THIRTIETH REGULAR SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
June 4, 2000
Windsor, Canada
OAS/SER.P   AG/doc.3851/00
April 26, 2000
Original: English

HUMAN SECURITY IN THE AMERICAS

(Document presented by the Canadian Delegation)

This document will be presented to the General Assembly at its Thirtieth Regular Session.

Many of the most urgent challenges facing the Americas and the world at the beginning of the 2 11 century differ significantly and qualitatively from those we confronted less than a generation ago. Tensions and disputes between states have not disappeared, but increasingly the international community has been called upon to respond to threats to the safety and security of people who are the victims of conflicts within their own countries or who are put at risk by a growing range of transnational factors. In extreme cases, the perception that individual governments and, particularly, international organizations have failed to deal adequately with these issues has led to a questioning of their authority and relevance. The outstanding challenge is to develop the required political will and the necessary capacities to protect people. Threats such as, for example, international- criminal activity, the trade in illicit drugs and firearms, corruption, terrorism and the trafficking in women and children cut across domestic and foreign policy agendas and demand a new approach to international cooperation and collective action.

Human security has emerged as a foreign policy paradigm with the potential to serve as a powerful complement to more traditional security concepts in meeting the range of new threats to people and, ultimately, to governments and multilateral organizations. Human security is best seen as a shift in perspective, which takes people as the principal point of reference in international affairs. The human security agenda seeks to address a range of threats to the safety and security of people. It is fundamentally about putting people first and enhancing our collective ability and capacity to protect human rights, and to ensure the essential peace and stability which is a key pre-requisite for sustainable human development.

Human security can, therefore, be seen as a necessary response to profound changes in the international political, economic and social environment. In repent years, the Americas have been fortunate to have witnessed a substantial reduction both in the number and the intensity of open conflicts - the situation in Colombia being the one, unfortunate exception. However, the Americas-its societies, governments and multilateral organizations-do confront a number of critical challenges which are transnational in their causes as well as in their effects, and which have direct and serious implications for the safety of people. These challenges are often described as the Mark side" of globalization. While it is clear that greater interdependence and increasingly porous borders have created opportunities not only for the expansion of trade and the development of closer political, economic and social relations, it is also increasingly apparent that such changes have also opened doors and given new tools to the unscrupulous and the criminal. And with today's organized criminals thinking globally and acting locally, we all suffer the consequences of international criminal activity. The essential challenge for governments and organizations is to create conditions in which the potential for individuals to derive benefits from a more open and more inter-connected international system is enhanced, while at the same protecting fundamental rights and providing an enabling environment for development in which threats to security can be contained, controlled or eliminated.

We have embarked through the Summits of the Americas process and the OAS on a common enterprise that is built on a shared commitment to strengthen and consolidate our democracies, to integrate our economies and to expand and solidify social gains. In this context, human security can prove useful as a guide both for establishing priorities and evaluating performance. Human security is about combating drug trafficking and dealing with the impact of transnational crime; but it is more fundamentally about building better societies and stronger communities of nations on the basis of shared values and agreed principles. In a hemisphere where persistent inequalities threaten continued political, economic and social progress, the human security approach can assist us in determining how to define and create the enabling environment we all need to ensure peace and advance development.

While the scale and pace of global inter-connection and interaction pose a major challenge to governments and societies, technological advances and innovation have also put powerful tools at our disposal that can add significant, sometimes decisive, strength to collective efforts to attain these objectives. The Internet and the capacity for instant, global communication can improve people's capacity to connect directly, access services and participate in national and world affairs. The effective communication afforded by today's technologies can facilitate access to information, the building of partnerships and the development of consensus through dialogue. Technology can also provide people with the ability to unite in dealing with common problems and to promote awareness of the fact that the security of society is intimately related to, and dependent on, the security of the individual.

