People’s sense of safety and security is at a low in almost every country. This is according to a new UNDP report on human security released on Wednesday. Six in seven people worldwide experience feelings of insecurity.
The report shows a growing sense of insecurity among people despite years of development growth.
People in countries with some of the best health, wealth and education outcomes are reporting greater anxiety than a decade ago. According to the report, global development progress does not guarantee a greater sense of security.
The report titled “New threats to human security in the Anthropocene” examines a cluster of threats that have shifted to become more prominent in recent years. It includes digital technologies, inequalities, conflicts, and the ability of healthcare systems to tackle new challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report calls for greater solidarity and a new approach to development, one that allows people to live free from want, fear, anxiety and indignity.
The concept of human security was first introduced in UNDP’s milestone 1994 Human Development Report. It signalled that human security should not only be assessed by looking at territorial security. It rather emphasises the importance of peoples’ basic needs, their dignity and their safety to live secure lives.
Samten Dolkar
