In Quest of Human Security
JIIA 40th Anniversary Symposium

The Japan Institute of International Affairs

The JIIA 40th Anniversary Symposium was held December 11–12, 1999,
at the United Nations University, Tokyo.
Cohosted by
The United Nations University
The Japan Institute of International Affairs
Supported by
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JapanThe Yomiuri Shimbun© 2001 The Japan Institute of International Affairs
All rights reserved.
Printed in JapanThe Japan Institute of International Affairs
Kasumigaseki Bldg., 3-2-5 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6011, Japan
http://www.jiia.or.jp

ContentsPreface
Overview

Hisashi Owadaxixiii

Opening Address
Welcoming Address

Gaishi Hiraiwa
Hans van Ginkel

13

KEYNOTE SPEECHESIn Quest of Human Security
Keizo Obuchi
Peace, Development, and Democratization Boutros Boutros-Ghali

712PRESENTATIONS
Session I
Measures for Conflict Prevention
Session II
Promotion of Sustainable Development
Session III
Enhancement of Human Dignity

Hisashi Owada

21

Jesus P. Estanislao30

Hans van Ginkel

36

DISCUSSIONS
Session IV
A Strategy for Consolidating Human Security
Summary of the Discussions

47
56

APPENDICES
AgendaParticipants

6163ixPreface

It is with great pleasure that we publish the proceedings of the 40th Anniversary Symposium of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), “In Quest of Human Security,” held December 11–12, 1999, at the United Nations University (UNU),Tokyo.
JIIA was established in December 1959 on the recommendation of Prime Minister
Shigeru Yoshida. Modeled on the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and Britain’s
Royal Institute of International Affairs, it was founded on the consensus of the intellectual elite of Japan at the time. As its charter states, JIIA aspired “to create a major
research facility in cooperation with academe, the bureaucracy, politics, business, thepress, and other spheres, and prepare a system for empirical research oriented towardadvancing our new democratic diplomacy.” Ever since, JIIA has steadily expanded thescope of its activities as Japan’s premier think tank addressing international politics, theinternational economy, international law, and other areas related to international affairs and foreign policy.
The world today continues its search for a new world order following the end of theCold War. Traditional relations between states and between the state and individuals
are being transformed. In addition, the great wave of globalization, propelled chiefly
by the information-technology revolution, is qualitatively altering international systems. In keeping with all these changes, the idea that security, too, needs to be addressed in terms of not only traditional national security but also so-called humansecurity has been attracting growing attention.
That is why JIIA decided to commemorate its fortieth anniversary with an international symposium on the theme of human security. Keynote speeches were deliveredby the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and former United Nations SecretaryGeneral Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The participation of 16 distinguished authorities
from both Japan and overseas ensured an extremely high level of discussion anddebate. We pride ourselves that the symposium contributed to clarifying the theoretical framework of human security, a cause dear to the heart of Prime Minister
Obuchi.
This volume includes the keynote speeches and the papers delivered by the session
presenters, as well as remarks from the final session. We hope that it will serve to further raise the level of debate on human security.
xiPreface

Finally, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for the magnificent supportand cooperation extended by UNU, which cohosted the symposium and provided thevenue.
October 2000
Hisashi OwadaPresident, JIIAxii

Overview

The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and the United Nations University(UNU) cohosted the JIIA 40th Anniversary Symposium, on the theme “In Quest ofHuman Security,” at UNU on December 11 and 12, 1999, with support from theJapanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Yomiuri Shimbun. Altogether, more than
500 people attended over the two days. The symposium opened with keynote speeches
by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and former United Nations Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, after which an array of distinguished presenters and panelists
from both Japan and overseas discussed and debated the relatively new concept ofhuman security. The symposium incorporated both theoretical perspectives, such as
definition of the concept of human security, and practical measures, addressing theissue of human dignity, the bedrock of human security, as well as development andconflict prevention, both of which are crucial to ensuring human security.
Prime Minister Obuchi, who had raised the issue of human security at the Groupof Eight Cologne Summit earlier that year, noted that national governments need to“find ways to incorporate the perspective of human security into policy implementation, translating it into concrete action.” He also pointed out the importance of a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention, in the sense of both seeing it as a series ofprocesses—elimination of poverty, inequity, and other latent causes of conflict, conflict resolution, and postconflict reconstruction—and taking a comprehensive approach at each stage.
Dr. Boutros-Ghali spoke about the intricate connection among peace, development,
and democracy. He noted that the broadening of both the targets and the duration ofUN peacekeeping operations has enhanced the importance of development and democratization before and after conflict. He stressed the importance of the new concept of human security in the context of sustainable development, which focuses
people’s energies on peace and growth and is highly effective in preventing conflict orits recurrence.
In his presentation at the first session, “Measures for Conflict Prevention,” Ambassador Hisashi Owada, president of JIIA, raised the issue of what is to be done when
there is a clash between traditional national security, centered on justice for sovereignstates, and justice for human beings, which is most directly threatened by conflict.
With the collapse of the Cold War order at the beginning of the 1990s, the interxiii