As the hemisphere's principal forum for multilateral dialogue and decision-making, the OAS should have a natural vocation in developing human security as an instrument for establishing priorities that are relevant to the safety and security of the citizens of the Americas. The member states should work to ensure that the Organization can provide leadership in positioning the hemisphere to take full advantage of new synergies and coalitions among governments, civil society, academia and the private sector as the basis for promoting greater inclusion and a sense of common identity and purpose. By reinforcing democratic, tolerant, open institutions and behavior, human security can strengthen national sovereignty-states are strongest when their citizens are secure. Though states remain the most: powerful instrument for collective action, the approach highlights the duties of all actors, not just governments and multilateral organizations, but individuals and companies, to act when human security is at stake.

The range of issues that the OAS might address in the- context of human security is broad and in itself calls for some priority setting. As a starting point for more focussed hemispheric discourse on human security, this paper looks at four areas where the approach could lead to the development of new and creative initiatives. There are, of course, many others and the dialogue session will provide the opportunity to consider activities or initiatives which the hemispheric community could pursue. What follows reflects the principle that a concern for and responsibility to ordinary people should guide us in establishing policies to strengthen democracy and human rights protection, enhance individual and collective security, combat trafficking in illicit drugs and related criminal activities, lessen the vulnerability of children at risk and promote corporate social responsibility.

The Americas prides itself on being a community of democracies. The OAS Charter "representative democracy" as "an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the region" and we have on numerous occasions in the past decade re-affirmed our common commitment to democratic institutions both through the Organization and in the Summits of the Americas process. At the Santiago Summit, leaders described "the strengthening of democracy, justice and human rights" as "a vital hemispheric priority". An active commitment to the strengthening of democracy, to the protection and promotion of human rights and to respect for the rule of law is the foundation for human security. Human security is at greatest risk where human rights are threatened or ignored and confidence in justice systems and democratic governance is uncertain.

Functioning, transparent democratic institutions are, therefore, of fundamental importance m the development of the relationship between the state and the citizen. The OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) has become an effective tool for supporting the strengthening of democracy in the hemisphere with its highly respected electoral observation missions being its most visible contribution to the consolidation of democratic processes. The UPD has also become a centre for exchange and dialogue on a range of issues including citizen participation, institutional strengthening and youth participation. Recently, ¡t has lent its support to the initial phase in the development: of an Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas. We should be examining how we can enhance the effectiveness of the UPD and ensure that it is a true centre for the promotion of democratic excellence in the Americas.

Inter-American institutions also do important work in the promotion and protection of human rights. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights are charged with promoting and protecting human rights and providing recourse for our citizens when they believe their rights have been violated. The past two years, however, have seen a weakening of support for the inter-American human rights system. The member states have responded to, this challenge and have begun working together to develop common strategies to make these institutions work more effectively. An important part of our common effort must be based on ensuring that they have adequate resources to, discharge their mandates.

Respect for human rights, and democracy ultimately rests on respect for the rule of law and the effective administration justice. Our citizens deserve, and as member states we must provide, judicial systems that ensure universal access to and equality before the law and regard the protection of the rights of the individual as an absolute priority. Ineffective and inequitable systems that are denied resources, suffer from institutional deficiencies and are staffed with poorly trained officials are vulnerable to, corruption and contribute to, impunity. As a community of nations, we have already recognized that multilateral solutions can address these problems. In this context, we should support the Justice Studies Centre of the Americas as a means to develop programs for training, exchange and technical cooperation. We should, in particular, encourage the Centre to make use of information technology both as means to enhance participation by professionals and as a vehicle for involving and informing civil society in its work.

The dialogue session on drugs at the General Assembly in Guatemala City reflected our clear and common recognition that the drug trade, on its own and as a stimulus to activities such as corruption and small arms trafficking, continues to be a catalyst for rising violence and crime, for distortions in the region’s economies and financial and commercial transactions and for tensions between states. Its effects are felt at all levels and in all parts of the Americas affecting individuals, families and communities and ultimately contributing to an undermining of respect for human rights, the rule of law and democratic institutions.

