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29 APRIL 2026: News Update April: A Fund for Our Times and Tomorrow’s Challenges

In this latest News Update, we share how the UNTFHS is evolving to meet the demands of a time of profound uncertainty. As a strategic financing platform designed to deliver results when multilateral commitments are under strain, the Fund ensures that every dollar of development finance works harder to address multilayered risks. By bridging fragmented silos and anchoring action in national ownership, we move beyond reactive measures to strengthen the systems required for long-term resilience.

The UNTFHS also serves as a vital tool for coherence, empowering UN Country Teams to align investments across development, peace and social cohesion. By fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships and leveraging human security data, we enable more precise responses that reduce the likelihood of costly interventions later on, ensuring that development is both proactive and sustainable.

The impact of this approach is most visible when local solutions take hold—informing national policies, shaping programmes, and delivering lasting improvements in people’s lives. Examples from across regions show that the Fund is an evidence-based mechanism capable of driving measurable change, even in complex and fragile contexts.

We invite you to explore how our hybrid financing model acts as a catalyst for innovation and scale. To date, strategic multilateral contributions have leveraged an additional $116 million for human security initiatives globally, offering donors increased value for money while reducing fragmentation. We encourage you to engage with this strategic platform as we continue to work across silos and invest with the foresight and coherence required to navigate today’s—and tomorrow’s—most pressing challenges.

?Read the full News Update .

24 APRIL 2026: Financing for Development and the Human Security Approach

The 2026 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development (FfD Forum), held from 20–24 April, convened to mobilize momentum and concrete solutions in the follow-up to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. With the world falling behind on achieving the SDGs by 2030, constrained by a financing gap of around $4 trillion annually, what matters is not only the scale of financing, but how effectively it is used.

Across its programmes, the UNTFHS points to what more effective, integrated financing can achieve for the world’s most vulnerable.

In north-central Liberia, where women and youth in Nimba, Bong, and Lofa counties face entrenched poverty, high unemployment, hunger, and rising gender-based violence, a UNTFHS-supported programme implemented with FAO, ILO, UNDP, UN Women, and WFP is harnessing ICT and digital technology to build resilient food and social protection systems, strengthen food systems planning, build cooperatives, and diversify livelihoods. By aligning investments across sectors and actors, the programme reaches 1.3 million people, offering a practical model for how integrated approaches to financing can be applied and scaled to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

Meanwhile, in Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea region, the UNTFHS demonstrates that effective financing must also build the institutional architecture through which lasting change becomes possible. The drying of the Aral Sea has created cascading challenges for communities in Karakalpakstan — from income poverty and food insecurity to deteriorating health and land degradation. Building on successive programmes, the UNTFHS helped establish the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region (MPHSTF), bringing together EU, Finland, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and Uzbekistan around a shared human security framework. Over six years, the MPHSTF has improved the lives of around 300,000 people through coordinated, people-centred interventions.

Together, these experiences reflect the added value of the human security approach, not just as a programming framework, but as a financing catalyst that reduces fragmentation, multiplies impact, and builds the conditions for durable and scalable change.

Learn more about our programme in Liberia here, and our programme in Uzbekistan here.

17 APRIL 2026: Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

The 2026 Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD), convened by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), will bring together governments, regional organizations, civil society, and development partners to assess progress toward the 2030 Agenda and exchange policy solutions aligned with regional priorities. As part of the preparatory process for the 2026 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the Forum will include in-depth reviews of SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).

Across the Caribbean region, these discussions are particularly relevant as communities face growing risks linked to natural hazards such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and volcanic activity. Combined with socio-economic pressures and global shocks, these hazards can disrupt lives and livelihoods and influence patterns of human mobility, including disaster displacement and environmental migration.

A UNTFHS-supported programme in the Caribbean region demonstrates how the human security approach can help address these challenges in an integrated way. The initiative promotes protection for disaster-displaced persons, environmental migrants, and vulnerable communities, while strengthening disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation systems across twelve Caribbean countries and territories.

Working with regional organizations, national governments, civil society, and UN agencies, the programme supports the integration of human security considerations into disaster risk management and climate strategies. In partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the initiative helps incorporate Human Security and human mobility into Comprehensive Disaster Management frameworks and national disaster plans.

Through linking climate resilience, human mobility, and disaster preparedness through a human security lens, the programme supports more preventive, people-centered solutions that help communities live with greater safety, dignity, and opportunity.

Learn more about how the human security approach is supporting resilience and disaster risk management in the Caribbean region?Click here.

16 APRIL 2026: Youth Leadership and Human Security: Reflections from the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026

From 14–16 April 2026, young leaders from around the world gathered at 麻豆APP Headquarters in New York for the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026, a key platform where youth, Member States, and partners came together to discuss solutions for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Forum underscored the essential role of young people in shaping inclusive and sustainable societies, ensuring that their perspectives help guide global policy dialogue and action.

By placing people at the centre of analysis and action, human security recognizes young people not only as beneficiaries of development policies, but as agents of change who contribute to identifying risks, strengthening resilience, and advancing sustainable solutions within their communities. Supporting youth participation in decision-making — while recognizing the multidimensional challenges they face, from economic insecurity to barriers in education — remains essential for building societies that leave no one behind.

Across programmes supported by the UNTFHS, young people have increasingly been engaged as partners in shaping responses to these complex challenges. In Mexico, a UNTFHS-supported initiative brought together government institutions, civil society, academia, and the private sector to better understand and respond to the challenges faced by at-risk youth in the State of Hidalgo. By promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue and strengthening platforms for youth participation in policy processes, the programme helped ensure that young people’s experiences and perspectives informed development planning.

Similarly, in Senegal, a UNTFHS-supported programme, focused on inclusive local development in the commune of Fass-Dakar, recognized that young people, particularly young women, faced interconnected vulnerabilities linked to unemployment, limited access to education and training, and barriers to economic participation. By promoting integrated responses that combined skills development, support for entrepreneurship, improved access to health and social services, and strengthened local governance, the programme helped address the root causes of insecurity. Through participatory, community-driven approaches and the active engagement of multiple stakeholders, it expanded opportunities for youth, reduced inequalities, and strengthened more resilient and inclusive communities.

As discussions concluded at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026, these experiences reaffirm the value of empowering youth — not only to voice their concerns, but to actively shape solutions. A human security approach turns youth participation into tangible outcomes, strengthening resilience, fostering inclusive governance, and ensuring that young people remain central to advancing sustainable development.

Learn more about our programme in Mexico here, and in Senegal here.

10 APRIL 2026: UNTFHS Policy Brief: A Fund for our Times and Tomorrow’s Challenges

As the international system undergoes a period of profound transformation, risks such as climate disruption, health shocks, food insecurity, technological change, and governance pressures are no longer isolated threats. These challenges are interconnected and increasingly interdependent, frequently triggering instability within and across borders. Traditional, sector-by-sector policy tools are struggling to keep pace with this reality, leading governments to seek integrated, preventive, and scalable approaches that can reduce risks before they escalate into full-scale crises.

To address this urgent need, the Human Security Unit has released its latest Policy Brief, “A Fund for our Times and Tomorrow’s Challenges.” The Brief highlights the role of the UNTFHS as the UN’s principal mechanism for translating the human security approach into operational impact.

With a global reach spanning 325 programmes in over 110 countries, the Fund provides a practical framework for prioritization and coordination. By focusing on conditions that underpin long-term stability – such as effective governance and trust – the UNTFHS enables UN Country Teams and partners to move from reactive crisis management toward a model of proactive investment.

The Brief further details the Fund’s unique hybrid financing model, which has successfully leveraged an additional $116 million for human security initiatives. This approach reduces fragmentation, multiplies impact by combining targeted seed funding with pooled resources and promotes replication and scale-up for much broader reach and sustainability.

As we navigate an era of uncertainty and rapid change, this publication serves as an invitation to partners to engage with the UNTFHS as a strategic platform for investment. By working across silos and testing solutions in real-world settings, the Fund ensures that innovation is translated into durable solutions that strengthen institutions and enhance resilience for the most vulnerable.

Access the full Policy Brief and learn more about our operational impact?Click here.

10 APRIL 2026: Supporting Safe, Dignified Return and Recovery through a Human Security Approach in Syria

In Syria, years of conflict, displacement, and institutional disruption have created deeply layered insecurities across the country. As people return to their neighbourhoods amid political transition and continued instability, they face challenges that require integrated, people-centred solutions to address both immediate needs and the foundations for long-term recovery.

In Bab al-Nairab, a densely populated district of Aleppo, the UNTFHS supported the programme Implementing Area-Based Return Support as a Catalytic Process for Resilient Recovery, Human Security, and Durable Solutions in Syria, jointly implemented by UNDP and UNHCR. Guided by the human security approach, the initiative applied an area-based model that brings together protection, legal security, participatory governance, basic services, livelihoods, and social cohesion into a coherent response to displacement and return.

The programme’s focus is on the recognition that safe and sustainable return goes beyond arrival. It requires active efforts to restore rights, trust, and opportunities for all. Through embedded legal and protection assistance delivered via community centres, mobile outreach, and digital modalities, nearly 4,000 individuals received structured legal support to resolve civil documentation gaps and housing, land, and property issues. These services helped reduce risks of exclusion, secondary displacement and ensured that everyone had access to the legal services they deserved. This initiative was especially relevant in empowering women and girls who, through stigmatization and fear, did not seek help in situations of sexual harassment or abuse.

Equally central to the human security approach was the programme’s emphasis on participatory local governance. Returnees, internally displaced persons, and host community members – women, men, youth, and persons with disabilities – were engaged as active agents in shaping recovery priorities. Through inclusive community platforms, residents co-designed a Community Recovery Plan and implemented community-led Quick Impact Projects, reinforcing local ownership, accountability, and trust between communities and institutions.

These participatory processes translated into tangible improvements in living conditions. The rehabilitation of approximately one kilometre of sewage infrastructure improved sanitation and public health for an estimated 11,000 residents, while labour-intensive works generated short-term employment and strengthened community stewardship of shared assets. In parallel, the rehabilitation of a vocational training school restored a critical skills hub, expanding education and employability pathways for youth in a context of high unemployment and social vulnerability.

