The conference was organised by the International Relations Department, University of Sindh, at Jamshoro, in collaboration with 'Hanns Seidel Foundation' and Karachi University International Relations Department.
Scholars from universities from all over the country and abroad, including Bangladesh, China, Kazakhstan and Russia are attending the conference.
'Human security' was defined by experts as 'security of life and property, security against hunger, poverty, terrorism, racism, sectarianism, ethnicity and extremism'.
A former Foreign Secretary, Najamuddin Shaikh, in his keynote address said that the traditional or at least conventional perceptions of security largely focused on the security of state.
However, he added that there seemed to be a shift during the last decade of the last century following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the virtual elimination of the threat of a nuclear holocaust.
Later, it appeared, that the perception of human security as a guarantor of national security was beginning to take hold, he said.
He said that it was hoped that if human security became more universal, enlightened self-interest would dictate a global effort to eliminate the threats to human security by ensuring greater availability of resources to fight the evils of illiteracy, poor medical facilities and grinding poverty in the Third World.
He said that these perception were strongly resisted, and added that even before the cataclysmic events of 9/11, the idea of a genuinely empowered United Nations, committed to a more just international order, had begun to lose support.
He said that after 9/ 11, even the strong supporters of human security believe that it can only flow from national security.
He said that national security would, therefore, continue to be the determinant of external and domestic policies even at the cost of human security.
On global issues in the aftermath of 9/ 11, he said that national discourse has been all but eliminated as each country in the region has been forced to pay heed to the concerns in the West--more importantly the world's sole super power about the threat from terrorism--and to accept dictates on how best it can be handled.
He said the rulers have capitalised on this threat to perpetuate their own rule and to suppress dissents.
Focusing on the American position, he said that after 9/ 11 there was a thirst for revenge and a demand for using country's immense resources to give America "absolute security".
He referred to the devastating bombing in Afghanistan and added that today Afghanistan is looking forward to presidential elections. He termed the coming elections in Afghanistan as a shambles.
He gave details about the pre-election monumental fraud in the preparation of voters' lists.
Referring to Iraq, he said that at least to some observers, the creation of a so-called democratic government would be dominated by former CIA employees. He said that it was remarkable that despite setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, and loss of American lives, President Bush is in a dead tie with his democratic opponent.
In his presidential address, the Vice Chancellor of Sindh University, Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, said that the concept of 'human security' has shifted the traditional imperatives of security policy away from defending the nation.
He said that the state cannot be secured if its citizens are unsafe, and added that the aim of human security is not erosion of state power but to change it in accordance with human needs and aspirations.
He said that human security comprehensively covers all menaces that threaten human survival, daily life and dignity.
Dr Andreas Rieck of Hanns Seidel Foundation said that on his suggestion the chairman of International Relations Department of Karachi and Sindh Universities had welcomed the holding of conferences, surprisingly on the same topic in Hyderabad and Karachi.
He said he had noticed strong national passions in Pakistan, which are natural, as it has "a powerful neighbour and long borders".
The chairman of International Relations Department, Sindh University, Dr Lutfullah Mangi, welcomed the speakers and explained the aims and objects of the conference.
Dr Rafia A Shaikh, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Sindh University, in her paper on human security said that security is usually referred to external threats to states. She, however, said that in the past two decades a new paradigm--human security--has emerged.
She said that transactional threats to human security go beyond the conventional military threats, such as environmental degradation, trafficking in drugs, arms and people, communicable diseases etc.
Human security, she said, must provide for physical safety of a person and property, safety of individual health, education and economic life as well as protection of human life.
Presenting his paper on 'Comparative Analysis of Traditional Security and Human Security', Dr Parvez Iqbal Cheema, president of Islamabad Policy Research Institute, explained the difference between the traditional concept of security and human security. He said the former is state-centric whereas the latter focuses on human beings.
Dr Sikander Mehdi of the Department of International Relations, University of Karachi, in his paper on 'Peace Research, Peace Movement and Human Security', said that the analysis of security discourse in the media in general and academia in particular and even a cursory glance at the declaratory statements of the states clearly indicate that the concept of human security is gaining ground.
He said: "Gone are the days when scholars and policy makers had little hesitance in almost religiously adhering to the manipulative, myopic, state-centric and highly militarised concept of security and accepting it as a theology of power, security and survival."
He did not agree with the view that human security is attainable through the fulfilment of basic economic needs. He said that there are cultural, social and political rights as well as other needs which are no less important than economic rights.
Senior research fellow, Institute of International and Strategic Studies Bangladesh, Dr Shaheen Afroz read a paper on 'Human Security in Bangladesh: Discourse and Practice'.
She said that a growing number of scholars and academicians are examining the issues pertinent to human security like gender, migration, cross-border population movement, ethnicity and proliferation of small arms in Bangladesh.
She, however, said that human security issue in her country is still in an embryonic stage. She said not much has been done in terms of concept or theme.
She said attempts are, however, being made to build empirical knowledge base. She said no systematic and vigorous research has been done on issues of human security concerns.
Dr Mehtab Ali Shah of Sindh University spoke on threat to 'Human Security':
The experts and scholars will continue their deliberations on Tuesday.