The symposium held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on May 8, 2024, centered around the translation and publication of the book „SDGs and Local Communities: How to create Human Security Indicators in Your Town!“ by the JICA Ogata Sadako Institute for Peace and Development Studies (JICA Ogata Institute) in February 2024. The symposium was co-hosted by the United Nations Human Security Unit (UN-HSU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report Office (HDRO), and the JICA Ogata Institute, with the aim of deepening understanding of subnational-level initiatives for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various countries. The Director of the JICA Ogata Institute, Yoichi Mine, delivered a keynote address at the event.
The symposium kicked off with a welcome address from Pedro Conceição, Director of the UNDP Human Development Report Office, followed by a presentation from Yasuo Takasu, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General. Takasu emphasized that human security is not an abstract concept but a concrete approach, essential for advancing the SDGs. He highlighted the importance of going beyond traditional methods to assess the achievement of human security indicators at the subnational level and formulate policies that align with the priorities of local communities.
Seraphine Wakana, a UN Resident Coordinator from Sierra Leone, joined the symposium online to share a case study on the localization of SDGs, focusing on a project by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Heriberto Tapia from the UNDP Human Development Report Office underscored the urgency of addressing climate change in the Anthropocene era and emphasized that human security is a means to tackle pressing global and regional challenges.
Mehrnaz Mostafavi, Head of UN-HSU, drew on the experience of the Human Security Trust Fund to highlight the importance of comprehensive analysis, multidimensional partnerships, trust and unity, and empowerment in localizing human security initiatives. Yoichi Mine, the Director of the JICA Ogata Institute, presented the institute’s research on human security and stressed the significance of a bottom-up approach, focusing on human dignity, and creating indicators for human security.
During the Q&A session, participants from various countries engaged in lively discussions on human security. The symposium provided a platform to explore how to leverage human security principles to advance the SDGs and the importance of assessing indicator achievements at the subnational level based on the priorities of local communities. It was a valuable opportunity to deepen international discussions on addressing global challenges through a human security lens.
The recording and presentation materials from the symposium can be accessed through the provided link. The event highlighted the critical role of human security in achieving sustainable development and underscored the need for collaborative efforts at both the international and local levels to create a more secure and prosperous future for all.