During May 2-5 the “Mainstreaming Human Security in Policy Making to Support the Recovery of the Syunik Region” project conducted series of workshops in Sisian, Goris, Kapan and Meghri consolidated communities of the Syunik region. The project is funded by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security and is being implemented jointly by UNDP and ILO, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures . The goal of the project is to improve regional and community development planning process of the Syunik region, by mainstreaming the human security approach into existing development planning processes. 

During the workshops the project objectives and designed activities were presented, along with the Human security approach (HSA), which is a proven analytical and operational framework to assess, design and implement integrated responses to a broad range of current and emerging threats, with comprehensive, context specific, people centered and prevention oriented principles. 

The community development plans will be strengthened with human centric and  behaviorally informed processes for risk informed, sustainable development. A digital assessment tool will be developed with an integrated HSA and design thinking processes, for designing more comprehensive and impactful solutions. The project will generate and leverage behavioural insights to empower the local citizens, to build and enhance their individual strengths, enabling them to develop their potential, make informed choices, and become full participants in community decision-making process. 

The regional social dialogue will be strengthened with the applied HSA for formulating green, decent jobs and livelihood support programmes through identification of effective interventions that address the bottlenecks using market value chain analysis. The beneficiaries will be trained to be capable to utilize the HSA in responding to the complexity and the interrelatedness of compounding security threats.  

As presented by the regional and community actors, currently the notion of the security is predominantly associated with physical safety, considering that the Syunik region consists of predominantly bordering communities. 

The communities are predominantly concerned with issues of civil protection and physical security, followed by low motivation in civic and public participation, vulnerability of road infrastructure, means for economic development and access to preschool education in rural communities, etc. 

“The region needs a type of security, where people can live in dignity and realize their potential  without fear and desperation,” said workshop participants. 

In this regard, the workshops were crucial for elaborating on 7+ dimensions of the Human Security and its principles. Specific examples were discussed from economic, food, health, environmental, personal and political dimensions of security, also underlying the crucial interlink between development, peace and human rights. Typical examples were presented and discussed regarding to cross-cutting issues, such as gender equality, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

During the visit, the representative of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure highlighted, that the enhancement of community development planning is one of the important responsibilities of the local administrations. In this regard, although the local staff is under significant workload, there is a need to delegate the relevant professionals and engage NGOs and private sector for building the local capabilities and ensure human-centric development planning after project phase-out.