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Dear
friends,
Between
1-2
September
2006,
the Thai
Parliament
in
conjunction
with the
Inter-Parliamentary
Union (IPU)
and the
Geneva
Center
for the
Democratic
Control
of Armed
Forces (DCAF)
held the
Regional
Seminar
for
Parliaments
from
Southeast
Asia and
the
wider
Asia-Pacific
on
security
sector
reform
in the
national
and
regional
contexts
at Le
Meridien
Beach
Resort
Hotel in
Phuket.
The
purpose
of the
meeting
was to
revise
conceptual
approach
to
security
issues
and to
foster
understanding
on
national
security
as well
as to
enhance
cooperation
among
parliaments
on
security-related
matters,
with
participation
from
members
of
parliaments
from 15
countries
across
the
Asia-Pacific.
As
representative
from the
Thai
Parliament
(The
National
Assembly
of
Thailand),
I was
invited
to give
the
opening
keynote
address
at the
General
Introduction
session
on ‘The
New
Thinking
and the
Need for
a
Comprehensive
Security
Approach’.
I
explored
the need
to
change
the
definition
and
framework
of
security
thinking
as a
result
of
current
social
conditions
that are
driven
by the
process
of
globalization,
which
has
changed
the
world
order
into a
new
paradigm
or ‘the
new
world
order’.
With
security
challenges
and
problems
having
acquired
a
greater
degree
of
international
linkages,
perception
of
security
problems
can no
longer
be
limited
to the
national
level.
Rather,
international
cooperation
is
needed
to carve
out and
work out
the
solutions.
Hence,
conceptual
thinking
on
security
also
needs to
be
modified,
including
and
particularly
the very
definition
of
security
itself,
to take
into
account
a more
in-depth
and
extensive
dimension.
It is
crucial,
in other
words,
to move
from a
state-centered
security
perspective
to a
more
human-centered
one;
that is,
human
security.
In this
connection,
I
proposed
that an
international
body be
set up
to
specifically
oversee
security
issues
in the
same way
that
World
Trade
Organization
(WTO)
was
established
to
oversee
international
trade
regimes.
This
international
body
will
then set
up
agendas
for
international
cooperation
and
agreements
where
related
to human
security
issues,
including
international
dispute
resolution
on human
security-related
conflicts.
In this
context,
I
proposed
the use
of human
security
index as
a set of
indicators
to
evaluate
every
social
aspect
and
component
relating
to human
security,
with
measurement
and
assessment
made on
an
academic
basis,
and to
serve as
international
indicators
to
evaluate
the
degree
of human
security
in every
country.
Rankings
of human
security
should
also be
established
for
countries
worldwide
to help
with
human
security
development
at both
national
and
international
levels.
In
addition,
I made
numerous
other
proposals
such as
the
set-up
of Human
Security
Study
Center,
Human
Security
Court,
and the
enhancement
of
cooperation
with
private
sector
on human
security
insurance,
human
security
tax
systems,
the need
to
create
human
security
awareness,
early
warning
systems
to cope
with
human
security
challenges,
and the
study of
impacts
on human
security
arising
from
national
policies
in
various
fields,
including
compensation
policy
for
those
affected
by
particular
policies
at both
national
and
international
levels.
Those
most
likely
to bear
the
brunt of
serious
impacts
and
border-line
groups
like
children
and
impoverished
women
should
receive
special
attention
and high
priority
in these
matters.
As well,
there is
a need
to hold
politicians
accountable
to the
public
on human
security
issues
through
‘performance
contract’
arrangements.
I
strongly
hope
that
these
proposals
and many
others I
made to
IPU
members
will
generate
changes
to bring
out a
greater
degree
of human
security
in the
region.
As these
seminar
participants
are from
the
policy-making
echelon
in each
country,
they are
likely
to be
most
equipped
in
influencing
positive
changes.
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