Madam Chair,
Mr. High Commissioner,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Human Security Network, an interregional group of thirteen countries comprising Canada, Chile, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand, my own country, Austria, and South Africa as an observer. Let me in this capacity also extend our best wishes to the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello. We attach great importance to the role of his office in operationalizing human rights and to his mandate to 'coordinate the human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations system'.

Madam Chair,

The Human Security Network emerged from the landmines campaign and was launched in 1999. Our vision is a human world where people can live in security and dignity, free from violent threats, poverty and despair. In essence, the Network strives to achieve freedom from fear and freedom from want. This encompasses a broad spectrum of threats, ranging from those emanating on the one hand from human conflict, natural and manmade disasters to - on the other - poverty, marginalization, discrimination and disease. In this spirit the Human Security Network currently pursues such diverse - though in reality interlinked - subjects as human rights education, the protection of children affected by armed conflict, the control of small arms and light weapons, the universalization of the Ottawa Convention on Anti-personnel landmines, the struggle against HIV/AIDS, issues of international humanitarian law and conflict prevention.

Human security is 'people-centred' - it focuses the attention on human individuals and their communities and emphasizes equal opportunity to fully develop the human potential. Central to all this are human rights.

One of the unique features of our Network is that its people-centred approach is shaped in direct dialogue of Ministers with civil society and academia. We thus consider it equally important that the role of NGOs in the Commission be maintained and further developed.

The emphasis on human beings distinguishes our concept of human security from the more traditional approach that has dominated security policies mainly concerned with the protection of state territories. Human rights constitute the framework which must necessarily be applied to the construction and implementation of the notion of human security. Indeed, human security and human rights are mutually reinforcing.

Madam Chair,

The Commission has an important part in building human security. Its role is the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. At the closure of the last session, the former High Commissioner Robinson rightly stressed the core function of the Commission in protecting human rights through addressing violations and abuses. She further underlined that the Commission must spread the universal culture of human rights. This is the spirit in which our Network wishes to contribute to the Commission's work and these are also the parameters of our current work programme.

Let me also highlight the unique potential the interregional character of the Human Security Network can bring to the work of the Commission. It provides a new channel for dialogue and the capability of understanding complex phenomena such as the interrelatedness between poverty, security and human rights. The main features of a human rights and security approach to progressive poverty reduction embrace the recognition of the international human rights framework, accountability, non-discrimination, equality and participation. There is no global security without effective means and political will to fight poverty. A human security perspective taking the latter into account therefore encourages development which is sustainable - not episodic, responsive - not rigid, preventive - not reactive. This was clearly inspired by the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 and its paradigm that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.

On the occasion of this year's 10th anniversary of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights we must remind ourselves of this acknowledgement and reinvigorate our efforts to implement it. In conjunction with the commemoration of 55th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which we also celebrate this year, this conceptual pillar maintaining the UN consensus on the universality of human rights must guide our future endeavours. To this end, the Human Security Network is prepared to contribute its share.

Allow me to go a step further by adding a conclusion which seems to me a logical, if not undeniable consequence of both conceptions of human rights and human security. It concerns implementation. Governments applying a human security oriented policy shall actively support the promotion of human rights, the fight against impunity, processes of democratisation and the consolidation of the rule of law. There, the notion of good governance comes in. Good governance in the sense of 'just and equitable governance' is targeted at the progressive realization of a comprehensive culture of human rights in societies and at individual level.

Security, political safety and access to resources in equitable societies require a genuine culture of understanding human rights. That is why Austria has made human rights education one of the two priority themes for the Human Security Network in 2002/2003.

Human rights education, through its knowledge transfer, skills-building and attitude-shaping dimensions raises awareness of our common basis in the protection of human dignity and of human security. To this end a 'Declaration of Principles on Human Rights Education' and - as a practical contribution a manual on 'Understanding Human Rights' - will be considered by Ministers of the Human Security Network at their forthcoming meeting chaired by the Austrian Foreign Minister, Ms. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, in May in Graz. This combined concept shall provide a guiding framework for all Network partners and assist the High-Commissioner in fulfilling his mandate "to coordinate relevant UN education and public information programmes in the field of human rights". It shall also encourage and inspire further efforts and activities beyond the UN decade for human rights education.

The second current priority theme is Children Affected by Armed Conflict. Also in this area, the Human Security Network is considering avenues for action that are inspired by the overall goal of bridging the gap between universal human rights standards and their implementation, between information and action and between programmatic concepts and systematic response on the ground.

With the issue of children affected by armed conflict we aim at demonstrating our willingness to address critical situations in cooperation with relevant inter-governmental as well as non-governmental organizations. Ministers will consider a 'Support Strategy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict' that identifies a set of operative principles, including strengthening monitoring, reporting and training, an alarm function in cases of child rights violations, the fight against impunity acknowledging the cardinal role of the International Criminal Court, and protection of children, recognizing the special needs of the girl child. As a concrete contribution to the political strategy a model 'Child Rights Training Curriculum' has been developed.

Recently we have celebrated the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. This instrument is the cornerstone for the protection of war-affected children. Notwithstanding the fact that the Protocol has been signed by 117 and ratified by 46 countries, many serious forms of violations continue.

As an example, I would like to direct your attention to one situation, which is particularly alarming: the ongoing abductions of numerous boys and girls in northern Uganda. Based on reports from a variety of sources we have reason to believe that large numbers of children are still being abducted and held by the Lord's Resistance Army for the use in combat or as sex slaves. The Human Security Network is currently conducting consultations how best to assist the Government of Uganda and the other parties in the region in facilitating the amnesty, reconciliation and rehabilitation, including the return and resettlement, of child members of the LRA and abducted children.

In closing, let me reiterate that the quest of every human being for security and safety is deeply rooted in universal human rights and their implementation. In fact, international human rights norms define the vital core of human activities and abilities. Human rights belong to the people.

Today, putting human rights at the heart of conflict resolution is more important than ever. The Commission has an important complementary role to that of the Security Council in ensuring that the international community strikes the right balance between security and human rights. In this manner, your work in the Commission can make a real difference to people's lives when it comes to promoting their rights and freedoms.

Thank you.