Overview

national system itself underwent a structural transformation. On the one hand, “theemergence of numerous internal confrontational factors that had previously beenbottled up” led to the proliferation of regional conflicts. On the other hand, various
nonstate actors, including individuals, began engaging in activities across nationalborders.
The panel discussion began by considering whether justice and security are for thestate or for individuals. The consensus was that they are for both and should be addressed as such. Speakers urged the importance, for conflict prevention, of improvingsocial infrastructure: tolerance of diversity, elimination of poverty, establishment of aparticipatory democratic system, and especially education that teaches the spirit oftolerance; and of implementing practical measures: an effective international early
warning system, humanitarian assistance for victims of conflict, better reconciliation
processes, and more rigorous penalties for those responsible for conflict. It was observed that no matter how the international system changes, an international community centered on states will persist, and that therefore thought and action relating tohuman security, which states tend to overlook, is needed. The point was also made thatthe issues of what kinds of conflicts can be prevented by what means and of hownational democratization links up with democratization of the international community should be addressed from the perspectives of both national security and humansecurity.
In his presentation at the second session, “Promotion of Sustainable Development,”
Professor Jesus P. Estanislao, a former secretary of finance of the Philippines, declaredthat “each person is the alpha and the omega of development” and that “each personis the principal agent and instrument for the process of development to unfold on asustainable and progressive basis.” In particular, he emphasized the importance of thefamily in development and thus of assistance targeting the basic human needs of thefamily as the basic unit of developing countries. In regard to the relationship between
the state and the market, he said that if development is to be sustainable state economic
policies need to supplement the market economy and called for stronger state supervision of development and of the economy as a whole.
The panelists emphasized that the elimination of poverty is crucial to human security and discussed the connection between conflict resolution and the elimination ofpoverty, as well as effective approaches for overcoming “donor fatigue” of developed
countries. There was lively debate on a wide range of issues, including the relationshipbetween human security and the downside of globalization, the balance between safeguarding cultural diversity and respecting universal values, the importance of issues of“ownership” and “partnership” in regard to assistance, and the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in development.
The third session, “Enhancement of Human Dignity,” began with messages fromSergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNTAET(UN Transitional Administration in East Timor), and Dr. Bernard Kouchner, Specialxiv

Overview

Representative of the Secretary-General for UNMIK (UN Interim Administration inKosovo). They conveyed the image of people living robustly, with hope and tolerance,in the direst of circumstances. These testimonials to human dignity moved the participants. In his presentation Dr. Hans van Ginkel, rector of UNU, discussed humandignity and alienation, stressing the need to eliminate poverty, which breeds alienation.
He noted that the disparity in per capita income between the richest and poorest countries had tripled in the last 30 years. In addition to shortening people’s lives and depriving them of health, livelihood, and knowledge, poverty in developing countries
leads to political alienation and both national and social instability through violence.
Therefore, he pointed out, eliminating poverty is the most basic means of making
human security possible and emphasized that upholding the dignity of others safeguards one’s own dignity.
In the panel discussion the point was made that human dignity is fundamental tohuman security. In actuality, however, there is no end to the cruelty that humans arecapable of inflicting on fellow humans, and despite the lip service paid to human dignity and respect for human rights, they are still more honored in the breach than theobservance. The increase in human rights violations, even in developed countries, wasreported, as well as the degree of progress made in developing standards for protecting
human rights in international law, which applies to sovereign states. Given the gap
between standards and realities, it is, of course, important to establish national legislation that reflects international standards, but more important is the spread of a culture of tolerance and forgiveness.
Discussion in the fourth, wrap-up session, “A Strategy for Consolidating HumanSecurity,” built on the debate in the first three sessions, focusing on the kind of international community we should aim for and the kinds of changes we want to see. Thefollowing are the main points made during the discussion: The individual is the ultimate object of all forms of security. Ensuring human dignity requires the power of civilsociety, and it is hoped that civil society will play a new role in the international community. The role of civil society in development is to cultivate a sense in individuals
that they can make a difference. In regard to human dignity, common values are necessary, but regional cultural diversity must also be respected. It is important that individuals think about the connection between personal and global issues; while
individuals may be small, they play an important role in the state.
In his closing remarks Ambassador Owada made the point that the concept of human security does not conflict with that of national security but offers another perspective on the shared objective of citizens’ security.
This symposium had three distinctive features. First, it addressed a new concept thatis still being defined, aiming to contribute to further debate on its definition. In achanging international system, we cannot deal adequately with security issues solelywithin the traditional framework of national security, and a new framework is stillxv

Overview

under construction. The symposium was of both scholarly and policy value in clarifying the concepts necessary for constructing this new framework.
Second, the importance of education was stressed repeatedly at all sessions. A clearer
understanding emerged that people’s attitudes are more important than systems andpolicies in securing human security. Many of the problems we face are rooted in emotion and thus cannot be resolved by ideology-driven politics or the coordination ofeconomic interests. The value of education instilling respect for diversity and the spiritof tolerance was emphasized again and again.
Third, the symposium offered the viewpoint that often concepts that appear to be
mutually exclusive should actually be seen as complementary. Some people think of
the idea of human security as something that emerged in opposition to the idea ofnational security, but that is the wrong approach. The same point can be made in regard to numerous other issues, such as the roles of government and the market in theeconomy, the roles of government and NGOs in addressing poverty, and government
supervision and individual freedom in participatory democratic systems. All these issues involve the relation between individuals and the state. As was cogently observed,
the future should be built through collaboration, not confrontation.
Finally, the main contents of this report include the keynote speeches and the presentations delivered at the first three sessions. For reasons of space, the panel discussions of these sessions have been omitted, although remarks delivered at the fourth,wrap-up session have been included.
Hiroshi MatsumotoSenior Research Fellow, JIIAxvi