RELATIONES INTERNATIONALES

The Security between National and International

Țuțu Pișleag1

Abstract: This paper brings arguments to support the idea that, along with the new challenges in the
actual global context, it appears the necessity of learning and understanding the vectors of national
security. We express our point of view about the future of security studies in which the dimensions of
interest are analyzed in a broader spectrum.
Keywords: national security; security; security vector; actors

In the current context of globalization the national security needs coincide in many
views with the international security, even if this operational concept is not
universally shared. Globalization can be considered as being a tool for achieving a
consensus on international security. From the functional perspective, “globalization
can be characterized by a series of economic phenomena that include liberalization
and deregulation of markets, privatization of assets, withdrawal of state functions
(especially social assistance), diffusion of technology, transnational distribution of
manufacturing production (direct foreign investments) and integration of capital
markets.” (Reich, December, 1998) In the future, the international security through
its security policy dimension must face challenges caused by historical and
political legacies, the establishment of the responsible actor in the international
security and the capacities to strengthen the international institutions.
The new developments at international level show that the current security
environment involve several actors, nation-states, nongovernmental organizations,
mega-corporations, international organizations etc. Regarding the international
organizations, they only diversify the instruments of action and set up a more
complex international system by increasing the number of actors and their
1Professor, PhD, Faculty of Communication and International Relations, “Danubius” University of
Galati, Romania, Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati 800654, Romania, Tel.: +40.372.361.102, Fax:
+40.372.361.290, Corresponding author: pisleagtutu@univ-danubius.ro.
AUDRI, Vol. 9, no 2/2016, pp. 69-75
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problems related to new sources of conflict (migration, resources crisis,

implications of access to information and technology etc.), the multiplication of
means to create war. In such a context the divergent interests is a perception that
globalism could be challenged. It can be appreciated that globalization has its own
price expressed in unpredictability and vulnerability, and the interdependencies
generate more and more threats.
In the theory and practice of international relations it is more frequently used the
“phrases of international security, global security, continental security, regional
security, sub-regional security, national security, equal security, collective security,
common security, etc. expressed on the basis of power relations” (David, 2008, p.
67), however amid the diversification of threats, multiplication of actors, concerns
for identifying strategies and optimization solutions.
In the specialized literature it “is considered that the so-called classical approach of
security overlaps with the realist vision on security, its glory days were during the
Cold War, but its influence on international relations is longer, beginning with the
establishment of the first formations of the states”. (Lașan, 2010) Traditionally, the
concept of security was associated with military security, defense and balance of
forces internationally in terms of military power. In this sense, we can even affirm
that the “basic assumption of the traditional view where the security is
fundamentally linked with the military dimensions of interactions between nation
states.”
In this sense, the state is the most important, sometimes the only actor in
international relations, which alone can ensure the security of citizens both
nationally and internationally, and its primary concern is insuring security. In order
to ensure security, states are always trying to maximize their power in an
environment considered anarchic, the anarchy that characterizes the structure of the
international environment. The anarchy resulting from the observation that while
internally there is a leadership, the legitimacy and the monopoly of using force
internally is owned by the state, at international level these features are not found.
Alongside these traditional security environmental features have mentioned also
certain consequences of the anarchic international environment in which states act
alone in this brutal international environment, and the peace is not possible, but
only a balance of power, and in an anarchic environment it cannot be implemented
the collective security.

