8 May: World leaders gathered in the Economic and Social Council Chamber at the United Nations in New York for a High-Level Event on Human Security to reflect on the added value and lessons learned from implementing the human security approach and consider the future integration of human security into the work of the United Nations.
The event was opened by statements from the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, Mr. Surin Pitswan and Ms. Sonia Picado highlighting the relevance of the human security approach to today’s complex and interrelated challenges and the contribution of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) to the work of the United Nations. After a short video illustrating the human security approach and the work of the UNTFHS, Chair of the Human Security Network, Ambassador Octavio Errazuriz, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, convened a panel discussion on the added value and the challenges in implementing the human security approach.
Addressing a full house, Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Human Security, began the panel discussions followed by a presentation by Mr. Dale Thompson of Universalia Management Group on the Rapid Assessment of UNTFHS. The chamber then heard from Ms. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, and Ms. Laura Thompson, Deaputy-Director of IOM, on their organisation’s experience in implementing the human security approach, which has proven to be ‘highly relevant’ and ‘fundamental’ to the work of both organisations.
2 May: Leading up to the High-Level Event on Human Security on 8 May, an op-ed by Mrs. Sadako Ogata, Honorary Chair of the ABHS is featuring in the Huffington Post. Entitled ‘Human Security -- A New Response to Complex Threats’, Mrs. Ogata recalls her lengthy experience working on human security and the increasing relevance of the approach to today’s complex and inter-related threats.
10 April: The spring 2013 edition of 'Human Security at the United Nations', the newsletter of the UN Human Security Unit is now available. With a focus on projects supported by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) in El Salvador and Madagascar, this edition addresses violence in urban areas, an issue of growing concern in our increasingly urbanized world, through the human security lens. The newsletter also provides the usual update on human security related activities within the United Nations and beyond, as well as the latest resources and publications on human security.
25 March: The Human Security Unit released its latest publication entitled ‘Lessons from the Field: Applying the Human Security Approach through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security’. The booklet provides a more in-depth analysis on the application of the human security approach and its added value to the work of the United Nations. Following an introduction on the work of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and the key principles of the human security approach, the booklet highlights the added value of applying the approach in the areas of climate change, peacebuilding, migration, urban violence, poverty reduction, and health, and draws on case studies form projects funded by the UNTFHS.
28 February: UNOCHA website featured a story from the UNTFHS funded project in Kenya’s Turkana region entitled ‘Strengthening human security in the border communities of Turkana’. The project aims to help people cope with natural disasters through support for livelihoods, food security, education and healthcare. For more information on this project you can visit the UNTFHS Kenya country page.
26 February: The Civil Society Network for Human Security released the latest edition of its newsletter featuring updates on the Network’s activities over the past 2 months as well as upcoming events throughout March 2013.
19 February: The UNTFHS funded project ‘Sustaining Livelihoods Affected by the Aral Sea Disaster’ in Uzbekistan was featured in the UNDP Voices from Eurasia blog. For regular updates you can visit the project’s own blog as well as the UNTFHS Uzbekistan country page.
16 January: The UNTFHS issued the seventh revision its Guidelines. Applying agencies are requested to refer to this revised edition when submitting concept notes and project proposals
