A/HRC/20/31 Article 2. Human security 1. Everyone has the right to human security, which includes freedom from fear and from want, all constituting elements of positive peace, and also includes freedom of thought, conscience, opinion, expression, belief and religion, in conformity with international human rights law. Freedom from want implies the enjoyment of the right to sustainable development and of economic, social and cultural rights. The right to peace is related to all human rights, including civil, political, economical, social and cultural rights. 2. All individuals have the right to live in peace so that they can develop fully all their capacities, physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual, without being the target of any kind of violence. 3. Everyone has the right to be protected from genocide, war crimes, the use of force in violation of international law, and crimes against humanity. If States are unable to prevent these crimes from occurring within their jurisdiction, they should call on Member States and the United Nations to fulfil that responsibility, in keeping with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. 4. States and the United Nations shall include in mandates of peacekeeping operations the comprehensive and effective protection of civilians as a priority objective. 5. States, international organizations, in particular the United Nations, and civil society shall encourage an active and sustained role for women in the prevention, management and peaceful settlement of disputes, and promote their contribution to building, consolidating and maintaining peace after conflicts. The increased representation of women shall be promoted at all levels of decision-making in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms in these areas. A gender perspective should be incorporated into peacekeeping operations. 6. Everyone has the right to demand from his or her Government the effective observance of the norms of international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 7. Mechanisms should be developed and strengthened to eliminate inequality, exclusion and poverty, as they generate structural violence, which is incompatible with peace. Both State and civil society actors should play an active role in the mediation of conflicts, especially in conflicts relating to religion and/or ethnicity. 8. States should ensure democratic governance of military and related budgets, an open debate about national and human security needs and policies, defence and security budgeting, as well as accountability of decision makers to democratic oversight institutions. They should pursue people-oriented concepts of security, such as citizens’ security. 9. To strengthen international rule of law, all States shall strive to support international justice applicable to all States equally and to prosecute the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Article 3. Disarmament 1. States shall engage actively in the strict and transparent control of arms trade and the suppression of illegal arms trade. 2. States should proceed in a joint and coordinated manner and within a reasonable period of time to further disarmament, under comprehensive and effective international supervision. States should consider reducing military spending to the minimum level necessary to guarantee human security. 4