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Canadian Delegation Makes Human Security a Focus of OAS General Assembly The Canadian report began by stating that the outstanding challenge in addressing issues of human security is developing the required political will and necessary capacities to protect people. Among the leading threats to human security, it identified international crime, the trade in illicit drugs and firearms, corruption, terrorism and the trafficking in women and children. Such transnational crimes, the report pointed out, have direct implications for personal security. To address these problems, the Canadian delegates recommended a shift in perspective to make people the central point of reference in international affairs. This approach was described as "putting people first" in pursuing the collective human rights goals. This focus, the report continued, should be understood as a necessary response to political, economic and social changes at the international level that have produced new challenges to human security, at the same time that the number and intensity of overt conflicts in the Americas have declined (with the notable exception of Colombia). The report suggested that the Summit of the Americas process and the OAS-within the context of their common goals of strengthening and consolidating democracy-adopt the theme of human security as a useful guide for establishing priorities and evaluating performance. Human security is linked to the battle against drug trafficking and the impact of international crime, the report noted, but above all, "it is 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." The focus on human security, Canada suggested, could be especially useful in establishing policies to strengthen democracy and human rights, counternarcotics efforts, children's rights and corporate social responsibility. The report went through these goals one by one, noting that the OAS has such valuable tools to pursue them as the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In recent years, the report noted, these institutions have been weakened as support for them has declined. To promote the strengthening of democracy and the protection of human rights-the bases of human security-the report stressed the need for all OAS member states to assure the efficacy and resources of these institutions. The document also proposed supporting the Justice Studies Center of the Americas as a means to foster training programs and technical cooperation and exchange. This effort would contribute to addressing the inefficient judicial systems that characterize many Latin American countries, and which can only be improved through multilateral efforts. Drug trafficking, the report noted, is a problem whose multinational nature requires continued collaboration among countries. It proposed the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism, or MEM, as another effective weapon in the war on drugs. The report also highlighted the effects of war on children and young people. Canada cited the Convention on the Rights of the Child's Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict as an important step in ending the exploitation of children in such situations, and called on the countries of the hemisphere to abide by it. It also urged support for the Inter-American Children's Institute, which works to develop and coordinate policies and programs that guarantee the security of children at risk. Finally, the report discussed the need for corporate social responsibility and the need to include the private sector in programs to promote and protect human rights. The Canadian report on human security opened debate on a theme that is of vital importance to the people of the hemisphere. It called on the OAS member states to take the lead in initiating a dialogue that involves all sides, including civil society. Especially important, in the document's words, is the search for common priorities and cooperative programs and strategies that "strengthen the security of the citizens of the Americas."
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