International Security since 9/11

What is human security and how does it differ from national security?

1. Human security has several definitions.

a) Combination of the threats that face humans, associated with genocide, war and people displacement

b) Freedom from war, violence and their fears

c) A paradigm for the better understanding of vulnerabilities that occur globally and challenge national security

d) The UNDP defines it as a threat in the following seven areas

I) Economic Security

II) Food Security

III) Health Security

IV) Environmental Security

V) Personal Security

VI) Community Security

VII) Political Security

2. How human security differs from national security

a) National security deals with defending borders while human security deals with protecting individuals

b) Though they both should be mutually reinforcing, the safety of the state does not necessarily mean the safety of the people. People die more at their home countries than in foreign ones.

3. The prominence of the issue began in 1994 spearheaded by the UNDP under its Human Development Report. Freedom from fear and freedom from what they want were the key ideas in the report.

4. The threats that are considered in the issue

a). Violent threats to human individuals and the communities they live in (Narrow)

b). Disease, hunger, affronts to human dignity, pollution, violence, threats to livelihoods and others (Broad)

5. The definition that the HSR project works with is the narrow one due to there being other avenues examining the other parts of the broad definition.

6. The rise of the branch of human security known as national security is believed to be disrupting the process of expansion of human security.

a). The 9/11 attack shifted the focus of security from broadly human to national

b). The 9/11 attack also reduced the scope of security to national from human

c). Security plans have shifted from short term to long term

d). Military expenditures are expanding exponentially every year

7. Important policy implications of the issue

a). Traditional security policy-military means for the reduction of war risks at the failure of deterrence

b). Human security policy- non-coercive approaches however use force when necessary. These include:

I). Preventive diplomacy

II). Conflict management

III). Building state capacity to address the causes of conflicts

IV). Promoting economic development that is equitable

8. Confusion has also arisen on who is responsible for the implementation of both national and human security.

9. Security priorities in states are becoming unclear since confusion has arisen on which deserve more attention than others

a). The hierarchy in prioritizing among security issues should be clear otherwise a country is at great risk.

b). Food, water and civil wars are among the threats that face the people and all need securing against. Confusion is on which should be handled first.

References

Axworthy, L, ‘Human Security and Global Governance’, Global Governance, vol. 7, no. 1, 2001, pp. 19-23.

Baldwin, David, ‘Security Studies and the End of the Cold War’, World Politics, vol. 48, no. 1, October 1995, pp. 117-141.

Foong Khong, ‘Human Security: A Shotgun Approach to Alleviating Human Misery?’ Global Governance, vol. 7, no. 3, 2001, pp. 231-236.

Haftendorn, Helga, ‘The Security Puzzle: Theory-Building and Discipline-Building in International Security’, International Studies Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 1, 1991, pp. 3-17.

Jones, Clive and Caroline Kennedy-Pipe (eds), International Security in a Global Age: Securing the Twenty-first Century, London, Frank Cass, 2000, ch. 1.

King, G and C Murray, ‘Rethinking Human Security’, Political Science Quarterly, vol. 116, no. 4, Winter 2001-2002, pp. 585-610.

Lynn, Jones, ‘Realism and Security Studies’, in Craig Snyder (Ed.), Contemporary Security and Strategy, London: Macmillan, 1999, pp. 53-76.

McRae, R and D Hubert, ‘Human Security and the New Diplomacy: Protecting People, Promoting Peace’, Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2001.

Last Completed Projects