Global Policy Forum

Security Council Program: Promoting Human Security

Focus on Human Security

To achieve a more peaceful and sustainable future, the international community must strengthen human security. But national security still dominates policy making in international affairs. Based on governments and built around military forces, national security thinking shapes policy, but it fails to guarantee the real security of citizens, even those living in the most heavily-armed countries. Human security focuses on individuals and their well-being. It addresses the root causes of conflict and lays the foundation of healthy human life.

Global Policy Forum has developed an innovative approach to human security through its Security Council Program at the United Nations. As the UN's most powerful body, the Council has "primary responsibility for international peace and security." In recent years, as the Council has become more active than ever before, it has intervened in dozens of crises worldwide. But it has been relatively traditional in its approach to "security." The Council has scarcely ever mentioned human rights issues in its resolutions, for example, and Council members often treat humanitarian relief as a troublesome side-issue. All too frequently, the rivalries of powerful countries for geo-strategic or commercial advantage outweigh the claims of human suffering.

The GPF program gives human security a new voice with the Council. GPF organizes frequent meetings between the Council and major non-governmental organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, CARE and Doctors without Borders. This dialogue with the NGOs has succeeded in bringing fresh ideas into the Council's deliberations, by advocating human rights, disarmament, humanitarian relief, development and other vital issues in ways the Council cannot ignore.

Dialogue between the Security Council and NGOs

Humanitarian and human rights NGOs often have staff and programs located in emergency areas where the Council is active. Many have vital information that can help the Council reach better decisions. In the past, these NGOs rarely could make their concerns known to Council members, nor did the Council inform the NGOs about its thinking and its actions.

To overcome this gap, Global Policy Forum initiated a program of "NGO-Council Dialogue" in early 1996. Beginning in early 1997 a special consultation group made up of thirty NGO leaders met regularly with Council members. The Group generally met with the Ambassadors. Increasingly, discussions came to be frank and open with a lively and constructive exchange. NGOs impressed the Council delegates with the depth of their knowledge and the value of the information they provided.

Program Work in 1998

During 1998, GPF organized private monthly meetings of 1-2 hours with nearly every President of the Council including Ambassadors Dejammet of France, Monteiro of Portugal, Lavrov of the Russian Republic, Greenstock of the United Kingdom, Dahlgren of Sweden and Burleigh of the United States. GPF also organized meetings regularly with delegations not in the presidency. During the year, more than two dozen NGO-Council meetings took place, which in some cases included working breakfasts or lunches with Council Presidents. In late November, GPF organized a meeting with ambassadors from newly-elected members of the Council - Canada, Netherlands, Argentina and Malaysia -- to establish working relations for 1999.

NGOs reached crucial goals through these meetings. They were able to learn far more than ever before about the work of the Council (which usually takes place behind closed doors). They were able to anticipate Council action and suggest possible strategies to Council members. And they were able to strengthen personal ties with delegations that were helpful in later lobbying to promote human rights, humanitarian relief, women's rights, disarmament and many other vital goals for ensuring the protection and security of the world's people.

A special NGO initiative to end the war in Sudan, taken by four major humanitarian groups in the early fall of 1998, grew directly out of the dialogue process. The NGOs laid plans for this initiative with a Council delegation during one of the meetings organized by Global Policy Forum.

The Working Group also greatly increased NGO involvement in the issue of Council-imposed sanctions. NGOs are concerned about the negative impact that general trade sanctions have on the lives of innocent civilians by depriving them of basic foods and medicines. In 1998, with input from NGOs, the Council began to re-consider its sanctions policies and to move towards more human-centered approaches, including more "targeted" sanctions, aimed at those in leadership positions. Members of the NGO Working Group were asked in November to provide comments on a Council draft document on sanctions -- the first time NGOs had ever been involved in this way in the Council's private deliberations.

In addition to organizing briefings, Global Policy Forum has helped to promote a wider public understanding of the Council. In 1998, GPF produced research papers, gave lectures and had a team working to post documents and reports to the World Wide Web, including reports written by Council Presidents. GPF Associates Brent Calverley, Natalie Reid and Scott Midgley made significant contributions to this work. In 1999, GPF hopes to circulate still more information about Council activities. It will encourage Council members to adopt new forms of reporting and information-sharing. And it will monitor the implementation of Council decisions.

The NGO-Council dialogue is a breakthrough that helps revitalize the work of the United Nations and establish a new level of partnership between national governments and NGOs on peace and security. But the dialogue process is still very new and the Working Group needs to make substantial efforts to ensure that the process will continue and strengthen. This will pose a challenge to Global Policy Forum and its international team in 1999.

In a world of multiple and complex crises, where peace and security are threatened constantly, the Security Council will increasingly need input from NGOs if it is to carry out its work effectively. The NGO Working Group, under GPF leadership, will provide the forum for new and flexible approaches to this partnership - seeking means to implement human security and to widen the search for peace and international cooperation.

Working Group Members

Mia Adjali
Director
United Methodist Office for the UN

John Beaven
UN Representative
Save the Children, UK

Peter Davies
UN Representative
Oxfam International

Diane Dillon-Ridgley
WEDO

Catherine Dumait-Harper
UN Representative
Medecins Sans Frontií¨res
Cathy Fitzpatrick
Executive Director
International League of Human Rights

Dennis Frado
Director
Lutheran Office for World Community

Felice Gaer
UN Representative
Jacob Blaustein Institute for Human Rights

Stefanie Grant
Program Director
Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights

Felicity Hill
UN Representative
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Ameen Jan
Associate
International Peace Academy

Pamela Kraft
Executive Director
Tribal Link Foundation

Jeffrey Laurenti
Executive Director, Policy Studies
UNA-USA

Gail Lerner
UN Representative
CCIA/World Council of Churches

Iain Levine
UN Representative
Amnesty International

Stephen Marks
UN Representative
International Service for Human Rights
&
Director, UN Studies Program
Columbia University

Gerald Martone
Director, Emergency Response
International Rescue Committee
&
Co-chair, Disaster Response Committee
InterAction

Patricia Mische
President
Global Education Associates

Andrew Natsios
Vice-President
World Vision US

Vernon Nichols
President
NGO Committee on Disarmament

William Pace
Executive Director
World Federalist Movement
&
Convenor
NGO Coalition on the International Criminal Court

Jack Patterson
Director
Quaker UN Office

James Paul
Executive Director
Global Policy Forum

Shazia Rafi
Director General
Parliamentarians for Global Action

John Rempel
UN Representative
Mennonite Central Committee

Michael Renner
Senior Researcher
Worldwatch Institute

Kathleen Todd
Director, World Community Office
Church World Service

Sandra Tully
UN Liasion
CARE

Anne Walker
Executive Director
International Women's Tribune Center