Together, these integrated actions demonstrate the added value of the human security approach in a highly fragile and transitional context. By addressing legal, economic, institutional, environmental, and social insecurities simultaneously, the programme helped stabilize return-affected communities while laying the groundwork for durable solutions. Importantly, the Area-Based Return Support (ABRS) model piloted in Aleppo has since been adopted by the UN Country Team as a scalable framework for localized solutions across Syria, positioning human security as a practical pathway from emergency response toward sustainable recovery.

In a context where transition, change, and unpredictability dominate the political landscape, this initiative illustrates how human security-driven, capacity-building approaches can transform return and recovery into community-led processes that withstand uncertainty. Importantly, by putting people and especially those most vulnerable at the center, the programme helps ensure an inclusive community well into the future.

Learn more about how the human security approach is supporting recovery and durable solutions in Syria?Click here.

31 MARCH 2026: The Climate-Migration-Security Nexus

Climate change is transforming environments and reshaping the conditions that enable people and communities to sustain their livelihoods and futures. Across regions, combined pressures due to rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather are eroding people’s ability to cope, as well as weakening institutional capacity to respond. Addressing this reality requires moving beyond siloed responses and examining how climate risks shape mobility, livelihoods, health, and social stability simultaneously.

By grounding analysis in local and national contexts, the human security framework allows for the identification of the underlying drivers of vulnerability and the tipping points that influence whether people remain where they are or are compelled to move. In doing so, UNTFHS programmes drive more targeted, context-specific interventions, strengthening local capacities, supporting community-led solutions, and enabling safer, more informed mobility when necessary.

From establishing multisectoral health and migration teams in Central America and Mexico, to the elaboration of the Pacific Regional Framework for Climate Mobility, to advancing culturally adapted solutions for nomadic populations in Kenya, the stories in this edition demonstrate how the human security approach addresses the climate-migration-security nexus by moving from reactive crisis response toward building long-term community resilience.

?Read the full News Update?.

26 MARCH 2026: Strengthening Social Protection through Human Security Data in Jordan

Jordan continues to face complex and interrelated economic pressures, including high unemployment, low wages, and persistent poverty—challenges compounded by regional instability and a significant refugee presence. At the same time, water scarcity and the impacts of climate change are placing additional strain on food systems and socio-ecological stability. While the country has made important investments in poverty reduction and climate adaptation, gaps in disaggregated data have limited the ability to effectively target resources to reach those most in need.

To help address this challenge, the UNTFHS supported a programme titled Data Expansion for Human Security: Establishing an Evidence Base for Programmes, Policies, and Strategies for Resilience and Protection. Implemented by UNDP and WFP in partnership with Jordan’s National Aid Fund (NAF), the initiative focused on strengthening human security data collection and analysis to better inform social protection planning and policy development.

Grounded in the human security approach, the programme assessed a wide range of interconnected risks, including economic, environmental, food, health, and social dimensions, to ensure that national strategies are both evidence-based and responsive to local realities. By mapping household vulnerabilities and capturing the lived experiences of communities, it helped build a stronger, more nuanced evidence base to guide targeted social protection responses.

The initiative also placed strong emphasis on partnership and coordination, bringing together government institutions, civil society, international organizations, and local communities. In particular, strengthening the capacity of the NAF—Jordan’s primary provider of social assistance—has been key to ensuring that policies and programmes are informed by reliable data and are responsive to the needs of vulnerable populations.

Through this participatory and data-driven approach, the programme has supported more targeted interventions that address the root causes of vulnerability, while also contributing to longer-term resilience and more inclusive development pathways.

Learn more about how the human security approach supported evidence-based social protection in Jordan, and watch the to see how improved data systems and partnerships guided targeted responses for vulnerable communities.

19 MARCH 2026: Human Security and the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women

As the international community concludes the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), attention turns to both the progress made and the work that remains in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. This year’s priority theme—ensuring access to justice for all women and girls—spotlighted the urgent need for inclusive and equitable legal systems, the elimination of discriminatory laws and practices, and the removal of structural barriers that prevent women from fully realizing their rights.

What emerged clearly from CSW70 is that barriers to justice are rarely legal in isolation. They are shaped by overlapping constraints—economic insecurity, social norms, gaps in protection systems, and limited institutional trust—that together determine whether women and girls can realizes their aspirations. The human security approach is particularly well-suited to this challenge because it starts from these lived realities and focuses on how risks intersect and reinforce one another. In doing so, it shifts the focus from access in principle to access in practice.

In this context, the statement delivered by Costa Rica on behalf of the Group of Friends of Human Security highlighted both the persistence of structural and intersecting barriers to justice and the limitations of fragmented responses. Women and girls continue to navigate overlapping legal systems and entrenched forms of discrimination that undermine their ability to claim their rights. The Group reaffirmed the importance of the human security approach, reflecting a growing recognition that advancing access to justice requires more integrated, context-sensitive solutions, grounded in national ownership and the commitment to leave no one behind.

This integrated approach is reflected across UNTFHS-supported programmes, where advancing gender equality is not treated as a standalone objective but as integral to reducing vulnerability and strengthening resilience. Across contexts, initiatives have shown that improving women’s access to justice requires simultaneous investments in legal awareness, economic empowerment, community engagement, and institutional capacity. By addressing these dimensions together, programmes are better able to reduce exposure to violence and exploitation, strengthen legal protections, and enable women and girls to participate more fully as agents of change.

As CSW70 concludes, the insights and experiences shared throughout the session will continue to shape policy and practice. Ensuring that the voices of women and girls are meaningfully reflected in development frameworks is both a matter of inclusion and effectiveness.

To hear the statement by the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, watch .

17 MARCH 2026: Nordic Dialogues on Human Security Continue in Oslo

The Nordic Dialogues on Human Security continued in Oslo, bringing together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to explore how a human-centred approach can strengthen security in an era of growing geopolitical pressure. Across the Nordic region, security thinking is being reshaped by overlapping global challenges — from armed conflict and climate stress to democratic backsliding and intensifying geopolitical competition — making this a timely moment to reflect on how policy responses are evolving.

As a long-standing actor in peacebuilding, mediation, and multilateral cooperation, Norway brings a distinct perspective to these discussions. The dialogue underscored that human security has long been embedded in Nordic engagement, grounded in the protection of people, strong institutions, and inclusive societies. At the same time, participants emphasized the need for greater clarity around core concepts such as resilience, social cohesion, trust, and total defence. While widely used, these terms are often left insufficiently defined, risking a narrowing of security thinking at a moment when broader, more integrated approaches are urgently needed.

A recurring concern was the fragility of societal trust in the face of disinformation and polarization. Participants noted that economic, social, and psychological insecurities can create openings for manipulation, reinforcing the importance of ensuring that people feel protected, included, and heard. In this context, human security was seen as central to strengthening societal resilience. The dialogue also highlighted the value of respectful disagreement and sustained engagement across sectors, generations, and institutions as essential to maintaining both social cohesion and democratic legitimacy in increasingly fragmented societies.

While defence and deterrence have taken on renewed urgency across Europe, participants stressed that planning for war must be matched by sustained investment in the conditions for peace. Human security offers a framework for balancing these imperatives, helping policymakers address immediate threats while also reinforcing the long-term foundations of stability. This is particularly important as concerns grow over the erosion of the multilateral system and the rules-based international order. The discussion also highlighted the growing role of middle powers in sustaining international cooperation and advancing values-based leadership in a more contested global landscape.

Discussions also pointed to the accelerating role of technology in reshaping both warfare and societal vulnerability. Advances in artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, and other emerging domains are increasingly blurring the boundaries between peace and conflict, underscoring the need for whole-of-society approaches grounded in public trust and institutional coordination.

The ongoing war in Ukraine featured in policy discussions as a stark illustration of the human security framework in practice. Participants reflected on how the conflict has generated interconnected risks across civilian safety, energy systems, livelihoods, and social cohesion, demonstrating the need for responses that move beyond emergency assistance to a more integrated, forward-looking strategy.

The Oslo dialogue reaffirmed that human security is not a legacy of a more stable era, but an increasingly indispensable lens for navigating today’s complex and compounding risks.

Read more about the dialogue series here.

9 MARCH 2026: Call for Submissions: 2026 Human Security Award

As global challenges grow more complex and interconnected, the need for approaches that address the full spectrum of risks facing people has become increasingly clear. Human security is not simply another way of addressing development, humanitarian, or peace challenges. Rather, it is a distinct approach that addresses the interconnected and multidimensional nature of risks facing people through integrated, human-centred, anticipatory and context-specific solutions that cut across traditional sectoral boundaries, including the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.?

To highlight how this approach is being translated into practice, the Group of Friends of Human Security has launched the 2026 Human Security Award. The Award will recognize?programmes?implemented by UN agencies, funds, and?programmes?that have demonstrated, in concrete and verifiable terms, how operationalizing the human security approach delivers meaningful results on the ground and why it is essential in today’s complex contexts.?

Eligible?programmes?will embody the defining characteristics and principles of human security: working across sectors and risks simultaneously; focusing on the voices and agency of affected communities; and combining top-down protection with bottom-up empowerment responses. By operationalizing the human security approach and bringing together multiple actors across the UN system and beyond, these?programmes?will demonstrate how integrated responses can address interconnected and mutually reinforcing challenges in ways that siloed approaches cannot.?

Submissions for the 2026 Human Security Award are open until?12 April 2026 at 17:00 EST, with selected?programmes?to be recognized at a dedicated ceremony in New York in late June or early July 2026.?

??Access the application guidance and submission form here.?

4 MARCH 2026: Helsinki Dialogue: Nordic Perspectives on Human-Centred Security

On 3-4 March, the Nordic Dialogues on Human Security convened policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in Helsinki, Finland. Organized by the UNTFHS, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), the discussions explored how human-centred approaches can strengthen long-term security alongside defense in an increasingly complex global environment.

Across the dialogues in Helsinki—and earlier in Stockholm—it became clear that human security remains deeply rooted in Nordic thinking. In Finland in particular, participants expressed strong interest in revisiting the concept in light of today’s changing security landscape and exploring how it connects with Finland’s comprehensive security model. With growing concerns in many societies about shrinking civic space and increasingly polarized public discourse, creating space for thoughtful dialogue is more important than ever.

The discussions also highlighted how Finland’s resilience reflects decades of investment in people—through inclusive governance, education, and social protection. When Finland faces pressure, society tends not to fracture but to adapt collectively, with institutions and communities working together to find solutions. This capacity for collaboration and trust in times of uncertainty reflects human security in practice and mirrors a broader Nordic tradition of strengthening resilience through long-term investment in social cohesion.

