HUMAN SECURITY

PRESENTED BY
FAIZAN IQBAL-037
SUFIYAN ASGHAR-025
M.SHOAIB-021
KHYAM BIN ZUBAIR-033
 WHAT IS HUMAN SECURITY?

• Definition: human security means that people should be able to exercise their choices
safely and freely, while being relatively confident that the opportunities they have today
are not lost tomorrow
• Started after the Cold War
• Human Development Report published by UNDP in 1994 considered as milestone.
• “Human security can be said to have two main aspects. It means, first, safety from such
chronic threats as hunger, disease and repression. And second, it means protection from
sudden and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of daily life – whether in homes, in jobs or
in communities. Such threats can exist at all levels of national income and development.”
 NATIONAL & HUMAN SECURITY

• This is not to say that national security, traditionally defined, is any less relevant.
- On the contrary, security between states remains a necessary condition for the security of
people. And yet, the security of a state cannot in itself guarantee the security of its people.
- The concept of human security not only helps us evaluate the effectiveness of our security
policies, it also highlights the importance of preventive action to reduce vulnerability and
points the way for remedial action, where prevention fails.

NATO’s new Security Vacation (1999)

Lloyd Axworthy
Foreign Minister of Canada
 MAIN THREATS TO HUMAN SECURITY

• Economic security: Economic security requires an assured basic income for individuals, usually from
productive and remunerative work or, as a last resort, from a publicly financed safety net. In this sense,
only about a quarter of the world’s people are presently economically secure. While the economic
security problem may be more serious in developing countries, concern also arises in developed
countries as well. Unemployment problems constitute an important factor underlying political tensions
and ethnic violence.
• Food Security: Food security requires that all people at all times have both physical and economic
access to basic food. According to the United Nations, the overall availability of food is not a problem,
rather the problem often is the poor distribution of food and a lack of purchasing power. In the past,
food security problems have been dealt with at both national and global levels. However, their impacts
are limited. According to UN, the key is to tackle the problems relating to access to assets, work and
assured income (related to economic security).
 CONT.

• Health Security: Health Security aims to guarantee a minimum protection from diseases and
unhealthy lifestyles. In developing countries, the major causes of death traditionally
were infectious and parasitic diseases, whereas in industrialized countries, the major killers were
diseases of the circulatory system. Today, lifestyle-related chronic diseases are leading killers worldwide,
with 80 percent of deaths from chronic diseases occurring in low- and middle-income
countries. According to the United Nations, in both developing and industrial countries, threats to
health security are usually greater for poor people in rural areas, particularly children. This is due
to malnutrition and insufficient access to health services, clean water and other basic necessities.
• Environmental Security: Environmental security aims to protect people from the short- and long-
term ravages of nature, man-made threats in nature, and deterioration of the natural environment. In
developing countries, lack of access to clean water resources is one of the greatest environmental
threats. In industrial countries, one of the major threats is air pollution. Global warming, caused by the
emission of greenhouse gases, is another environmental security issue.
 CONT.

• Personal Security: Personal security aims to protect people from physical violence, whether from
the state or external states, from violent individuals and sub-state actors, from domestic abuse, or
from predatory adults. For many people, the greatest source of anxiety is crime, particularly violent
crime.
• Community Security: Community security aims to protect people from the loss of
traditional relationships and values and from sectarian and ethnic violence. Traditional communities,
particularly minority ethnic groups are often threatened. About half of the world’s states have
experienced some inter-ethnic strife. The United Nations declared 1993 the Year of Indigenous People
to highlight the continuing vulnerability of the 300 million aboriginal people in 70 countries as they
face a widening spiral of violence.
• Political Security: Political security is concerned with whether people live in a society that honors
their basic human rights. According to a survey conducted by Amnesty International, political
repression, systematic torture, ill treatment or disappearance was still practiced in 110 countries.
Human rights violations are most frequent during periods of political unrest. Along with repressing
individuals and groups, governments may try to exercise control over ideas and information.
 TWO VISIONS OF HUMAN SECURITY

• “Freedom from Fear”

• Elements: physical security violent threats, conflict and crime, post-conflict
peacebuilding, small arms, land mines, women in conflict, etc.
• Agents: Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Human Security Network, UN peace operations

• “Freedom from Want”

• Elements: “safety from chronic threats such as hunger, disease and repression”;
economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political dimensions
• Agents: UNDP, Commission on Human Security, Japan
 RELATIONSHIP WITH TRADITIONAL SECURITY
Traditional Security Human Security
Referent Traditional security policies are designed to Human security is people-centered. Its focus shifts to
promote demands ascribed to the state. Other protecting individuals. The important dimensions are to
interests are subordinated to those of the state. entail the well-being of individuals and respond to
Traditional security protects a state's ordinary people's needs in dealing with sources of
boundaries, people, institutions and values threats

Scope Traditional security seeks to defend states from In addition to protecting the state from external
external aggression. The state security is about aggression, human security would expand the scope of
a state's ability to deter or defeat an attack. It protection to include a broader range of threats,
makes use of deterrence strategies to maintain including environmental pollution, infectious diseases,
the integrity of the state and protect the and economic deprivation
territory from external threats

Actor(s) The state is the sole actor. Decision making The realization of human security involves not only
power is centralized in the government governments, but a broader participation of different
actors

Means Traditional security relies upon building up Human security not only protects, but also empowers
national power and military defense. The people and societies as a means of security. People
common forms it takes are armament races, contribute by identifying and implementing solutions to
alliances, strategic boundaries etc insecurity
 RELATIONSHIP WITH DEVELOPMENT
Human Development Human Security

Security, stability, sustainability of

Values Well-being.
development gains

Moves forward, is progressive and Looks at who was left behind at the
Orientation
aggregate: “Together we rise” individual level: “Divided we fall”

Combines short-term measures to deal with

Time Frame Long term
risks with long term prevention efforts.

“Insuring” downturns with security.

Growth with equity. Expanding the Identification of risks, prevention to avoid
General
choices and opportunities of people to them through dealing with root causes,
objectives
lead lives they value. preparation to mitigate them, and
cushioning when disaster strikes.

Protection and promotion of human survival

Empowerment, sustainability, equity and (freedom from fear), daily life (freedom from
Policy goals
productivity. want), and the avoidance of indignities(life
of dignity).
 RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMAN RIGHTS

• Human security is indebted to the human rights tradition (the ideas of natural
law and natural rights)
• Both argue that a wide range of issues (i.e. civil rights, cultural identity, access
to education and healthcare) are fundamental to human dignity
• The human rights framework takes a legalistic approach, the human security
framework, by utilizing a diverse range of actors, adopts flexible and issue-
specific approaches, which can operate at local, national or international
levels
 GENDER AND HUMAN SECURITY
• Human security focuses on the serious neglect of gender concerns under the traditional security model
• Majority of threats women face have been overlooked in traditional security as state focuses on military
strengthening
• The human security model aims to address the security concerns of both women and men equally
• Women are often victims of violence and conflict: they form the majority of civilian deaths, the majority
of refugees, and are often the victims of cruel and degrading practices, such as rape
• Women's rights are neglected especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asian regions where
customary practices are still prevalent
• Such cruel customary practices as honor killing, burning brides and widows, child marriage are still in
existence because of women's vulnerability in economic independence and security
• Human security in relationship to gender tries to overthrow such traditional practices that are
incompatible to the rights of women. Also human security seeks to empower women, through
education, participation and access, as gender equality is seen as a necessary precondition for peace,
security and a prosperous society
CRITICISM OF HUMAN SECURITY

• Too broad
• No define boundaries
• Policy making is difficult
• Failure of UN
THANK YOU