International Development Cooperation Department (YDAS)/Hellenic Aid

The Human Security Network’s field of action

The Human Security Network (HSN) is an informal ministerial initiative aimed at providing support to UN institutions. Our country has been a member of the HSN since 1999, when it was first launched by Norway and Canada, along with countries  form Europe (Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Slovenia), the Middle East countries (Jordan), African (Mali, as well as South Africa which has observer status), Latin America (Chile, Costa Rica) and Asia (Thailand).

The HSN is a flexible and inclusive forum for governments, international organisations, the academia and NGOs.

The HSN promotes the safeguarding of human security putting particular emphasis on the respect of ) respect for international humanitarian law and the enhancement of the link between emocratization and regional development as means as means to prevent armed conflicts, safeguard security and guarantee respect  for human rights)

The HSN’s founders recognized that, nowadays,of people around the globe threats, to which the international community failed to respond properly. It was therefore obvious to them that the traditional concept of human security - focused on the bipolar peace-war model and the role of the state as the exclusive guardian of fundamental rights -  could be enriched with a more human-centred concept of security. Otherwise, problems that might arise, know no borders and have a destabilising impact, even in times of peace, undermining development prospects around the world.

The main objective of HSN is to consolidate this new approach in every country, promoted through the institutional framework of international organisations, states  and the civil society.

The HSN’s priority issues include, among others, the elimination of antipersonnel mines, the control of small arms and light weapons, and the protection of women and children in armed conflicts.