UNDP Special Report on Human Security Presented at 5th International Academic Human Security Conference in Belgrade

The report underlines that human security is at the core of the severe and interlinked threats we are facing today. New data and analysis in the 2022 Special Report, New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene, show that people’s sense of safety and security is at a low in almost every country, including the richest countries, despite years of upwards development success. To tackle this, disconnect between development and perceived security, the report calls for greater solidarity across borders and a new approach to development.

Addressing the conference participants, Mr. Yakup Beris, UNDP Serbia Resident Representative, said that UNDP in partnership with the Government supports the country and society in dealing with multiple crises – from poverty to climate change, energy, health, gender-based violence, regional confidence-building to the long-term challenge of depopulation. UNDP, through SEESAC, has also been actively supporting the governments in Southeast Europe to combat illicit possession, misuse, and arms trafficking, and promote gender equality in security sector reform with the aim to increase safety in the region.

The conference, organized by the Faculty of Security Studies of the University of Belgrade and the Institute of International Politics and Economics, gathered more than 75 participants from 26 countries including international organizations representatives, government officials, and leading academic scholars.

This year’s conference entitled “Innovation, Research, and Knowledge in the (re)configuration of Human Security”, was supported by UNDP SEESAC within the second phase of SEESAC’s Strengthening of Regional Cooperation on Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans project.