The hemisphere has also recognized that unilateral action is not an effective response to either the drug problem or to the related criminal activity ¡t supports and engenders. The transnational nature of the, drug problem has demanded that we continue to work together to develop effective multilateral hemispheric responses such as the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) and the Drug Dialogue session. We must, now maintain the momentum created by the development of the MEM and endeavour to give our full support to ensure a successful test of the mechanism in 2000. Our objective must be to ensure that an, effective MEM is presented to leaders in Quebec City and that it will be a credible addition to our actions against illicit: drugs. We must also ensure that the spirit of openness to consider and discuss issues shown in the development of the MEM is maintained.

In the, broader context citizens in all parts of the hemisphere are expressing concern about personal insecurity resulting from demonstrable or perceived increases in levels of criminality and violence. The hemisphere is starting to address these issues, for example, terrorism, money laundering and trafficking in women and children. But there is more that can be done. Inequalities within and between our societies are often identified as a major contributory cause to these phenomena. The resulting heightened-sense of personal insecurity has provoked reactions ranging from calls for vigorous action against criminals by the authorities to a questioning of the, ability of democratic institutions and liberal economic policies to deliver on their promise of a better quality of life. Developing mechanisms and strategies for dealing with this issue is becoming a priority for almost: all governments in the hemisphere. While most action against common criminality and related violence must take place locally, there are clearly areas in which Foreign Ministries and the inter-American system can provide leadership and direction in enhancing our collective, ability to deal with threats to individual safety and security. We can improve the, ability of CICAD to support national and cooperative efforts to enhance access to information and to improve its quality. We are committed to continuing cooperation within the OAS to prevent the, illicit traffic in firearms and should increase our efforts to better deal with movements and concentrations of small arms. Initial efforts to develop principles for the responsible transfer of small arms and light weapons, currently underway at the OAS, are a valuable undertaking and should be encouraged. We can promote exchanges and the sharing of experience and expertise among police, prison officials and judicial officers in keeping with mandates given in the Santiago Summit Plan of Action. The recent hemispheric meeting of Justice Ministers was valuable contribution to consideration of the implications of the wider crime agenda on the region and means of dealing with it.

How can we ensure that the MEM will be an effective and credible means to start to deal with the illicit drug problem in the hemisphere? Can we use our experience of cooperating to develop the MEM to deal with the human security problems associated with the drug trade? How do we deal with the other elements of criminality, especially organized crime, which are increasingly threatening our citizens and societies?

Human security must remain sensitive to the fact that our children and youth suffer disproportionately from the effects of conflict and violence. This sad reality is most acute in instances of extreme conflict. The physical and psychological trauma suffered by war-affected children constitute not only an immediate humanitarian tragedy, but also can have 1asting effects on future generations. The recently agreed Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict is an important: step in global efforts to end the abominable practice of deploying children into armed conflict. Hemispheric countries must show leadership in adopting this Protocol as soon as ¡t is open for signature later this year.

But the Optional Protocol and broader efforts at setting and strengthening norms are only starting points in addressing the multifaceted needs of war-affected children globally and in the hemisphere. Having largely put behind us, the conflicts of previous decades, the countries of the Americas are in a position to, share their experiences to assist others in preventing the conflicts that so often engage children and to aid in the rehabilitation and reintegration to society of war-affected children. This requires political will and carefully targeted resources.

Although the ravages of organized conflict now threaten the security and well being of a limited number of children in our hemisphere, our growing urban societies present ever greater challenges and threats to the human security of younger generations. Existence for the children on the margins of our communities, those living in shantytowns and those struggling to survive on the streets and for children in indigenous communities is often precarious. Malnutrition, drug addiction and sexual exploitation take a terrible toll wherever children or young people are denied the care and nurturing most of us have been fortunate enough to take for granted. Much valuable work is already being done to address the needs of children and youth at risk in the Americas. Community organizations and networks throughout: the region is designing and implementing programs to reach out to street children and integrate them meaningfully into society. Yet the challenges remain daunting. Cooperation can he1p to amplify these efforts. The problems everywhere are similar, and a sharing of experiences, best practices and resources, will yield results.