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Despite the longevity of this classic vision upon the international security,
something has changed in the international environment with the end of the Cold
War, something so significant that it caused a total rethinking of the concept of
security. With the end of the confrontation of the Cold War between two great
global powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, in 1989, the classical vision
upon security is increasingly challenged and replaced eventually with a modern
vision upon security.
If we accept the fact that the security issues are among the oldest problems that
exist in the world, we can say with certainty that “the definition of this concept
depended and depends not only on the analyzed era, but also on the actors
considered to be important, even more important on person issuing this definition.”
(Lașan, 2010) The approach of defining the concept of “security” is more difficult
nowadays, given the many dimensions of security and diversification hazards and
security threats in the world today.
In the specialized literature we see a strong focus on security dimensions by
researchers, especially on non-military dimensions of security. It can thus be
referred to as the following dimensions of security: military and the political
dimension, economic, social, cultural dimension, environmental dimension,
societal dimension. The military dimension relates “to the mutual interplay
between offensive and defensive military capabilities of the states and their
perceptions of the intentions of the other.” The treats of a military nature occupies
“traditionally, the central position in the national security. The military action
endangers all state components: the physical basis (territory) can be occupied
(partially or totally) or impaired as ecosystem, the institutional structure can be
dismembered, the idea of the state may be undermined”.1
The most important issue of the military domain currently facing humanity is the
terrorism. The political dimension of security concerns “the relationship between
the state and its citizens, and international relations of the State.” It aims at the
organizational stability of the social order and it defines those non-military threats.
In a certain way, the whole security is political, as all the vulnerabilities, risks and
threats are defined politically. It is a certainty that the current global context is
“profoundly political and psychological.” The political security concerns threats to
the legitimacy or recognition or of political units or the fundamental features

1 http://www.ipp.md/public/files/Proiecte/1-conceptul_securitate.pdf.
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(political structure, state institutions, etc.). In this case, we speak of threats

towards:
- “Internal legitimacy of political unity, which relates primarily to the
ideology and other ideas or themes that define the state of incorporation;
- the external legitimacy, international recognition”.1
The political dimension can be analyzed on two levels: internal one on governance
and external on related to the international security and international law.
The economic dimension of security is identified with “access to basic resources
and infrastructure necessary to ensure an acceptable level of prosperity and power
of the citizen and the State” and it has a special significance because it largely
determines the military power of a state. The economic security of security
concerns “the economy's ability to cope with external and domestic shocks. The
main external threats are: the global economic crisis; economic embargoes; uneven
economic development. The values of economic security can be: the market
economy; competition; economic freedom; private property, etc.”2
From the social point of view, “security involves protecting collective identity, the
specific national and national cohesion”.
The cultural dimension is “the prevention of the cultural pollution of the
environment with subculture elements or cultural intrusion.” Identity, religion,
ethnicity are quite common causes of international conflict, especially national,
especially in areas of Africa. The environmental dimension has become in the post-
Cold War one of the most important dimensions of security, and it could even
consider that the environmental issues are probably the most complex because of
the effects and because of the impossibility of finding simple solutions and
individual for solving such problems. Moreover, sometimes it becomes obvious
that some environmental problems are linked and very often these dangers and
problems are not strictly environmental, but they are closely related to other
dimensions of security.
The environmental problems highlight the most powerful transnational nature of
the threats and dangers that the humanity is facing. Among the most serious

1 http://www.ipp.md/public/files/Proiecte/1-conceptul_securitate.pdf.
2 http://www.ipp.md/public/files/Proiecte/1-conceptul_securitate.pdf.
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environmental problems that threaten the worldwide safety include: pollution,

global warming, depletion of natural resources, destruction of forests.
As for the United Nations, the forum of all member states is significant to analyze
the threats to security identified by it in the official documents. Thus, in the UN
Report entitled “A more secure world - our common responsibility” there are listed
the following threats on the international security: the international terrorism;
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; interethnic and interreligious
conflicts; organized crime networks; environmental problems; dangerous widening
development gaps between North and South.
The concept of international security was “tantamount to the use of force between
nations, with special emphasis on the role of great powers. This reflects the view
that the international security involved the territorial integrity”.1
We must bear in mind that “the traditional notions of security focused on the use of
force between the great powers during the Cold War, and after its end it had to be
reformulated so as to reflect the changing nature of conflict”2 in what today is the
“new security agenda, the new security manifestations and the new game rules of
the security policy3”: individual security; security social group, of the community,
of the nation, of the national or ethnic entity organized (social security); State
security or of the nation (in American terminology - National Security); the
security for the region, not necessarily one based on proximity – the regional
security; security for society of nations, international society - security; global
security. Although “there is only one source of authority, the international relations
are reasonably ordered for the aim of mutual regulations and constraints resulting
from a mutual interest in survival and coexistence.” (Jackson-Preece, 2011, p. 19)
Currently, the international security in the current context “becomes the expression
of building new international relations, amended in turn by the globalization
phenomenon” (David, 2008, p. 67) or the fragmentation, and it identifies with “the
protection of everything that affects the very foundations of states and international
security organizations”. (David, 2008, p. 67) Thus, the international security is
structured in the levels of state, regional and global security.

