:00 pm Lunch 2:00 pm Outreach activities to promote human security concept Partnership with the Human Security Network Regional strategies and partnership with UN member states, World Bank and other inter-governmental organizations Building partnership with civil society organizations Thematic activities including the denial of citizenship

2 3:30 pm Future direction of human security: contribution to the UN reform process Human security in the context of the High-Level Panel Report and the Secretary-General s report: In Larger Freedom 4:30 pm Concluding remarks and schedule for the next meeting Minutes of the ABHS Fourth Meeting The fourth meeting of the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) was convened on 19 October 2005 in New York. The meeting was chaired by Mrs. Sadako Ogata and attended by the following Board members: Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, Ms. Sonia Picado, Mr. Surin Pitsuwan, Mr. Iqbal Riza, and Mr. Bradford Smith. Also present were Dr. Frene Ginwala (member of the Commission on Human Security), Ms. Margareta Wahlström (Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator), Ambassador Yukio Takasu (Ambassador for Human Security, Government of Japan), Mr. François Fouinat (former Executive Director of the Commission on Human Security) and representatives from the Permanent Missions of Japan and the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children Fund, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Human Security Unit (HSU). Introductory remarks Mrs. Ogata welcomed the participants to the fourth meeting of the Advisory Board and noted the change in representation in the Advisory Board by the Government of Japan and the Chef-de-Cabinet of the United Nations. She welcomed Ambassador Kenzo Oshima and Mr. Mark Malloch Brown as the new members of the Board. Report on the activities of the Human Security Unit (HSU) for the period January to September 2005 Ms. Wahlström in representing Mr. Jan Egelend who was unable to attend the meeting due to obligations following the devastating earthquake in South Asia, informed the Board on the progress made by the HSU since the last meeting of the Board in November She noted that by accelerating the review and

3 approval processes, the HSU has facilitated the effective and efficient use of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and has substantially improved its management. As a result, the Fund has become better known within the overall UN system, promoting projects that are multi-sectoral, multi-agency and in line with the Guidelines for the UNTFHS. A project on Tanzania was introduced as an example. Advisory Board remarked that while the multi-agency approach was commendable, due consideration must be given to the context and naming of such a project. Ms. Wahlström informed the Board that due to the improved management of the UNTFHS and the accelerated use of the Fund, the current level of activities will be unsustainable in the future and therefore the expansion of the resource base needs to be discussed by the Board. So far, the HSU has initiated dialogue with some Member States as well as begun the co-funding of projects with non UNresources. However, further advice from the Board would be invaluable in moving forward. In addition to the excellent performance made on the management of the UNTFHS, the HSU has also increased its visibility as the UN focal point on human security. Through the establishment of the HSU website as well as numerous promotion and dissemination events in which the HSU has played a pivotal role in disseminating the human security concept, the concept is increasingly recognized and endorsed by Member States, UN and non-un multilateral agencies, regional organisations, academics and the CSO/NGO community. The Board noted with appreciation the progress made by the HSU since the last meeting of the Board. The Chair recognised that while the management process has been expedited substantially, the thoroughness of the review process should not be jeopardized and in this regard urged the HSU to continue to apply the UNTFHS guidelines with caution and due diligence. Mrs. Ogata along with several members of the Board noted that the expansion of the resource base of the UNTFHS should not be the responsibility of the HSU but that of the ABHS and the Government of Japan. Expansion of the resource base of the UNTFHS In light of the current level of funding for the UNTFHS, several possibilities on the expansion of the resource base of the UNTFHS were considered by the Board. Among these, the continued financial contribution by the Government of Japan was highly appreciated. At the same time, it was noted that a big challenge for the UNTFHS was to convince potential donors of the international character of the UNTFHS. Ambassador Takasu recognised that to date many think of the UNTFHS as a Japanese Trust Fund and in this regard it was primarily the responsibility of the Government of Japan to reach out to Member States and to gain their support for the UNTFHS. Among potential donors highlighted were the members of the Human Security Network (HSN), in particular, the Governments of Canada, Thailand and Norway, as well as Member States outside of the HSN such as the Government of Sweden and Germany and the European Commission.