The Inter-American Children's Institute (IACI) is the hemispheric body best positioned to develop and coordinate policies and programs to safeguard the human security of our children at risk, whether in areas of conflict, in post-conflict situations or in the street. The IACI already has a mandate to carry out concerted action with other bodies of the inter-American system on behalf of the children of the hemisphere. It should be encouraged to examine and report on the structures and resources it might require to fully discharge this vital mandate. Once again, information technology could he a powerful force in helping to turn isolated local and national programs into a truly hemispheric, effort. Concern for our future means we must act today to ensure that all our children enjoy the security necessary for healthy growth and development of their full potential.

How can we develop finks between those national institutions which try to meet these challenges and focal points in the inter-American system such as the L4CI? How can the family of inter-American institutions be made more responsive to the particular needs of children and youth? How can we be particularly responsive to the needs oft he girl child and indigenous children?

Ensuring human security is not solely the responsibility of governments, but must involve other interested parties including non-governmental organizations, the corporate sector and elected representatives. The past few years have seen a growing global interest in corporate social responsibility, that is, the role that business can play in safeguarding the health and safety of its workers, contributing to the protection and advancement of human rights in the communities and countries where it: operates, responding to disasters and conserving the environment. While interest in these issues has emerged mainly in a context of public concern about the potential negative impacts of globalization, these issues can have an impact on the security of individuals and society.

The investment activities of corporations make a positive contribution to the economic development and stability of the countries in which they operate. Nevertheless, there is growing interest and concern about the sustainability of communities as globalization deepens, and this is reflected in the public's expectations that corporations should contribute more to social and environmental development. The corporate sector is increasingly aware that good corporate citizenship is good business. Companies that have earned a positive: reputation with consumers through a solid social and environmental performance are reaping benefits. These include the ability to recruit and retain socially responsible and highly qualified employees, increased customer loyalty, less volatile stock values and reduced litigation and environmental costs.

The OAS has already made significant progress in related areas, most notably by means of the precedent-setting negotiation of the OAS Convention Against Corruption and the work of the Working Group on Probity and Public Ethics. In this era of globalization, however, the important and. growing role of business as the engine of economic growth has fuelled demands that it should be more directly accountable for issues that impact the security of individuals and. communities. It is important that the OAS, as the hemisphere's most important political forum, consider how it might encourage greater private sector engagement in promoting socially responsible behavior and good governance. In this context, it is also important that we engage other actors, including civil society and parliamentarians.

Success will require establishing a plan of action so that the proper players - governments, corporation and civil society organizations - can he brought together to discuss how to advance good governance, including corporate social responsibility, to contribute to a just and sustainable future for the citizens of the hemisphere. How can the OAS and we as member states support this process?

This paper has pointed to the value of a human security approach to the deliberations and activities of the OAS. It has attempted to highlight areas in which collective action and cooperation by nations and institutions could move us toward practical progress on issues affecting the safety and security of the citizens of the Americas. Foreign Ministries cannot always lead in these endeavours, but we can serve to stimulate debate within government and to serve as links between domestic and regional sources of expertise and resources.

The issues discussed above by no means represent an exhaustive list. Human security provides a valuable theoretical basis from which a variety of issues can be dealt with. Its utility and focus may well prove different for a small island state than it will for a large federal nation. For example, the influx of a small number of illegal arms may pose a negligible threat to a large country, yet have much more serious consequences in a smaller nation. This paper is meant, therefore, to serve as a contribution to a continuing discussion on human security that must develop through dialogue between all member states and in consultation with other actors including civil society and the private sector. We must establish common priorities and develop cooperative programs and strategies to meet real needs. We must work as one to strengthen the security of the citizens of the Americas.