Human Security

Definition

Human security is an approach to security that focuses on the individual rather than the state. It emphasizes the protection of fundamental human rights, freedoms, and the overall well-being of people, rather than solely the security of national borders or political interests.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Human security emphasizes the protection of individuals and communities from threats to their physical, economic, and social well-being, rather than solely focusing on the security of the state.
2. The human security approach emerged in the 1990s as a response to the limitations of traditional state-centric security frameworks in addressing complex, transnational threats to people's lives and livelihoods.
3. Human security encompasses a wide range of potential threats, including poverty, disease, environmental degradation, natural disasters, and human rights abuses.
4. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) identified seven key dimensions of human security: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political security.
5. Promoting human security requires a multidimensional, collaborative approach involving governments, international organizations, civil society, and local communities.

Review Questions

• Explain how the human security approach differs from traditional state-centric security frameworks.
  • The human security approach differs from traditional state-centric security frameworks in its focus on the individual and community, rather than solely on the security of the state. While traditional security frameworks prioritize the protection of national borders and political interests, human security emphasizes the protection of fundamental human rights, freedoms, and the overall well-being of people. This shift in focus recognizes that threats to human life and livelihood may not always originate from external military aggression, but can also stem from issues such as poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and human rights abuses.
• Describe the key dimensions of human security identified by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
  • The UNDP identified seven key dimensions of human security: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political security. Economic security refers to the assurance of basic income; food security involves access to nutritious food; health security focuses on access to healthcare and protection from disease; environmental security addresses threats such as environmental degradation and natural disasters; personal security encompasses protection from physical violence and crime; community security involves the preservation of traditional cultures and ethnic identities; and political security encompasses protection from government repression and respect for human rights. Addressing these multifaceted dimensions of human security requires a collaborative, multidimensional approach involving various stakeholders.
• Analyze how the human security approach has influenced the development of international norms and principles, such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).
  • The human security approach has significantly influenced the development of international norms and principles, such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). The R2P principle, which emerged in the early 2000s, holds that states have a responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, and that the international community has a responsibility to intervene if a state fails to protect its citizens. This principle reflects the human security emphasis on protecting individuals and communities from severe threats to their well-being, rather than solely focusing on the security of the state. The R2P norm has been instrumental in shaping international responses to humanitarian crises and has helped to expand the scope of international law and institutions to address threats to human security beyond traditional state-centric security concerns.

Related terms

Human Development: The process of expanding people's choices and opportunities to lead the kind of life they value, including access to education, healthcare, and a decent standard of living.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P):

The principle that states have a responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, and that the international community has a responsibility to intervene if a state fails to protect its citizens.

Sustainable Development:

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, focusing on economic, social, and environmental sustainability.