United Nations Day (UN Day) is observed annually worldwide on 24 October to commemorate the founding of the United Nations in October 1945. To celebrate UN Day 2009, on Friday, 23 October, the UNU presented an academic symposium and, along with UN agencies in Japan, welcomed the public to outdoor activities, exhibitions and performances at United Nations University Headquarters in Tokyo.

The title of the UN Day 2009 Symposium was ”The Emergence of Human Security: 15th Anniversary”. The concept of “human security” was first articulated in the 1994 UNDP Human Development Report. In contrast to the traditional security paradigm, which focuses on the interests of nations and the security of territory, human security places individuals and their needs at the centre of policy-making. It provides a philosophical basis for identifying threats to people’s security, including natural disasters, poverty, disease, inequality, and violence, and for searching for responses to these threats. Japan was one of the founders of the concept, and no other country has made greater combined intellectual, financial, and operational contributions to the idea.

The UN Day 2009 Symposium examined how far the concept of human security has come 15 years after its emergence. Participants elaborate how the concept has evolved and explored future challenges.

The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Izumi Nakamitsu, Director of the Policy, Evaluation and Training Division of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Five distinguished panellists then addressed a range of questions: Where does the concept of human security stand 15 years after its emergence? What has gone right — and wrong? What examples best illustrate how focusing on individuals rather than states has achieved effective implementation of the operational UN mandates of strengthening peace, development and sustainability? What are the current challenges to human security? Are they the same as those of 15 years ago? Which types of threats have been under-estimated or should be given higher priority? What can we anticipate in the next 15 years? Will the concept of human security still be relevant in 2025?

The symposium elaborated the concept of Human Security not only academically but by looking at functional and operational issues as well. It provided a forum to discuss ideas for the forthcoming UN Secretary-General’s Report on Human Security in 2010, a platform to disseminate the latest knowledge on the concept, and a means to encourage public engagement with UN activities.

For more, see the UN Day website.