The Seventh Ministerial Meeting of the Human Security Network was held from May 18-20, 2005 in Ottawa, Canada. The meeting, chaired by the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E Mr. Pierre Pettigrew, was attended by Foreign Ministers, Secretary-Generals of Foreign Ministeries, Special Advisors to Foreign Ministers, and Official Representatives of all the Network member countries, namely: Austria, Canada, Chile, Greece, the Netherlands, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Thailand, and South Africa (observer). Also participating as a guest was Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as representatives of Mexico, Japan and Costa Rica, a representative of the Office of the Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, and members of civil society.

The overall theme of the meeting was UN reform, in light of the March 2005 Secretary-General’s Report: In larger Freedom and the upcoming 60th Anniversary Summit of the UN.

Over the course of the Ministerial, discussion focused on the human security elements contained in the March 2005 Report. Issues such as the link between development, security and human rights; the proposed Peacebuilding Commission and Human Rights Council; Responsibility to Protect; small arms and light weapons; landmines; the protection of civilians; women, peace and security; and HIV/AIDS, were all considered in this light.

In addition, the discussion highlighted specific ideas for HSN strategic engagement, within regional groups and in other multilateral fora, in the lead up to the September Summit in order to positively advance the UN reform process. The Network agreed to hold a meeting, hosted by Canada, in the coming weeks on the human rights aspects of the UN reform process.

Presentations on the forthcoming Human Security Report of University of British Columbia’s Human Security Center and Small Arms Survey’s recently-published Armed and Aimless: Armed Groups, Guns and Human Security in the ECOWAS Region provided a useful counterpoint to the more macro discussion of the wider reform agenda, highlighting the critical importance of better data on armed conflicts and the value of field studies to better understand the nature of the Network’s human security priorities.

An in-depth discussion with civil society representatives focused on possible areas of HSN-civil society cooperation to implement the Secretary-General’s report and advance the reform agenda, as well as ideas for ways in which to increase cooperation in other areas of HSN activity. Civil society highlighted, in particular, the importance of Network leadership and work on five key themes: children affected by armed conflict (both girls and boys); human rights; the Responsibility to Protect; conflict prevention; and the security-development link. This was followed by a discussion of the Network’s new medium term workplan, which was developed by Canada and Thailand, as outgoing and incoming Chairs.

The Network was pleased to accept the formal request presented by Costa Rica to join the HSN.

The Ministerial closed with the adoption of a Ministerial Statement on UN Reform, the formal transfer of the Chair to Thailand, and a presentation of the incoming Thai Chair’s priorities for its Chairmanship.