One of the clearest conclusions from the dialogues was that human security should advance alongside hard security, not in opposition to it. Strong defense and resilient societies reinforce one another. Yet while there is broad agreement on the importance of the approach, the practical pathways for applying it remain less defined. The Nordic Dialogues aim to help bridge that gap, moving from shared principles to identifying concrete ways that human security can inform Finland’s policies, deepen Nordic cooperation, and shape credible international engagement in an increasingly uncertain world.

27 FEBRUARY 2026: The World Is Catching Up with Human Security

Something is shifting in how the world thinks about security. Across diplomatic forums, development finance, and technology governance, a quiet consensus is forming that durable stability cannot be built on transactional partnerships or crisis management alone. It requires the foundations of trust, cohesion, and dignity that allow societies to thrive.

Four recent moments show where this insight is taking root. A new Human Security Dialogue Series, launched by SIPRI and UNTFHS, is convening leaders across Stockholm, Helsinki, and Oslo to build shared frameworks at a moment when top-down multilateral consensus is increasingly elusive. At the Munich Security Conference, world leaders acknowledged that stronger societies — not just stronger alliances — are what lasting stability demands. In international development, as major donors pivot toward investment-led models, the human security lens helps anchor investment in the conditions that allow people to build livelihoods and live in dignity. And, in AI governance, the question has evolved from whether systems are safe to whether societies can maintain the trust and agency that development depends on.

Across all four stories, the thread is the same: the world is slowly, unevenly, but unmistakably catching up with human security.

? Read the full News Update .

19 February 2026: Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop Advances Human Security and Resilience in Asia Pacific

Government representatives, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners from across the Asia?Pacific region participated in a two?day Regional Knowledge?Sharing Workshop on Mainstreaming Human Security and Resilience Building in Bangkok, organized under the regional UNTFHS programme piloted in Nepal and Bangladesh.

As countries in the region face an escalating convergence of climate shocks, socio?economic fragility, and emerging polycrisis, participants explored how the human security approach can serve as a unifying framework to strengthen resilience and enhance risk?informed development planning.

The workshop provided an opportunity to present and discuss the Human Security Poly?Risk Methodology (HSPR) developed under this programme. Pilot experiences from Bangladesh and Nepal, alongside contributions from different countries in the region, illustrated how integrated human security analysis can support cross?sectoral collaboration and more inclusive planning processes. The workshop also identified entry points to strengthen regional cooperation and outlined next steps for finalizing and rolling out the HSPR framework across the region.

The finalized HSPR methodology will be used as a resource for governments and development partners seeking to operationalize human security in complex and interconnected risk environments.

Learn more about the programme here.

12 February 2026: Digital Innovation Bringing Health and Social Protection Closer to Communities in Mali

Addressing complex and interconnected insecurities requires integrated solutions. In Mali, years of insecurity, climate stress, and limited infrastructure have compounded barriers to healthcare and social protection, particularly for rural and vulnerable populations.

To respond, the UNTFHS is supporting the programme Digital Innovation for Sustainable Healthcare and Social Protection in Mali, implemented by UNDP and WHO in partnership with national institutions. Guided by the human security approach, the programme integrates health, economic, environmental, and social protection measures to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerabilities across Koulikoro, Sikasso, and Ségou.

At the programme’s core is the recognition that access to healthcare cannot be separated from broader conditions of security and well-being. It first equipped three referral health centres and six community health centres with solar energy systems and digital health tools. The initiative has expanded access to telemedicine in areas affected by insecurity and limited connectivity, bringing quality care closer to communities.

Most importantly, the programme’s added value extends beyond health services alone. It addresses the economic and social conditions that shape people’s ability to access care and cope with shocks. Through targeted support to women and youth, 165 individuals have received equipment and training in market gardening and agri-food processing, strengthening livelihoods, food security, and household resilience. These income-generating activities help reduce financial barriers to healthcare while enhancing long-term self-reliance.

In parallel, the programme supports inclusion in national social protection systems by working with authorities to expand access to medical assistance schemes for the most vulnerable. By linking digital health services with social safety nets, the initiative helps ensure that people are not only treated when illness occurs, but are better protected against future health and economic shocks.

Together, these protection and empowerment measures reflect the essence of the human security approach: addressing multiple, interconnected risks through integrated, people-centred solutions. By combining digital innovation, renewable energy, livelihoods support, and institutional strengthening, the programme contributes to more equitable access to essential services and stronger community resilience. As such, it offers a model for anticipatory, inclusive, comprehensive strategies that ensure progress reaches those most at risk.

Learn more about the programme and how human security is strengthening resilience in Mali.

5 February 2026: Nordic Dialogues on Human Security Launched in Stockholm

The 麻豆APP Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), in collaboration with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), launched the inaugural Nordic Dialogues on Human Security through a three?part event series in Stockholm. The series convened government representatives, researchers, UN officials, and civil society partners to explore how human?centred approaches can strengthen resilience amid a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.

Public Dialogue: Perspectives from Sweden on Human?Centred Security
The main public event, “Advancing Human?centred Security in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape: Perspectives from Sweden,” brought together a diverse panel of experts to reflect on the practical relevance of human security in addressing interconnected global challenges, from geopolitical tensions and climate?related risks to social inequalities and digital vulnerabilities.

“Human security is not an abstract idea; it is a practical framework and tool for understanding and addressing the conditions that make societies vulnerable to instability,” said Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, Chair of the UN Advisory Board on Human Security, in his opening remarks.

Speakers highlighted the Nordic region’s long?standing contributions to peace, human rights, gender equality, and inclusive development, noting how these traditions can help inform human?centred approaches in today’s context. They also emphasized that despite rising security spending globally, people increasingly do not feel more secure. Speakers underscored human security as both a strategic necessity and a practical framework for addressing root causes more clearly and enabling bottom?up, community?driven resilience. The discussion further noted that human security is integral to building peace, rebuilding societies, and fostering the kinds of partnerships and people?oriented systems long associated with Nordic models.

High?Level Dinner: Partnering for Human?Centred Approaches
A high?level dinner brought together leaders from government, the diplomatic community, research institutions, and the UN system for a strategic conversation on elevating human?centred security in policy discussions. The exchange helped build momentum and reinforce partnerships as the Nordic Dialogues initiative begins.

Policy Roundtable: Applying Human Security in Practice
In addition, a focused policy roundtable gathered senior experts, diplomats, and practitioners for an exchange on how human security can be operationalized across national, regional, and multilateral policy spaces and programmatic solutions. Participants discussed opportunities to integrate human?centred analysis into preventive action, resilience?building, and development planning.

Looking Ahead
As the first in the series of Nordic Dialogues on Human Security, the Stockholm events set a strong foundation for deeper regional engagement. The dialogue series will continue with events in Helsinki and Oslo in March, further advancing collaboration and shared learning on human?centred approaches to peace, prevention, and sustainable development. These will be followed by broader conversations in Europe and beyond to explore the importance of human security at this pivotal moment for multilateralism, global stability, and progress.

29 January 2026: Empowering Youth to Build Safer Digital Spaces in Uzbekistan

Digital technologies increasingly shape how people communicate, learn, and engage with the world. For young people in particular, the digital space is not just part of daily life, it is the primary environment in which they build relationships, express themselves, and imagine their futures. Yet cybercrime and digital violence are often seen as distant or abstract, rather than as real risks that directly affect personal safety, dignity, and well-being.

In Uzbekistan, a joint programme supported by the UNTFHS and implemented by UNODC and UNDP is addressing these emerging risks through the human security approach. Strengthening Resilience of Youth to Cybercrime and Digital Violence responds to the multidimensional impacts of digital threats by placing people at the centre of prevention and response. By equipping individuals and communities to understand and manage the risks associated with technological change, the programme shifts young people from potential victims to active agents of change, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to help shape safer digital spaces.

For Sabina, one of the programme’s youth participants, the experience was transformative. “Before this, I didn’t know what to do if I saw digital violence happening to a friend,” she shared. “Now, I have the tools and confidence to speak up. We aren’t just waiting for the future; we are helping to make the internet safer today.”

This people-centred approach extends from youth engagement to institutional change. Through initiatives such as a Model 麻豆APP simulation on digital resilience involving more than 70 secondary-school students, alongside research, capacity-building, and community engagement, the programme strengthens coordination among government institutions, civil society, and youth organisations. An Inter-Agency Working Group has also been established, laying the groundwork for a Youth Cybercrime Prevention Centre as a permanent national resource.

Complementing these efforts, the “Digital Bridge” initiative promotes digital inclusion by training young volunteers to support elderly and marginalized groups in accessing essential digital services. By encouraging safe, ethical, and inclusive use of technology, the programme helps ensure that digital transformation expands opportunity rather than deepening inequality.

Together, these actions show how human security enables integrated, preventive responses to digital threats. By empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and fostering inclusive digital ecosystems, the programme supports safer online environments and more resilient communities as Uzbekistan continues its digital transformation.

Read more about the vital role of human security in strengthening resilience to digital threats and emerging risks here.

24 January 2025: International Day of Education

Every year on 24 January, the 麻豆APP marks the International Day of Education, celebrating the transformative power of learning and reaffirming the global commitment to inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all. This year’s theme — the power of youth in co-creating education — underscores that education systems work best when young people are active partners in shaping them.

Youth make up more than half of the global population and are a powerful force for innovation and social change. Yet many continue to face persistent barriers, from poverty and inequality to conflict and limited access to quality education and decent work. As technology reshapes how people learn and work, involving young people in reimagining education is essential to ensure learning remains relevant, inclusive, and responsive to their aspirations.

In crisis-affected settings, education takes on added importance. Schools are not only places of learning but also spaces for protection, stability, and social cohesion, even as they are often among the first institutions disrupted during emergencies. A human security approach recognizes education as both a safeguard and a foundation for long-term resilience, addressing immediate risks while tackling the structural factors that keep children and youth out of school.

In Lebanon, a programme supported by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security demonstrates how integrated support can help learners stay engaged. By combining education retention, psychosocial and protection services with support for caregivers and livelihood opportunities for youth and women, the initiative reduces barriers to participation while strengthening community resilience.

When young people have access to safe, inclusive, and quality education, and a voice in shaping it, they are better equipped to navigate uncertainty and contribute to more peaceful and resilient societies.

