Human security places the safety of women and men, girls and boys at the centre. Nobody should have to live with a sense of vulnerability and insecurity. Everyone has the right to have their most basic needs met. This may involve access to food and other necessities, health care and training in humanitarian crisis situations, protection against violence and sexual assault or reconstruction and reconciliation work following a conflict. This is how the term human security, one of Sida’s five important areas of work, can be summarized.
Human security covers several important areas of life and is a precondition for people to be able to exercise their political, social, cultural and economic rights and opportunities.
It also has to do with the overall point of development aid: to alleviate poverty. Human security is often key for affective poverty alleviation. Like vulnerability following a natural disaster, wars and social tension following an armed conflict are obstacles to development and make it difficult for people to lift themselves out of poverty.
International law
Sida’s work with human security is based on human rights and international law, particularly international humanitarian law. Since 2000, a couple of important UN resolutions have been added within this area. Resolution 1325 states that women and girls are particularly vulnerable in conflicts and therefore require special protection, and that women should be guaranteed a complete and equal degree of influence in the work of preventing, handling and resolving conflicts.
Two other resolutions, 1612 and 1882, further protect children against violence and attacks in armed conflicts, and state that children may not be used as soldiers.
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Development aid for human security covers among other things:
- Support for emergency relief assistance and early reconstruction work in humanitarian crisis situations through the UN system, the International Red Cross movement and several non-governmental organizations
- Support for funds for reconstruction and state rebuilding work following an armed conflict through the UN or World Bank
- Support for global organizations that work with conflict management and preventative efforts
- Support for methods development relating to the promotion of peace and security and humanitarian work.
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Sida also participates in national and international co-ordination efforts and raising awareness within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/The Development Assistance Committee (DAC), the UN and the EU to improve the international community’s ability to handle humanitarian crises and conflicts, post conflicts and dysfunctional situations.
Sida’s work with human security covers two principal areas:
