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Voluntary Briefing:
Human Security

Overview

  • Thailand is pleased to witness a growing awareness of the importance of human security, most recently as reflected in the Outcome Document adopted by the UN High-Level Plenary Meeting (HLPM) last September in New York. The concept of human security has been evolving over the years since it was brought to focus for policy deliberations in the early 1990’s, and this development deserves attention of ARF members.
  • Taking into consideration the potential contribution of the said notion to the ARF’s mission, Thailand wishes to take this opportunity to brief the ARF on what human security means for Thailand and our engagement in the Human Security Network or HSN, an informal network of fourteen like-minded countries from all continents of the world which Thailand currently holds the chairmanship.[1]

What Human Security Means for Thailand?

  • Since its inception in 1999, the Network has become a driving force in promoting international awareness on the concept of human security encompassing both “freedom from fear” and ‘freedom from want”. The aim is to secure a world where people can live in security and dignity, free from violent threats, poverty and despair.[2]
  • Because of differing standpoints on how human security should be defined, Thailand is of the view that it may not really be necessary to have “a universally agreed definition” of human security at this stage. Since human security is still a nascent term and it is still evolving, it might be more useful to use an action-driven approach rather than a concept-driven approach.

Thailand’s Role in the Human Security Network

  • The attractiveness of the HSN is its ability to accommodate and to build on the rich diversity of HSN countries through a culture of dialogue. Therefore, when taking over the chairmanship of the Network for one year since May 2005, Thailand has attached great importance not to create a hierarchy of issues, but to group issues only in terms of clusters and to propose a model of cooperation, which would ensure participation, partnerships, particularities and pooling of expertise of countries within the network.
  • The Network has currently adopted the second mid-term work plan (2005-2008) encompassing the following areas of cooperation: (1) Effective multilateral institutions (2) Human rights (3) Protection of civilians (4) Small arms, light weapons, and landmines (5) Women, peace and security (6) HIV/AIDS (7) Poverty and people-centered development and (8) Emerging issues.
  • Thailand, as HSN Chair during 2005-2006, has submitted a concept paper on Thailand as Chair of the Human Security Network with the Thai Chair Plan of Action. The Concept Paper, along with the Thai Chair Plan of Action, was endorsed at the HSN Ministerial Meeting in May 2005 when we took over the chairmanship of the HSN. We are going to brief the meeting of the highlights of the Thai Chair Plan of Action and our national and international undertakings in accordance with the plan.

On People-centered Development

  • Thailand, as lead country for cooperation in this area within the HSN,has aimed to meet the challenge of securing basic human needs as a rudiment of human security.
  • We have aimed to empower grass-roots community and strengthen social safety nets for a resilient society.
  • Thailand is pleased with the recent establishment by the UN Secretary of the High-Level Panel on UN system-wide coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance, and environment and look forward to the High-Level Panel’s report.
  • We have established the National Committee on Sustainable Development and will endeavor to promote sustainable community development and to strengthen people’s consciousness, morality, and participation.

On HIV/AIDS

  • Thailand, as lead country on this issue as well, has aimed to promote greater access to prevention, care and treatment, sharing of experiences on community-based prevention and care, improvement of health infrastructure/human resources in health sector, and sustained leadership.
  • Through our Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Thailandhosted an informal HSN Meeting to exchange views on the impact of trade rules to access to HIV/AIDS drugs on 20 February 2005. The Workshop recommended the Guidelines for Cooperation on HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support with Focus on Young People and Health Systems, which was later adopted by HSN ministers in New York in September 2005.
  • In cooperation with UNDP and with the co-sponsorship of the HSN, Thailandorganized two workshops on comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS prevention and care in Kenya and in Botswana in 2005.

Trafficking in Persons

  • Thailand, as lead country, has desired to develop thinking on Women, Peace and Security as a cross-cutting theme that interacts with and has impacts upon other issues, for example, peace-building, conflict prevention, sustainable development, and public health.
  • Thailand, in cooperative with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and with the support of the HSN, organized a Human Security Network Panel Discussion on Human Trafficking at the Vienna International Centre on 17 October 2005. The Workshop aims to promote protection and assistance of trafficked victims and to create an effective means for prosecution of traffickers.
  • Thailand cooperated with Canada in the drafting of the HSN Joint Statement delivered at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security on 27 October 2005 in New York to reiterate the Security Council’s role in ensuring the planning and implementation of multi-dimensional peace in the region.
  • Thailand has set up the National Committee, along with a police command unit and the Operation Center on Human Trafficking at different levels to oversee and implement counter-human trafficking policies.

Landmines

  • As protection of civilians is one of our priorities, Thailand as partner for cooperation in this area within the HSN, has aimed to promote universalization and effective implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction or the Mine Ban Convention and shall follow-up on the Action Plan adopted at the First Review Conference in Nairobi, in particular, mine clearance, victim assistance and resource mobilization.
  • Thailand has complied with the Mine Ban Convention andhas established the DeminingTrainingCenter and the MineRiskEducationTrainingCenter accordingly. In addition, we have delivered humanitarian assistance to victims of anti-personnel mines, giving the victims medical relief, physical and mental rehabilitation, training, and career provision in order to enable them to return to the society.

Small Arms and Light Weapons

  • Thailand believes that the accumulation and spread of SALW have a wide range of humanitarian and socio-economic consequences and pose a serious threat to peace, security, stability, and development.
  • In this connection, Thailand values the UN Programme of Action (UNPoA) as a significant multilateral framework to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in SALW.
  • Thailand, as partner of cooperation in this area, has aimed to encourage the finding of common position and developing common strategies, as appropriate.
  • Thailand has considered organizing events that will highlight a human dimension of small arms in various aspects. We support further research to highlight the significance of tackling small arms and light weapons challenges through the framework of human security.
  • Thailand is committed to supporting the exchange of information and cooperation among governments. At the same time, Thailand is now enhancing national stockpile management and security and promoting the destruction of surplus weapons.

Conclusion

  • These are the highlights of the HSN Thai Chair Plan of Action and supporting actions.
  • Thailand will continue to best carry out basic elements in the plan of action even after the ending of its chairmanship in May 2006. We believe the Human Security Network has added values due to its policy research nexus.[3]More important, we believe the Human Security Network will contribute to the ARF activities with its attachment of importance to development as a means for conflict prevention.

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[1] The HSN currently has thirteen member countries and one observer: Chile, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Canada, Mali, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Costa Rica and South Africa as an observer.

[3] UNESCO is one of the UN agencies, which attaches importance to the notion of human security and has tried to apply the concept in the conduct of its work. On this basis, UNESCO’s Human Security Program is now carrying out a series of regional conferences to identify priorities in the area of human security in different parts of the world and is coordinating with ASEAN Secretariat about the possibility of holding a seminar in Southeast Asia in cooperation with ASEAN, and back-to-back with the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting which will be held in Manila in July 2005. Negotiation is being made through ASEAN Secretariat on this issue.