Learn more about the programme here.

20 January 2025: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025

On 20 January 2026, the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will convene in Davos, bringing together leaders from government, civil society, science, and the private sector to advance global cooperation amid growing risks and human insecurities. This year’s discussions will center on five interconnected global challenges, with investing in people as a fundamental theme for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development.

In an era of rapidly transforming labor markets, technology, and social dynamics, building human capacity has become essential for societies to thrive. This requires sustained public-private partnerships to ensure that no one is left behind as economies, workforces, and communities navigate profound structural shifts.

This vision aligns closely with the work of the 麻豆APP Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS). The Fund supports programmes that place people at the center of analysis and action, enhancing their skills, agency, and community resilience to address today’s complex and interconnected risks.

A clear example of this approach can be seen in Colombia, where a UNTFHS-supported programme leveraged business partnerships to invest directly in people as drivers of peace and development in post-conflict settings. By facilitating structured engagement among communities, local institutions, and the private sector, the programme expanded employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, and market access in vulnerable areas. Targeted training for youth and women strengthened technical and business skills, enabling meaningful participation in local value chains and supporting economic recovery.

This programme demonstrates how investing in people—a central theme at the World Economic Forum—is vital to building resilient, peaceful societies and sustaining long-term development gains.

Learn more about the Colombia programme here.

15 January 2025: Pioneering Human Security Monitoring in the Sahel

The Human Security Monitoring programme in the Sahel, supported by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and implemented by IOM in Chad and Cameroon, is breaking new ground in how we understand and respond to complex human security challenges.

By combining comprehensive administrative data with household surveys and local perceptions, this innovative programme captures not just what is happening, but how people experience safety, mobility, and well-being. This integration of multiple data sources allows for anticipatory action, giving decision-makers the evidence they need to act before crises escalate.

In November, the programme entered a new phase with the launch of the region’s first large-scale random digit dial phone survey (CATI). For the first time in the Sahel, thousands of people are being heard directly about their perceptions of security and mobility. This is setting new standards for data-driven, people-centered insights.

The survey feeds into IOM’s Solutions and Mobility Index (SMI), enhanced with this Human Security Module. By capturing nuanced perceptions and identifying emerging drivers of mobility, this initiative transforms data into actionable intelligence—informing operational decisions, enabling adaptive responses, and supporting conflict prevention, stability, and long-term resilience.

With this approach, the UNTFHS is leading the way in evidence-based programming, turning integrated data into actionable insights that help institutions anticipate challenges and strengthen communities.

Learn more about the programme here.

11 December 2025: New UNTFHS programme in Niger uses human security to strengthen data for peace and development

Supported by the UNTFHS, the ILLIMI Niger programme, launched earlier this year, aims to strengthen the use of data in preventing, mitigating, and responding to interlinked challenges across the country. It brings together national institutions and the UN system to build a shared knowledge base and joint analytical capacity, leveraging inclusive digital tools and artificial intelligence to inform action.

In a context where insecurity, displacement, food shortages, and climate shocks are deeply interconnected, ILLIMI offers a more comprehensive strategy for understanding how risks compound at the local level and for shaping effective responses. By connecting the dots between multiple dimensions of vulnerability, it aims to deliver more targeted and sustainable solutions.

Following its official launch in October 2025—attended by Brigadier General Amadou Didili, President of the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP)—the programme convened the inaugural meeting of its National Technical Group, bringing together key national and international partners to guide implementation and ensure strong local and national ownership.

ILLIMI operationalizes the human security approach by advancing early action through improved access to timely, disaggregated data and by elevating the role of communities as partners in shaping local solutions. As Niger and the wider Sahel region experience increasingly complex, cross-border challenges, the programme provides a timely and forward-looking model for how data and inclusive partnerships can enable more effective, sustainable, and people-centered peace and development outcomes.

Learn more about ILLIMI Niger.

1 December 2025: Human Security in Action: Resilient Coasts in the Dominican Republic

What began as a coastal initiative to strengthen human security in fishing communities along the southwest coast of the Dominican Republic is now helping shape a broader model for resilience and crime prevention across the country.

In these communities, artisanal fishing has sustained families for generations. Yet declining fish stocks, unpredictable income, and limited economic options have left many fishers deeply vulnerable. Without savings, cold-chain infrastructure, or stable markets, a single storm or broken motor can wipe out a week’s earnings, pushing families into debt and, at times, into the reach of predatory actors. Positioned along major trafficking routes linking South America, North America, and Europe, coastal towns face additional pressures from drug transit, social fragmentation, and overstretched public safety systems.

Supported by the UNTFHS and implemented with UNODC and FAO, the programme applies the human security approach to address these interconnected risks. By bringing together local authorities, national ministries, and fishing communities, it tackles both the economic and social drivers of their vulnerability. Initiatives include livelihood diversification, improved access to value chains, sustainable fishing practices that protect income and ecosystems, and strengthened coordination between communities and law enforcement through early-warning and prevention tools. Hands-on training for fishers, women, and youth in post-harvest processing, human safety, and value-added production equips community members with practical skills that reduce risks and foster independence. Community dialogue spaces help rebuild trust, strengthen governance, and align prevention, development, and security efforts.

This targeted local effort is now evolving into a scalable model for addressing the impacts of transnational organized crime through prevention, inclusion, and resilience, demonstrating how human security can turn local priorities into system-wide solutions for safer, more sustainable coastal futures.

To learn more, visit our .

25 November 2025: Advancing Human Security for Women and Girls: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

On 25 November 2025, the 麻豆APP marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the rights, dignity, and safety of women and girls everywhere. Ending violence is not only a moral imperative but a foundational requirement for building peaceful, resilient, and thriving societies.

It is in this spirit that the UNTFHS supports programmes that tackle the root causes of violence and empower women in all spheres of life. Grounded in the understanding that the security of women and girls is inseparable from the well-being and resilience of their communities, the Fund integrates gender-responsive prevention and protection across interventions and invests in the transformative power of women as leaders and agents of change.

In El Salvador, a UNTFHS-supported programme strengthens women’s agency by providing training on preventing and addressing domestic and sexual violence while expanding access to economic services. Guided by the human security lens, the programme moves beyond short-term assistance to address systemic drivers of insecurity. This includes institutionalizing municipal structures for violence prevention, establishing gender units, supporting women’s entrepreneurship, and creating citizen assistance offices within National Civil Police stations in high-risk areas.

In C?te d’Ivoire, another UNTFHS programme advances women’s protection and empowerment in the Gbêkê region, where social, economic, and political pressures heighten risks of violence and exclusion. By placing women, youth, and persons with disabilities at the centre of local development, the initiative improves access to essential services and cultivates safer, more supportive environments. Community dialogue platforms, early warning systems, and conflict resolution mechanisms help tackle the factors that disproportionately affect women, particularly in the post-election context.

Together, these examples show how the human security approach embeds protection, empowerment, and prevention within broader development and peacebuilding efforts. By addressing the interconnected insecurities that fuel violence and exclusion, human security helps build societies that are more inclusive, resilient, and peaceful, where every woman and girl can live free from fear and realize her full potential.

Read more about the UNTFHS Programmes and how they advance women’s rights here.

27 October 2025: Human-Centered Security for a Complex World (GCSP)

Recent geostrategic developments have focused global and national attention on traditional security priorities, a trend reflected in unprecedented increases in defense budgets. Yet, the growing complexity of contemporary threats, from rapid technological change to climate crises and the surge in conflicts worldwide, makes clear that military strength alone cannot sustain lasting stability. While national defense remains indispensable, preventing crises and addressing the root causes of instability demands a broader, people-centred approach.

At the Geneva Security Debate on “Human-Centered Security for a Complex World,” speakers made a compelling case for rebalancing today’s security paradigm. The discussion, moderated by Anna Brach, Head of Human Security and Planetary Resilience at GCSP, featured Ambassador María Fernanda Espinosa, Markus Derblom, Heba Aly, and Piotr Wolynski, with opening remarks from Ambassador Thomas Greminger and closing reflections by Ambassador Knut Vollebaek.

Participants agreed that traditional, state-centered notions of security no longer meet the needs of today’s world. In this context, weapons and deterrence alone do not make societies secure; lasting stability depends on enabling environments, social trust, and resilience. Human security offers both an epistemological and practical framework for addressing hybrid, transnational, and non-military threats.

While speakers agreed that investments in prevention deliver proven returns, they observed that prevention is too often the first casualty of crisis-driven policymaking. Yet, prioritizing prevention and community-based approaches yields far greater dividends than responding to conflicts after they erupt. Likewise, promoting transparency and integrity in the security sector, such as through public reporting on defense expenditures, helps build the trust that underpins effective governance and stability. Resilient societies, regional and local cooperation, and multi-sectoral engagement are vital to addressing both current and emerging challenges.

Some participants highlighted the need for reform of the multilateral and global security architecture, noting that systems designed for a pre-AI, pre-climate era are no longer fit for purpose. Today’s threats to national and human security are increasingly transnational and interconnected, requiring a multilateral system grounded in human security principles. The growing support for Security Council reform among governments reflects a widening momentum for change.

The discussion concluded with a shared conviction: lasting stability depends on protecting both states and societies. In an era of systemic risks, recommitting to human security is not only a moral imperative, it is a practical necessity for shaping a future of peace, resilience, and shared opportunity.

Watch the full recorded session or the key highlights of the event .

13 November 2025: Securing the Digital Space for Vietnamese Youth

Digital technology is transforming how people connect, learn, and engage with the world. While these innovations bring vast opportunities, they also introduce serious risks, particularly for young people. Social media, now amplified by AI features, can distort reality and expose youth to misinformation, exploitation, and harm.

In Viet Nam, where nearly 73 percent of the population is online, these vulnerabilities are growing alongside the country’s rapid digitalization. The increasing dependence on digital platforms underscores the urgent need to both protect and empower young people as they navigate this evolving landscape.

In response, the 麻豆APP Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) is supporting the programme “Securing the Digital Space for Vietnamese Youth.” Through human security, the initiative looks beyond traditional cybersecurity to address the full range of digital risks affecting young people’s safety, dignity, and well-being. Its goal is to design and implement youth-centered solutions that engage, educate, and equip them to manage online threats effectively.

Key objectives include: (i) analyzing current and emerging digital threats; (ii) promoting policy development that integrates a youth-focused digital security lens at national and local levels; and (iii) raising awareness and resilience among young people.

