`Human security' calls for action

Kazumoto Momose, The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo

Nearly a decade has passed since the concept of "human security" was introduced. Of the many reports and research papers that have been published to date on the subject, I would rate the Ogata-Sen Report -- co-authored by Commission on Human Security co-chairs Sadako Ogata and Amartya Sen -- as the most definitive and authoritative work. It is packed with practical wisdom and insight.

The human security theory emerged in full force amid the sobering reality of rampant racial conflicts, starvation and poverty in the post-Cold War world of the late 20th century.

Proponents of this theory hold that since the traditional process of examining security issues in the context of state power has proven incapable of saving individual human beings from being left at the mercy of violence and disorder, the focus should be on the security of the people, rather than state security.

Assured that human suffering due to war and poverty and development are separate but nonetheless interrelated issues, the above co-authors insist on an integrated approach in dealing with these problems.

Among the report's notable recommendations are that (1) human communities be regarded as the "units" by which to implement human security, and (2) the protection of the weak should go hand-in-hand with their empowerment.

The report clearly reflects the co-authors' shared conviction that it is not enough for governments and international bodies to bring relief to victims.

For people who are at the mercy of violence and poverty, empowering them to overcome such pervasive threats is just as vital as protecting them.

Around the world today, armed conflicts have displaced tens of millions of people from their homes, and as many as 1.2 billion people are forced to live in abject poverty, surviving on less than US$1 a day.

Given this reality, the systematic manner in which the Ogata- Sen Report proposes empowerment measures renders this report an ideal "textbook" for development and humanitarian aid workers.

And for Japan, this report is also a call to action. For it was Japan that established the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and helped create the Commission on Human Security with Ogata and Sen as co-chairs. How does Japan intend to implement their proposals?

Various reports, including one published in December by former UN Undersecretary-General Yasushi Akashi, recommend a range of plans -- such as active utilization of official development aid (ODA) for the cause. However, Japan has yet to map out a specific plan of action.

The Ogata-Sen Report is a wake-up call for Japan to act. It will no longer do to just keep repeating a lofty slogan such as "human security is one of the pillars of Japanese diplomacy."

"A fine report is useless so long as it just sits on a bookshelf," said Ogata.