Providing security of people in their homes, in their jobs, in their communities and in their environment.
Article 12 of the European Social Charter (Revised) (Strasbourg 1996) provides: With a view to ensuring the effective exercise of the right to social security, the Parties undertake: (1) to establish or maintain a system of social security; (2) to maintain the social security system at a satisfactory level at least equal to that necessary for the ratification of the European Code of Social Security; (3) to endeavour to raise progressively the system of social security to a higher level; (4) to take steps, by the conclusion of appropriate bilateral and multilateral agreements or by other means, and subject to the conditions laid down in such agreements, in order to ensure: (a) equal treatment with their own nationals of the nationals of other Parties in respect of social security rights, including the retention of benefits arising out of social security legislation, whatever movements the persons protected may undertake between the territories of the Parties; (b) the granting, maintenance and resumption of social security rights by such means as the accumulation of insurance or employment periods completed under the legislation of each of the Parties.
Article 13 of the European Social Charter (Revised) (Strasbourg 1996) provides: With a view to ensuring the effective exercise of the right to social and medical assistance, the Parties undertake: (1) to ensure that any person who is without adequate resources and who is unable to secure such resources either by his own efforts or from other sources, in particular by benefits under a social security scheme, be granted adequate assistance, and, in case of sickness, the care necessitated by his condition; (2) to ensure that persons receiving such assistance shall not, for that reason, suffer from a diminution of their political or social rights; (3) to provide that everyone may receive by appropriate public or private services such advice and personal help as may be required to prevent, to remove, or to alleviate personal or family want; (4) to apply the provisions referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this article on an equal footing with their nationals to nationals of other Parties lawfully within their territories, in accordance with their obligations under the European Convention on Social and Medical Assistance, signed at Paris on 11 December 1953.
If we were to re-order our tax and social security systems, it would be possible to provide every man, woman and child with a citizens income, paid to them as of right. This income would provide them with a basic subsistence, leaving them free to earn more in whatever way they wanted, and as much as they wanted. It would put them back in charge of their own work and it would also reduce an enormous bureaucracy applying means tests and dealing with those in poverty.
Human security can be addressed only through sustainable human development strategies, not through the acquisition of ever-more-powerful weapons.
Security comes less from military power, but more from social and economic institutions such as schools, job creation, hospitals, access to information, access to public transportation, land reform, micro-credit loans, etc. (Amartya Sen)