Two major tools are under development: a Youth Digital Awareness Toolkit, co-created with young people from diverse backgrounds to strengthen digital literacy and resilience; and a Youth Digital Security Handbook for policymakers, aimed at embedding youth digital security into national strategies and ensuring young voices are reflected in decision-making.

By placing human security at the heart of digital innovation, this programme seeks to build a safer, more inclusive online environment — one where every young person can thrive with confidence in the digital era. Stay tuned for more updates on the progress of this vital program.

Read more about the programme here.

6 November 2025: Housing and Human Security for All

The Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) featured a Solutions Session on 6 November 2025 in Doha titled “Unlocking Social Development and Human Security through Housing: From Principles to Action.” Organized by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), UN-Habitat, and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Canada, Colombia, and Japan to the UN, the session emphasized that housing is not just shelter— it is a platform for inclusion, participation, and opportunity, and a driver of human security.

Opening the discussion, Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Human Security, highlighted the urgency of addressing the global housing crisis, which affects more than 1.6 billion people worldwide. He stressed that this is not only a housing crisis but also a crisis of human security, dignity, justice, and hope. “When housing is understood as a foundation of human security—connected to health, livelihoods, and environment—it becomes an engine of transformation,” said Mr. Takasu. He called for turning shared vision into practice by placing people’s needs and aspirations at the center of policy design and action.

The session showcased innovative, community-led solutions from four cities, each offering valuable lessons for advancing human security through housing:

• Medellín, Colombia: Integrating housing with public spaces and social services can reduce violence and foster social inclusion.

• Durban, South Africa: Participatory planning and community-driven housing initiatives strengthen resilience and empower marginalized groups.

• Toronto, Canada: Linking housing policies with health and social protection systems promotes dignity and well-being.

• Tripoli, Lebanon: Housing interventions in fragile contexts can restore hope, stability, and local capacity for recovery.

These experiences reaffirm that housing, when aligned with broader human security strategies and supported by local actors, can build societies that are safer, more equitable, and more sustainable.

As the world looks ahead to the World Urban Forum in 2026, the message is clear: advancing human security through housing is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that no one is left behind.

4 November 2025: Human Security at the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD)

At the World Summit for Social Development global leaders, local authorities, and development partners came together to explore one of the most pressing challenges of our time: ensuring that everyone has access to adequate housing.

Organized by UN-Habitat, the event titled “Adequate Housing as a Foundation for Social Development” brought together representatives from national and local governments, financial and development institutions, and civil society to discuss how housing can serve as a cornerstone for inclusive, sustainable social progress. The discussion reaffirmed the vision of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration, linking social justice, human dignity, and equality with today’s context of widening inequality, rapid urbanization, and growing climate vulnerability.

Speaking on the panel, Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Human Security, emphasized that inadequate housing is not only a development gap but a human security crisis. He noted that “adequate housing protects individuals from threats to survival, livelihood, and dignity. It is where safety begins, where opportunity is nurtured, and where resilience is built.”

Mr. Takasu’s intervention framed housing through the human security lens, highlighting its role in preventing instability and promoting social inclusion. He underscored that secure housing forms the foundation for stability, health, and peace, including in fragile or post-conflict contexts, and called for policies that are people-centered, preventive, and empowering.

Drawing from UN-Habitat initiatives supported by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security, Mr. Takasu illustrated how the human security approach is already driving change:

• In Lebanon, integrating housing with local governance, livelihoods, and social protection has helped reduce tensions between displaced populations and host communities.

• In Cabo Verde, participatory planning using the video game Minecraft has enabled residents to co-design safer, more inclusive neighborhoods alongside municipal authorities.

• And globally, Safer Cities programmes in Mexico and South Africa have demonstrated how secure housing and inclusive urban design can reduce violence and strengthen community cohesion.

These examples show how housing can become a platform for human security, linking the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of well-being. As Mr. Takasu emphasized, “We must move from short-term crisis response to long-term, preventive investment that strengthens resilience and social cohesion.”

The discussion concluded with a shared call for concrete action. Panelists stressed that housing policy must go beyond numbers to ensure quality, safety, and equity, and that community empowerment and local leadership are essential to achieving durable results.

22 October 2025: Strengthening Human Security through Digital Innovation in Liberia

As part of the joint programme “Building Resilience of Youth, Women and Vulnerable Groups through Social Protection in Liberia Using ICT”, supported by the UNTFHS and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 麻豆APP (FAO), partners are advancing efforts to strengthen human security through digital innovation in Liberia.

A recent Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum in Gbarnga, Bong County brought together community representatives from Bong, Lofa, and Nimba Counties, alongside government partners, UN agencies, and private sector actors, including Orange Liberia, MTN, LTC Mobile, and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority.

Participants shared insights on:

• Advancing the Digital Village Initiative

• Building strong collaboration and partnerships

• Exploring how digital innovation can transform society and improve human security

The Digital Village Initiative seeks to promote inclusive access to digital services by linking rural communities to essential information and services through mobile and web platforms. It is designed to support Liberia’s national development priorities by placing communities at the center of digital transformation.

The forum aimed to build strategic partnerships among stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and replication of the Digital Village model across Liberia. Discussions focused on understanding and addressing the needs and concerns of communities affected by the programme and fostering inclusive participation in decision-making. This approach is key to securing stakeholder buy-in and long-term commitment.

The forum concluded on a high note, with concrete commitments, renewed confidence in the power of digital technology, and a shared roadmap to scale up the initiative across Liberia.

Read more about the programme here.

15 October 2025: Advancing Human Security and Local Governance in Gbêkê Region

The programme?“Integrated Support for the Management of Local Development, the Promotion of Peaceful Societies, and Human Security in the Gbêkê Region”?has successfully concluded, delivering tangible progress in inclusive governance, peacebuilding, and access to basic services in a region historically affected by socio-political tensions. This UNTFHS-supported initiative was jointly implemented by UNDP and UN Women, with the support of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in C?te d’Ivoire.

Anchored in the human security approach, the programme aimed to establish inclusive, community-driven mechanisms for dialogue, learning, and coordination to foster peace and reconciliation, while improving access to basic social services for vulnerable populations, contributing directly to the achievement of the SDGs at the local level.

Key achievements of the programme include:

• Inclusive Local Governance: A multi-level coordination mechanism was established, engaging decision-makers at national and local levels to facilitate inclusive, community-driven planning and ensure coherent implementation of interventions across the Gbêkê region.

• Improved Basic Services: Thirty-one community structures, including schools, health centers, and social facilities, were rehabilitated and equipped, directly benefiting over 1,000 students and significantly increasing healthcare access in previously underserved areas.

• Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: Five revitalized local conflict management committees resolved 69 community disputes, particularly between farmers and herders. Youth and community dialogue initiatives contributed to peaceful regional and municipal elections in a region once marked by instability.

• Support for GBV Survivors: Social centers were upgraded to provide dignified care and referral services. Trained personnel enabled the appropriate handling of 739 cases of violence against women and girls, strengthening protection systems for vulnerable groups.

• SDG Localization: A costed roadmap for SDG implementation in the Gbêkê region was developed, aligning local planning with the 2030 Agenda and enhancing coordination among regional and community actors.

Together, these achievements reflect a holistic, human security-centered approach that integrates inclusive governance, social protection, and peacebuilding, laying a strong foundation for long-term resilience, peaceful coexistence, and sustainable development in the Gbêkê region.

Read more about the programme here.

5-8 October 2025: Iraq Advances Human Security and the HDP Nexus to Localize the SDGs

From 5 to 8 October, national actors in Iraq convened for a four-day workshop aimed at strengthening local capacities to operationalize the humanitarian-development-peace nexus through the human security approach. The workshop was held under the framework of a regional initiative led by the League of Arab States (LAS) and the 麻豆APP, which supports conflict-affected Arab countries in advancing the SDGs.

Organized by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), the 麻豆APP Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the UN System Staff College (UNSSC), the event brought together Iraq’s multisectoral national task force, alongside representatives from LAS and other partners, to explore integrated, people-centered strategies and collective outcomes aimed at fostering more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable development.

During the opening session, Dr. Maher Hammad Johan, Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Planning, highlighted the importance of regional partnerships in supporting sustainable development goals. He emphasized that such cooperation plays a critical role in strengthening institutional and community capacities through the activation of development policies and strategies. He also noted that the workshop provides a valuable platform for translating theoretical concepts into joint action plans, sharing experiences, and identifying priority areas for local development.

The workshop featured sessions that explored the concept of human security and its operational principles, as well as how human security helps design strategies that work across the humanitarian-development-peace sectors. By placing human security at the core, the workshop reinforced inclusive development and multi-sectoral collaboration, while contributing to a scalable model that supports national ownership.

Building on the findings of a landmark LAS-UN regional report, the regional initiative emphasizes the importance of comprehensive, context-specific approaches that reflect the lived experiences of people in conflict-affected settings. Iraq is now translating this regional commitment and its recommendations into practice by taking concrete steps to operationalize the HDP Nexus at the national and local levels.

??Read more about the regional programme: Supporting the SDGs in Conflict-Affected Countries: Operationalizing the Triple Nexus Through a Risk-Informed and Human Security Approach

??Watch the regional report video:

??Access the full regional report:
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30 September 2025: SDG Moment at the 80th UN General Assembly

During the 80th session of the 麻豆APP General Assembly, the SDG Moment brought world leaders together to take stock of global progress on the 2030 Agenda. At the heart of the discussions was the shared commitment of the Agenda itself: that every person, everywhere, should be able to live in dignity, free from fear and want, and on a safe and healthy planet. Yet the findings of the 2025 Sustainable Development Report highlight the scale of the challenge. Only 35 per cent of targets are currently on track. Nearly half are advancing, but at a pace too slow to meet the deadline, while 18 per cent are moving backwards.

Against this backdrop, there is a pressing need for approaches that can accelerate action and make the SDGs a lived reality for people and communities. Human security offers one such pathway. By addressing risks as people actually experience them, it helps transform global ambition into tangible improvements in everyday life.

In Egypt, for example, skills training and women-led enterprises supported by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) sparked a local initiative that grew into Hayat Karima, today a national programme reaching more than 50 million people. In Nepal and Bangladesh, risk-informed and participatory development planning is building more resilient communities and livelihoods in the face of cyclical natural hazards. In Senegal, integrated support in health, education, and livelihoods is helping women and youth break cycles of vulnerability and build futures of opportunity.