4 In addition to expanding the donor base of the UNTFHS, the Board advised the HSU to continue to look at possibilities to co-fund projects with non-un resources. Dr. Ginwala noted that at present funding of UNTFHS projects is provided entirely by the UNTFHS. However in the future the HSU and the ABHS could identify additional co-funders, notably among members of the HSN, likeminded foundations and the private sector, who would be willing to co-fund projects in support of human security objectives. Mr. Malloch Brown cautioned the Board that given the current funding trends, it is vital that projects under the UNTFHS have specific and distinctive characteristics so as to not compete with existing programmes. The Board also recognised that in opening the UNTFHS to other donors, the procedures and the management of the UNTFHS will be modified taking into account the positions and interests of the potential donors. Outreach for human security The Board noted that at the core of the UNTFHS mission is to disseminate human security and in this regard it highlighted the need for continued education of the concept both within the UN and in the broader international community. Board members requested the HSU to provide them with regular and detailed updates on UNTFHS projects, both ongoing as well as pipeline projects. Several members of the Board offered to visit project activities in the field so as to better support the promotion of human security at regional and country levels. Ambassador Takasu informed the Board on the Outcome Document of the General Assembly to the UN Millennium+5 Summit and the commitment by UN Member States to discuss and define the human security concept within the General Assembly. The Ambassador further introduced Japan s initiative to disseminate the concept through the APEC Human Security Seminar held on October 6 in Tokyo. As a follow-up to the document, he noted that the Government of Japan has initiated an informal intergovernmental Friends of Human Security and has received positive indications from the Governments of Canada and Thailand. Ambassador Takasu nevertheless highlighted the need to proceed cautiously and to ensure broad discussion of the concept among members of the Human Security Network as well as those Member States outside of the Network. The Board noted that the inclusion of human security in the Outcome Document provided an important opportunity for the Secretary-General to highlight the distinctive and innovative nature of the human security approach. In addition to increasing dialogue with UN Member States, the Board also reiterated the need for close collaboration with the CSO/NGO community and in this regard commended the HSU on its proposal regarding the establishment of a CSO/NGO Task Force. While supporting the proposal in principle, however due to the limited human resources of the Unit, the Board advised the HSU to refrain from becoming the secretariat of the CSO/NGO Task Force and instead focus on utilizing existing networks and develop an electronic web-based platform that can facilitate collaboration among the respective CSO/NGOs. The Board also recommended the HSU to align its activities with ongoing UN and non-un CSO/NGO related workshops and events.

5 Revision of the Guidelines and Evaluation of UNTFHS In reviewing the Guidelines for the UNTFHS, the Board requested the HSU to focus on projects that are primarily operational and refrain from research oriented proposals. In this regard, the Board noted that the Guidelines should better reflect this position, as well as place equal importance on both the protection and empowerment aspects of the human security framework. Some members of the Board felt that under the current language of the Guidelines, too much emphasis was placed on protection and not enough on the empowerment dimensions of human security. The need was mentioned also to clarify the definition of the beneficiary entity. In addition, while the Board recognised the importance of the evaluation for the UNTFHS they however felt that the evaluation procedures and modalities need to be further discussed and decided by the HSU and the Government of Japan. The Board advised the HSU and the Government of Japan to ensure that the evaluation will provide a positive feedback to the UNTFHS and in this regard it looked forward to receiving an accumulation of success stories that could support the concept s credibility and achievements. Concluding remarks In concluding the meeting, the Board agreed to the following actions until the next meeting of the ABHS: 1. The HSU will provide the ABHS with regular and detailed updates on project activities and will organise field visits by members of the ABHS to a select group of project sites. 2. The HSU will more closely liaise with the ABHS on promotional initiatives and will involve the Board members in the dissemination of the concept as outlined in the Outreach Strategy for Human Security document. 3. The HSU will continue to collaborate with the CSO/NGO community, most notably by facilitating partnerships through an electronic platform as well as aligning its activities with other ongoing initiatives in this area. 4. The Guidelines for the UNTFHS will be revised and finalized by the GoJ and the HSU, reflecting comments of the Board members. 5. The procedures and modalities for the evaluation of the UNTFHS will be further discussed and developed by the HSU and the Government of Japan. Once a revised Terms of Reference is completed, the HSU will inform the ABHS for its approval. 6. The HSU will continue to disseminate the concept among UN agencies both at the country level as well as at headquarters, taking advantage of the Annual Meeting of the UN Resident Coordinators, among others. 7. Expansion of the donor base will be initiated by the Government of Japan and will be supported by the ABHS.