1 Liz St. Jean, The Changing Nature of “International Security”: The Need for an Integrated
Definition http://www.iusafs.org/pdf/stjean.pdf.
2 Liz St. Jean, The Changing Nature of “International Security”: The Need for an Integrated

Definition http://www.iusafs.org/pdf/stjean.pdf.
3 Bertel Heurlin and Kristensen, International Security, International relations, Vol. II,

http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c1.
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Today, the national security “is so important so that countries are defending
through their integration into supranational or international organizations” (de la
Dehesa, 2007, p. 156) and globalization would only produce important changes in
the way the state operates, and it is understood together with the relation of
determining the economic regionalism on the regional security.
Currently, the international security is more closely linked with the theory and
practice of globalization, and implicitly with the national security as the
globalization “certainly reflects increases in degrees of intensity and extension of
interdependence - an increase in its density.” (Keohane & Nye, 2009, p. 302) In the
current global context, the concept of power “remains the most important variable
in shaping the international relations”1 as power is manifested through new forms
and it is exercised through new channels. It can be said that “globalization is rather
a means by which new manifestations of power are exercised.”2
In the process of globalization, cooperation between states is increasingly tight,
presented both as a necessity and as a beneficial effect. These measures are
generated also by the current challenges that are increasingly evident, due to the
increasing interdependence of nations. These can be summarized to terrorism,
extremism, separatism, corruption, organized crime networks, regional conflicts,
environmental disasters etc., acquiring more and more a global feature, and
affecting the national and international stability and security.

Conclusion
The globalization in the current coordinates become the strongest and the most
influential “constructor” of the international security environment, even if this
influence is sometimes regarded as contradictory. In our opinion, increasing the
mutual political, economic and social dependencies between the states lead to
international security environment improvement, in that it develops new political
approach to the international organizations. We consider that all these relations of
“interdependence are often carried out in networks of rules, norms and procedures
which regulate the behavior and control the effects - and they are influenced by
these networks.” (Keohane & Nye, 2009, p. 64) It takes, in our opinion, the

1 Sean Kay, Globalization, Power, and Security, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
2004 PRIO, www.prio.no SAGE Publications, www.sagepublications.com.
2 Ibidem.

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rethinking of security policy and conflict on the new coordinates of national

security interests as a result of the manifestation capacity of non-state actors, ad
hoc groups or even individuals to compete the nation-state. We consider here the
cyber component of the conflict that requires creating benefits and projecting the
influence in cyberspace.

Bibliography
David, A.V. (2008). Doctrine, politici și strategii de securitate/Doctrines, policies and security
strategies. Bucharest: Editura Fundației România de Mâine.
de la Dehesa, G. (2007). Învingători și învinși în globalizare/Winners and losers in globalization.
Bucharest: Historia.
Jackson-Preece, J. (2011). Security in international relations. London: University of London
International Programmes.
Keohane, R.O. & Nye, J.S. (2009). Putere și interdependență/Power and interdependence. Iasi:
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Lașan, N. (2010). Securitatea: concepte în societatea contemporană/Security: concepts in
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Public Administration and Social Policy Year II, No. 4 (5).
Reich, S. (December, 1998). What is globatization? Four Possible Answers. Working Paper #261.

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http://www.iusafs.org/pdf/stjean.pdf.
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http://www.prio.no SAGE Publications, www.sagepublications.com.

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