These stories illustrate that delivering on the SDGs requires solutions that are holistic, inclusive, and grounded in the human security approach. By addressing risks in an integrated way, we can move from statistics and targets to real improvements in people’s lives and renew momentum towards achieving the promise of 2030.

? Read the full News Update .

24 September 2025: Advancing Human Security in Jordan: From Roadmap to Action

On 24 September 2025, national institutions, UNDP and WFP, civil society, and development actors came together in Amman, Jordan, to launch the Human Security Roadmap, a bold step toward inclusive, people-centered development. The event, titled From Roadmap to Action: Advancing Human Security in Jordan, showcased how the Roadmap can translate into coordinated action and sustainable policy.

Developed through a UNTFHS-supported programme in collaboration with the National Aid Fund (NAF), the Roadmap equips the Government of Jordan with tools to strengthen evidence-based planning, institutional preparedness, and inclusive development. Drawing on extensive data collection, stakeholder engagement, and targeted capacity-building efforts, it identifies key vulnerabilities and aligns national strategies with the human security framework.

The launch event featured presentations on the findings of the Roadmap, complemented by two dynamic panel discussions. The first examined ways to institutionalize the human security approach, offering practical insights from government and civil society on advancing coordinated socio-economic development and identifying early entry points of action. The second looked to the long-term, emphasizing sustainability, partnerships, and donor alignment.

By consolidating these efforts, the Roadmap provides clear strategies to embed protection and empowerment into national and municipal planning. In doing so, it strengthens the links between humanitarian and development actors, bridging short-term response with long-term recovery.

The Human Security Roadmap marks a significant milestone in Jordan’s journey toward inclusive, resilient, and people-centered development. It demonstrates how the human security approach can turn policy into tangible change for people and communities.

Read more about the programme?here.

19 September: UNTFHS Programme in Uzbekistan Organizes Cybercrime Prevention Training

In early September, a three-day training on “Cybercrime Prevention: From Theory to Practice” was held in Tashkent as part of the joint UNODC and UNDP programme “Strengthening Resilience of Youth to Cybercrime and Digital Violence in Uzbekistan,” funded by the UNTFHS.

The training brought together 19 participants from key national institutions, including the Cybersecurity Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Pre-School and School Education, Academy of Cyber University, Youth Affairs Agency, and the IT company UZINFOCOM. It was designed to equip professionals with practical tools to prevent and respond to cybercrime affecting youth, while promoting ethical online behavior and digital literacy.

Delivered in collaboration with the UNODC Regional Centre for Combating Cybercrime in Doha, the course combined theoretical and hands-on approaches, using real-life scenarios to explore topics from cyber ethics to misinformation and the risks of exploitation and abuse.

The training is part of the broader effort under the UNTFHS-supported programme to apply the human security approach to digital challenges, addressing not only technical threats but also the underlying vulnerabilities that put young people at risk. Rising cases of online fraud, cyberbullying, and hate content in Uzbekistan carry serious financial, social, and psychological consequences, underscoring the need for inclusive and comprehensive prevention strategies.

By strengthening institutional capacity and promoting safer digital practices, the programme supports efforts to ensure young people in Uzbekistan can navigate the online world with greater awareness, protection, and support.

Read the full story on .

Read more about the programme here.

16 September 2025: Rebalancing Security: People, Planet, and the Path Forward

What does security mean in today’s world? The latest edition of the Human Security News Update explores this question through new reports and global discussions during the opening of the 80th session of the 麻豆APP General Assembly.

This issue spotlights the Secretary-General’s report, The Security We Need, which calls for a fundamental shift in how we define and pursue security. With global military spending reaching $2.7 trillion in 2024, the report makes a compelling case for rebalancing priorities, placing human dignity, sustainable development, and cooperation at the heart of security policy.

This people-centered vision was echoed in UNGA80’s opening session, where the incoming President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, and the Secretary-General highlighted the urgency of collective action. From climate change to digital governance, this year’s agenda reflects the core of human security: anticipating risks before they escalate, amplifying the voices of vulnerable communities, and forging partnerships that move beyond silos.

The newsletter also showcases a new report, Advancing Human Security for a Resilient and Prosperous Africa. Launched at TICAD9 in Yokohama, the report offers an African-led framework that empowers communities, strengthens resilience, and contributes to the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

This edition of the Human Security News Update reminds us that security is not only about preventing conflict, it is about creating the conditions for people and societies to thrive amidst uncertainty and risk.

? Read the full News Update .

12 September 2025: 麻豆APP Day for South-South Cooperation: Advancing solidarity and shared solutions: South-South Cooperation for human security

Each year, the 麻豆APP Day for South-South Cooperation highlights the power of solidarity among countries of the Global South in tackling shared development challenges. Beyond traditional aid, South-South cooperation is a peer-to-peer process of exchanging knowledge, technology, and resources to advance common development goals, including the SDGs. It reflects collective agency, allowing countries to innovate on their own terms, strengthen national ownership, foster resilience, and reduce reliance on external assistance.

The UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) has harnessed South-South cooperation as a key resource in its programming, enabling countries to share knowledge, experiences, and solutions to common challenges. Through peer-to-peer exchanges, technical collaboration, and joint initiatives, the Fund helps countries adapt proven practices to their own contexts, scale effective interventions, and strengthen local capacity. By connecting governments, communities, and partners across regions, UNTFHS-supported programmes amplify the impact of limited resources, foster innovation, and ensure that solutions are locally owned, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of those most vulnerable.

In the Asia-Pacific region, a UNTFHS-supported programme pilots human security frameworks in Nepal and Bangladesh to strengthen resilience to natural disasters. Beyond building national policy and institutional capacity, the initiative facilitates horizontal exchanges across disaster-prone countries, creating adaptable models that other nations in the region can adopt.

Similarly, the Safer Cities programme demonstrates how South-South cooperation strengthens urban resilience. Pilots in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and Durban, South Africa apply human security tools to address exclusion, violence, and climate vulnerability. Lessons from these cities are shared through the Global Network of Safer Cities, enabling municipalities worldwide to adapt people-centered, prevention-oriented strategies to their own contexts.

By linking solidarity with action, South-South cooperation shows how countries can shape shared solutions to shared risks. These examples demonstrate that inclusive, people-centered partnerships are not only possible but essential to building resilience and advancing the 2030 Agenda. On this 麻豆APP Day for South-South Cooperation, they remind us that collective challenges demand collective responses, and that lasting progress depends on placing people and dignity at the center of all efforts.

9 September 2025: Launch of the Secretary-General’s Report The Security We Need

On 9 September 2025, the Secretary-General launched The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future, a study prepared at the request of Member States pursuant to the outcome of the Pact for the Future. The report assesses the implications of rising global military expenditures for peace and sustainable development, and calls for a decisive shift towards a human-centered, multidimensional approach to security, consistent with General Assembly resolution A/RES/66/290 on the common understanding of human security.

The study highlights two converging trends: expanding military budgets and faltering development. In 2024, global military expenditure reached a record $2.7 trillion, the tenth consecutive year of growth. Yet insecurity has deepened, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has slowed, and environmental degradation has intensified. Rising military outlays have not delivered greater peace; rather, they have diverted resources from investments most needed to address the root causes of insecurity.

The report underscores that lasting stability derives not from expanding arsenals but from strengthening resilient societies. In line with the human security approach, it calls for a recalibration of resources, safeguarding legitimate defense requirements while investing in health, education, climate resilience, and inclusive governance. It stresses that sustainable development is the first line of defense against conflict and that public resources must advance human dignity and social justice, with the participation of people as essential to lasting peace. Even a modest reallocation of current military spending, the study notes, could eradicate extreme poverty within a decade, end hunger by 2030, and secure universal access to safe water and sanitation.

Guided by the principles of the Charter of the 麻豆APP, including Article 26, the report urges Member States to reconceptualize global security not as an arms race but as a collective endeavour towards a sustainable future, underpinned by diplomacy, cooperation, and effective governance. It concludes that only by embracing a multidimensional and people-centered vision of security can the international community effectively address interconnected global challenges and lay the foundations for lasting peace and stability on a healthy planet. Read the full report .

8-12 September 2025: The 54th Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is the region’s premier political and economic policy body, uniting 18 member states to tackle shared challenges and shape a resilient, secure future for the Pacific. This year’s 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, to be held from 8–12 September 2025 in Honiara, Solomon Islands, carries the theme: “Iumi Tugeda: Act Now for an Integrated Blue Pacific Continent.” Leaders will focus on issues of shared concern in the region, including ocean protection, digital transformation, economic recovery and climate change and climate mobility.

In this context, the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) has been at the forefront of 麻豆APP support to the region on climate mobility in partnership with IOM, ILO, OHCHR and many governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. Through catalytic support to the programme, Enhancing Human Security through Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change and Migration in the Pacific Islands (2019-2022), Pacific Island countries elaborated and adopted the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility. This landmark, human security-informed framework guides responses to climate-induced mobility, including displacement, planned relocation, and labor migration.

Building on this foundation, the UNTFHS has sustained its support to the region through a second phase (2023–present), titled Addressing Climate Mobility through Partnerships and a Human Security Approach, which is currently supporting national and local level implementation of the regional framework in Fiji and Tuvalu. This includes strengthening institutional capacities, improving data and tools for evidence-based decision-making, and enhancing governance mechanisms for labor migration and planned relocation.

While implementation is currently focused on Fiji and Tuvalu, the programme is designed as a regional initiative that supports broader application across Pacific Island countries. It offers a scalable model for operationalizing the human security approach to climate-induced mobility, contributing to long-term resilience, inclusive development, and regional cooperation.

For more information on the programmes visit: /humansecurity/hsprogramme/pacificislands/ and /humansecurity/hsprogramme/addressing-climate-mobility-through-partnerships-and-human-security/

21 August 2025: TICAD9 High-Level Side Event – Human Security and Economic Development in Africa

As Africa stands at the intersection of multiple, interlinked crises—ranging from climate change and economic shocks to conflict, displacement, and governance challenges—the continent’s development trajectory is under growing strain. Against this backdrop, the TICAD9 High-Level Side Event, titled “Human Security and Economic Development in Africa: Addressing Multidimensional Challenges and Shaping the Future Beyond 2030,” explored how the human security approach can serve as a transformative framework for advancing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development.

The event brought together African representatives, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and representatives from the 麻豆APP and UN Development Programme to examine why human security is essential in responding to Africa’s multidimensional challenges, and how it can inform policy and practice to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Yukio Takasu, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Human Security, stressed the urgency of integrated, people-centered responses to overlapping crises. He highlighted Africa’s leadership in applying human security principles and called for renewed solidarity to empower youth and marginalized communities. “We must always place people—their survival, livelihoods, and dignity—at the centre of our vision, policy, and action,” he stated, underscoring the need for approaches that respond to the lived realities of vulnerable populations.

The panel discussion drew on insights from the report_““_ and explored practical entry points for integrating human security into governance, development planning, and community-level action. Topics included anticipatory approaches to mitigating cascading risks, aligning human security with SDGs and Agenda 2063, and engaging both the public and private sectors in advancing inclusive development.

Shortly after the event, the reaffirmed human security as a guiding principle for Africa’s development. It called for co-created, context-specific solutions through equitable partnerships between African Union Member States and Japan, grounded in shared vision and mutual interest. The declaration emphasized inclusive development in critical sectors such as health, education, and social protection, alongside the empowerment of youth and women. It also underscored the importance of responsible global governance that upholds a free, open, and fair international order. In doing so, the declaration reinforced human security as a practical and unifying framework for addressing Africa’s challenges and shaping a resilient, people-centered future.

26 August 2025: Human Security Programme Concludes with Momentum for Nationwide Implementation

The Human Security Programme in Sierra Leone has concluded its activities, demonstrating the transformative potential of community-led development in remote and vulnerable areas. Supported by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security and implemented since 2021 in Soa, Gbense, and Kamara chiefdoms in Kono District, the programme addressed food insecurity, poverty, environmental degradation, and conflict through a people-centered and context-specific approach.

To mark the conclusion of the programme, a national workshop was held on 26 August in Freetown, bringing together government officials, development partners, and community leaders to reflect on its achievements and explore how the human security approach can be integrated into broader governance and planning processes.

Ambassador Tamba Lamina, Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, emphasized that human security is not only about conflict but also about the everyday challenges people face, such as access to food, health, livelihoods, and peaceful coexistence. He noted that the programme “came at the right time, especially for youth and vulnerable groups, and has since transformed lives through skills, livelihoods, peacebuilding, and community ownership.”

The workshop showcased the integration of the human security approach with the Wan Fambul Framework (WFF), a model for inclusive consultation and community-led development. Built on the People’s Planning Process (PPP), the WFF enables communities to identify their own priorities and lead in shaping their futures.

Participants heard directly from community members, including Village Development Committee members, Peace Mothers, and Paramount Chiefs, who shared stories of transformation. Achievements of the programme included youth-led cooperatives, savings and loan associations, improved water and sanitation, and the establishment of a Chiefdom Coordination Group to ensure sustainability.

The event also featured a working session on how to embed this approach into district and chiefdom planning. Participants called for the expansion of the achievements and participatory models developed in Kono to other regions across Sierra Leone, recognizing their potential to strengthen inclusive governance and community resilience nationwide.

Read more about the programme here.

25-29 August 2025: Human Security Programme Cultivates Resilience and Recovery in Timbuktu

Amid ongoing security and climate crises in Timbuktu, strengthening the resilience of displaced and vulnerable communities remains a critical priority. Launched in 2024, the UNTFHS-supported programme “Strengthening Human Security for Vulnerable Women and Young People in Timbuktu” tackles these interconnected challenges through an integrated approach combining protection, development, and peacebuilding.

One of the programme’s key achievements is the establishment of agricultural farms at Al Amar and other sites in the region. Operated by internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the organization Handicap International, these farms have transformed underutilized land into productive spaces, despite challenging conditions. With targeted support—including improved seeds, farming tools, irrigation systems, and training—farmers now harvest fresh vegetables every three days for sale in local markets. Women play a central role in these activities, gaining both income and greater recognition in their communities. The farms are advancing food security, economic empowerment, and social cohesion by integrating displaced populations into the local economy and turning vulnerability into opportunity.

Beyond agriculture, the programme also strengthens community-based protection mechanisms. A Community Protection Workshop in June 2025 brought together local committees, women’s forums, and authorities from Alafia, Tonka, and Goundam to address the specific needs of women and girls amid insecurity and climate stress. In July, a reforestation campaign at Cité Al-Amal (City of Hope) in collaboration with local partners aimed to foster a more cooperative approach to development initiatives, combat climate change and support biodiversity and soil preservation.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate a holistic human security strategy, meeting urgent needs while building long-term resilience and peace for the people of Timbuktu.

Read more about the programme here and the farms .

25 August 2025: Launch of the UNTFHS Programme to Strengthen Youth Resilience to Cybercrime and Digital Violence in Mexico

The 麻豆APP Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the 麻豆APP Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a new joint initiative in Jalisco, Mexico, aimed at strengthening youth resilience to cybercrime and digital violence. The launch brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, and the international community to mark the beginning of this timely and impactful programme.

Building on the success of a previous programme in Hidalgo (October 2021 – April 2024), which promoted coordinated public policies for at-risk youth, the Jalisco initiative expands its scope to confront growing digital inequality and online risks, challenges that have intensified alongside the state’s rapid economic and technological development. Despite this growth, many young people, particularly women, rural youth, and marginalized communities, remain excluded from the digital economy. Structural barriers in education, public services, and socioeconomic conditions continue to limit digital access and deepen existing inequalities.

In response, the programme focuses on adolescents and young adults in underserved areas, equipping them with the skills and awareness to navigate digital spaces safely and effectively. It also works to strengthen institutional capacity to prevent and respond to cyber threats, while fostering inclusive, community-driven digital ecosystems that promote equity and opportunity.

In preparation for the launch, an interagency mission to Jalisco included participation from FAO Mexico, ILO Mexico, and UNESCO Mexico. In collaboration with the State Government of Jalisco and local partners, including Innovación Jalisco, SADER Jalisco, and Participa Jalisco, the UN team presented the initiative’s vision for inclusive digital transformation grounded in human security principles.

Read more about the programme here.

21 August 2025: TICAD9 High-Level Side Event – Human Security and Economic Development in Africa

As Africa stands at the intersection of multiple, interlinked crises—ranging from climate change and economic shocks to conflict, displacement, and governance challenges—the continent’s development trajectory is increasingly at risk. In this context, the TICAD9 High-Level Side Event, titled?“Human Security and Economic Development in Africa: Addressing Multidimensional Challenges and Shaping the Future Beyond 2030,”?will explore how the human security approach can serve as a transformative framework for advancing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development.

This event will bring together African representatives, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the UN Special Adviser on Human Security and UN Development Programme to examine why human security is essential in addressing Africa’s multidimensional threats. It will also explore how the human security approach can inform policy and practice to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Participants will discuss the relevance of human security in today’s African context, drawing on insights from the report?. Discussions will focus on identifying practical entry points for action by governments, civil society, and the private sector. Key questions will include:

• Why is human security essential for Africa in the current multidimensional threats? How human security can be an anticipatory framework in helping to prevent and limit the cascading impact of evolving threats and challenges?
• How can the human security approach inform policy and practice for the achievement of the SDGs and Agenda 2063?
• What priorities should be for African countries? What are the key entry points for action by development practitioners? What is the role of the public and private sector?

By placing African leadership at the forefront and fostering inclusive dialogue among a broad range of stakeholders, this event aims to build global momentum for a people-centered approach and contribute to a future where human security strengthens resilience and catalyzes sustainable development throughout Africa.

9 August 2025: 9 August 2025 (International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples): Empowering Indigenous Communities to drive inclusive and sustainable change

Each year on 9 August, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrates the rich cultures, traditions and knowledge systems of Indigenous communities worldwide. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the persistent challenges they face and to advocate for the protection of their rights, including rights to traditional lands, natural resources and self-determination. Too often underrepresented in policymaking and excluded from global dialogues, Indigenous Peoples hold deep knowledge, cultural heritage and adaptive resilience rooted in generations of lived experience. When empowered to lead, they serve not only as custodians of tradition but also as powerful drivers of inclusive and sustainable change.

Addressing the vulnerabilities faced by Indigenous Peoples requires transformative, human?centered action that responds to the realities of those furthest behind. Intergenerational inequality, geographic isolation, and limited access to services often force communities to prioritize immediate survival over long?term opportunities. The human security approach seeks to break this cycle by simultaneously strengthening individual agency and local institutional capacity, ensuring that development efforts are rooted in cultural assets, community priorities, and lived experience. By recognizing and building upon what already exists, this approach promotes solutions that are locally owned and sustainable.

Across diverse contexts, human security initiatives have leveraged Indigenous knowledge to tackle complex peace and development challenges. In Paraguay’s Chaco region, climate?sensitive agriculture and health interventions drew on traditional practices to foster resilience and reduce outmigration. In Nicaragua, support for Indigenous justice systems and social cohesion initiatives has strengthened community security and gender equality. And, in Costa Rica and Panama, efforts to support cross?border migration for economic security have been grounded in Indigenous participation and leadership. Through the UNTFHS, these initiatives demonstrate how placing Indigenous Peoples at the center of action is key to achieving sustainable development and fulfilling the promise to leave no one behind.

4-8 August 2025: HAYAT Human Security Video Series

What began as a joint UN initiative to restore Human Security in Minya, Upper Egypt, has evolved into Hayat Karima: a nationally scaled flagship initiative of the Government of Egypt, now reaching over 50 million Egyptians.

Backed by catalytic support from the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and implemented by UNIDO, UN Women, UN-Habitat, ILO, and IOM, the original programme piloted an integrated, people-centered model to tackle intersecting insecurities ranging from high unemployment and food insecurity to gender inequality, youth marginalization and a poverty rate twice the national average.

By integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions, the programme was able to deliver tangible, community-driven solutions that strengthened resilience and built trust. Targeted investments in skills training, village savings groups, women-led enterprises, and youth civic engagement turned local priorities into measurable development outcomes. Through Human Security Forums and community action plans, the programme helped create a collaborative approach across diverse stakeholders, aligning grassroots action with government priorities and creating a scalable model now embedded in Egypt’s national development framework.

This model, grounded in local priorities and scaled through national leadership, demonstrates how small, well-placed investments can generate transformational, system-wide impact when guided by the Human Security approach.

?? Want to see the story in action? Check out our new HAYAT storyline series on social media to learn how a Governate-based programme became a nationwide policy success.

14-24 July 2025: Unlocking the SDGs through Human Security

As the international community gathers for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2025, the focus is once again on how to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and how to ensure that no one is left behind. Convened under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), this year’s Forum takes place from 14 to 23 July 2025, with a ministerial segment from 21 to 24 July.

The theme of the 2025 Forum, “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind,” could not be more timely. The world is confronting converging risks from persistent poverty to gender-based violence, climate impacts, conflict and forced displacement, food and health insecurity, and growing inequalities. These challenges are multidimensional and increasingly transboundary, and they demand integrated responses rooted in local realities.

One mechanism that is uniquely positioned to support this kind of transformation is the UNTFHS. At a time when the UN system is being called to work more cohesively and respond more effectively, the Fund is proving to be a critical enabler of joined-up action for the SDGs.

A flexible tool for complex times

Each country and community faces a unique combination of risks and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The UNTFHS provides UN Country Teams with flexible, catalytic financing that enables them to respond to specific, local manifestations of vulnerability in a holistic and people-centered way. Whether it’s addressing climate-linked food insecurity, or empowering women-led businesses in crisis-affected communities, the Fund allows UN Resident Coordinators and their teams to seize opportunities overlooked by other funding mechanisms to respond early and with sustainable solutions.

Promoting genuinely integrated action

Since the 2019 UN development system reform, there has been a growing recognition that sustainable development requires multisectoral strategies, including those that cut across humanitarian, development, and peace efforts. The UNTFHS makes this possible by guiding joint analysis, integrated planning, and multi-agency implementation to operationalize the a new way of working where it matters most. In fact, an analysis of UNTFHS-supported programmes since 2010 shows that they address, on average, six to seven SDGs per programme, demonstrating the kind of interlinked action needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Building momentum at scale

One of the most powerful aspects of the UNTFHS is its ability to leverage additional resources and catalyze change at scale. Since 2014, UNTFHS-supported programmes have mobilized an additional $110 million in co-financing, including from national and local governments and other bilateral and multilateral partners. This has enabled many initiatives to be replicated and scaled beyond their initial scope, extending the reach and sustainability of the transformative human security initiatives. See examples in Egypt, the Pacific and Uzbekistan.

At this critical juncture, with just five years remaining until 2030, the international community must invest in approaches that bridge sectors, connect actors, and are grounded in the lived experience of people facing overlapping vulnerabilities. The UNTFHS is exactly such a mechanism.

To learn more about the UN Trust Fund for Human Security, its recent programmes, and how you can support, visit:

28-1st August 2025: Empowering Youth in Bolivia’s Chiquitania Region

The joint UN programme “Restoring Human Security for Youth in the Chiquitania Region to Promote a Sustainable COVID-19 Recovery that Leaves No One Behind” has successfully concluded its core activities, advancing resilience and inclusive development in one of Bolivia’s most vulnerable regions. Implemented by UN-Habitat, UNESCO, and ILO with support from the UNTFHS, the programme addressed environmental degradation, economic insecurity, and youth marginalization in a region rich in cultural heritage but increasingly affected by climate and socio-economic pressures.

Key Achievements

• Policy Impact – the Biennium of Human Security
  Participatory diagnostics led by youth and civil society informed local development agendas, culminating in the Declaration for Human Security in Chiquitania (October 2023), endorsed by 30 stakeholders. This was followed by the enactment of Municipal Law No. 0194, declaring 2024–2025 the “Biennium of Human Security.”

• Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement
  Over 150 young people were trained in human security, climate action, and disaster risk management. Youth councils were revitalized, and a digital media network was launched to amplify youth voices in local governance.

• Economic Empowerment through Innovation
  The Gastronomic Innovation Laboratory, established at Escuela Taller, enables youth to turn traditional culinary knowledge into entrepreneurial ventures. In parallel, 50 sustainable business plans—mostly led by young women—were developed across gastronomy, crafts, and other sectors, reflecting Chiquitano culture and human security principles.

• Safeguarding Cultural Heritage
  A participatory Safeguarding Plan for Intangible Cultural Heritage was developed with youth, Indigenous leaders, and artisans, reinforcing cultural identity as a pillar of human security.

Together, these achievements lay the foundation for long-term youth empowerment, cultural preservation, and sustainable development in the Chiquitania.

Read more about the programme and watch the here.

8-11 July 2025: AI For Good Global Summit 2025 + new programmes

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes the global landscape, the AI for Good Global Summit, convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with over 40 UN partners and the Government of Switzerland, brings together global leaders to harness AI in service of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet as innovation accelerates, so do the risks of inequality, exclusion, and instability.

This is where the human security lens becomes indispensable, placing people at the center of innovation, with a focus on protecting lives and livelihoods, reducing vulnerabilities, and enabling dignity and resilience in the face of rapid change. Human security offers a powerful framework for ensuring that AI is socially responsive, inclusive, and grounded in the lived realities of people, including those most at risk of being left behind.

In this spirit, the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) is helping to translate the promise of digital transformation into concrete impact through integrated programmes across the globe. These initiatives not only demonstrate the practical application of digital tools, but also show how community-led, data-driven approaches can anticipate and mitigate risks, whether in fragile urban neighborhoods, climate-vulnerable regions, or underserved rural communities.

• In the Sahel, a regional initiative is enhancing human security through timely, community-based data collection and analysis. By equipping local institutions and civil society with tools to monitor a wide range of human insecurity stressors, the programme strengthens early warning systems and supports more coordinated, evidence-based responses to climate shocks, displacement, and food insecurity. ? Read more

• In Niger, the ILLIMI programme is building local capacity to use data for crisis prevention and response, particularly in areas affected by displacement and instability. Through participatory and integrated human security assessments and digital platforms, the initiative helps communities and decision-makers better prevent, mitigate, and respond to the multidimensional consequences of the complex challenges affecting Niger. ? Read more

• In Lebanon, a digital human security toolkit is being piloted to support vulnerable urban communities grappling with economic hardship, displacement, and social fragmentation. Guided by the human security approach, the initiative combines data mapping, participatory planning, and digital inclusion strategies to help local actors identify risks, prioritize needs, and co-design solutions. It offers a model for how digital tools can foster resilience and social cohesion in complex, rapidly changing urban environments. ? Read more

As the Global Summit explores how AI can support the SDGs, these programmes offer tangible insights into what inclusive, people-centered innovation looks like in practice. They reflect the principles of human security by embedding digital transformation in local contexts, building trust through participation, and using data to empower communities. These lessons are relevant in ensuring that both the design and deployment of AI technologies advance human well-being and leave no one behind.

30-3 JULY 2025: Financing Human Security: Reflections from the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development

From June 30 to July 3 in Seville, the world’s finance ministers, heads of state, development banks, civil society, and private sector leaders converged at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Against the backdrop of a staggering $4?trillion annual financing gap to achieve the SDGs, rising global debt, shrinking aid, climate emergencies, and geopolitical strain, delegates adopted the Seville Commitment, a bold political blueprint to revitalize global development financing.

While major themes of FfD4 focused on reforming the global financial architecture, mobilizing diverse financing streams, and reaffirming multilateralism, many of the commitments made also advance a human security agenda.

• Economic resilience starts with people. Tax and debt reforms ensure governments have the fiscal space to invest in education, health, and social protection, key building blocks for human security.

• Diversified finance to protect lives and livelihoods. By mobilizing private capital through blended finance and climate-focused tools, FfD4 supports investments in clean energy, resilient infrastructure, and disaster adaptation, all critical to reducing climate-related human insecurity.

• Inclusion as prevention. Climate, gender, and youth priorities are essential to preventing conflict, forced migration, and social fragmentation. Integrating these lenses strengthens social cohesion and deters national instability.

• Multilateralism underpins trust and collective action. Revitalized development banks, enhanced international cooperation, and shared financing norms create a reliable foundation for early warning, prevention, and crisis response.

By anchoring financing debates in the Seville Commitment, FfD4 has reframed development dollars as investments in human dignity and stability. It shifts the goal of financing from lifting GDP to enabling individuals to live secure, healthy, and empowered lives. This is where the power of human security lies, ensuring that the decisions made in global summit halls translate into safer streets, stronger communities, and climate- resilient futures. As financing architecture evolves, the true measure of success will be found not only in trillions unlocked, but in the lives protected, opportunities realized and crises prevented.

23 June 2025: Development of National Human Security Strategy on Internal Migration in Madagascar

A high-level event in Antananarivo marked the launch of Madagascar’s new national human security strategy on internal migration. Developed jointly by UNDP Madagascar and IOM Madagascar & Comoros, with support from the 麻豆APP Trust Fund for Human Security, the strategy seeks to embed the human security approach into national efforts to manage the complex dynamics of internal migration.

The event brought together representatives from government ministries, technical and financial partners, and local actors, including youth from the Androy region, to discuss the strategy’s vision and implementation. A strong call was made for resource mobilization to support the next phase of action.

Rooted in human security principles, the strategy adopts a comprehensive, people-centered, and prevention-oriented approach to address the interconnected risks posed by internal migration. It aims to empower individuals and communities while reinforcing institutional capacity to respond to both immediate and long-term challenges.

The strategy outlines seven key pillars of action:

• Promoting civil and political rights alongside inclusive, democratic governance

• Preserving social cohesion and community stability

• Protecting individuals from violence, exploitation, and criminality

• Safeguarding natural resources and ecosystems for sustainable livelihoods

• Ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare

• Securing stable and nutritious food supplies

• Guaranteeing access to essential goods and services

Through inclusive consultations at both national and regional levels, the strategy encourages participatory planning and policymaking. Engaging communities affected by migration-related risks will not only foster local ownership but also enhance the relevance and sustainability of proposed solutions. To read more about the programme and the national human security strategy here.

12–13 June 2025: The Advisory Board on Human Security charts a way forward in the Context of UN80

On 12 and 13 June 2025, the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) convened its 29th meeting to consider how it can best support the 麻豆APP and enhance the impact of the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS). This discussion came at a pivotal moment, as the UN marks its 80th anniversary and embarks on a forward-looking agenda through the UN80 Initiative. The Board examined how the unique contributions of the UNTFHS can complement existing efforts and help advance a more agile, coordinated, and people-centered UN system aligned with the goals of the UN80 Initiative.