CALL FOR PAPERS

Issue 43 / “Human security, 25 years later”

To be published in February 2020

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report of 1994 brought the concept of human security on to the international political agenda. As was affirmed then, this was a security which “must be realized through development, not through arms” (p.1). This statement can lead us on to one of the principal characteristics of the concept of human security: it finds its expression in those critical approaches that stand in opposition to the classical conception of security, defined fundamentally in realist terms and centred almost exclusively on the military security of states.

Human security had, in its formulation by the UNDP, two main components: freedom from fear, which is required for threats against life and the physical integrity of people; and freedom from want, understood as the provision of the basic needs of people (food, health, and education). The evolution of the concept, which has taken place in parallel to its adoption by the international cooperation agencies of some countries (Canada, Japan), has given rise to two perspectives on human security: the restricted perspective, which places the emphasis on the “protection against physical violence in the context of conflict” (Pérez de Armiño 2007; p. 60), and was driven especially by Canada; and a wider perspective, which also includes freedom from want, and has been supported by Japan and the United Nations.

From the end of the 1990s, the restricted vision has been prioritized by the majority of governments and international institutions, leaving to one side the objectives of social wellbeing and focussing human security on the physical threats against peoples’ lives. For a part of academia, especially those adopting critical approaches to security, “this prioritization of the restricted perspective has been clearly negative, since human security has lost its potential for critical analysis and (…) has made possible its instrumentalization in the international hegemonic agenda of powerful states” (Pérez de Armiño 2011; p. 255).

After the UNDP report of 1994, the United Nations system continued to recognize the concept of human security. In the final document of the World Summit, 2005 (Resolution 60/1 of the General Assembly), the Heads of State and Government committed themselves to examine and define human security. As a follow-up to this commitment, the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon presented reports on the question in March, 2010 and April, 2012. Finally, in October, 2012 the General Assembly adopted the Resolution 66/290, in which it is declared that “human security is an approach that helps member states to determine and to overcome the generalized and intersectoral difficulties that affect their survival, their means of subsistence and the dignity of their citizens”.

In the broadest understanding of the link between security and development, the 2005 report of the General Secretary Kofi Annan is highly relevant, in which he points out that “the advances in the area of development, security and human rights must go hand in hand. There cannot be development without security, nor security without development, and both depend in turn on that human rights and the rule of law are respected” (UN 2005; p.61). For some authors there is a “global quid pro quo” in which the South must contribute more security, especially in antiterrorism matters, if it wants to receive more finance for development” (Fernández Tomás 2008; p. 36). In any case, the convergence between security in the classical sense of the term, and the development processes of the peoples of the South seem clear.

The literature in Spain has occupied itself with the concept of human security sporadically. We would like to cite as two of the most significant contributions: the special edition of the CIDOB Journal in 2007, titled “Human security: concepts, experiences and proposals -Seguridad humana: conceptos, experiencias y propuestas-” (Revista CIDOB d'afers internacionals, Nº. 76, 2007); and the book “Human security: critical contributions to the theoretical and political debate -Seguridad humana: aportes críticos al debate teórico y politico-”, coordinated by Karlos Pérez de Armiño and Irantzu Mendia Azkue in 2013, and published by Tecnos and Hegoa. In addition, in the Latin American area, the book "Human Security: New Approaches - Seguridad Humana: Nuevos enfoques" stands out, published in 2012 by Francisco Rojas for FLACSO and CAF. Nevertheless, we think that a new monographic publication on the theme is fully justified, in light of the 25th anniversary of the report of the UNDP and due to the recent appearance of circumstances which question partially or completely the concept of human security:

1. The popularization of concepts like resilience, which appear to have occupied largely the place of human security in international discourse, especially in the area of development and humanitarian action.
2. The approval of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development by the United Nations in September 2015, in which “human security” is not mentioned, and the use of terms such as “resilience” and “resilient” feature on almost 20 occasions.
3. The humanitarian crisis that has been experienced since 2013, due to the greatest displacement of people since World War Two. These processes of human mobility have their origin in growing international conflict, with the civil war in Syria as fundamental paradigm, but in the many other violations of human rights too.

This edition of the journal therefore seeks contributions which analyse the evolution, the reach and the debates arisen around the concept of human security. More concretely, without any pretensions to be exhaustive, articles that analyse the following are welcome:

• The evolution of the concept of human security in relation to the evolution of the international system as a whole. This spans from the time of the popularization of the concept in the post-Cold War period, to the gradual restriction in application that takes place in parallel to an increase in securitization discourses associated with the fight against terrorism.
• The deployment of human security in critical approaches that have been questioning the traditional visions of the concept of security, with regards its definition, as well as the subject of state security, and the origin of military threats in mainstream perspectives.
• The relationship between the concept of human security and the concept of resilience, taking into account the areas of humanitarian security; this includes the prevention and reduction of the risks from disasters, and human development, especially that which is linked to food security and environmental sustainability. The concept of resilience has become an essential principle, even reaching the status as new development paradigm.
• The utility of the concept of human security for recent humanitarian crises in several parts of the world as a result of the large-scale movement of people that has taken place. Fundamental questions have arisen surrounding the basic needs of people and their human rights.
• The validity of the concept of human security in the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development, as well as the evolution that human security has taken in the United Nations system and in international development agencies.

 

Coordinator 

Ángel González Navas

 

DUE DATE:

Abstracts:
Abstracts (maximum 250 words) should be sent by email no later than June 1th, 2019 to the following address:

• agonzaleznavas@uoc.edu (Ángel González Navas)

Notification of acceptance or refusal will be sent throughout the week following this deadline.

 

Articles: 

ARTICLES must be sent and abide by our journal’s Style Guide (in Spanish, Manual de Estilo) for submission to a double blind peer-review no later than September 30st 2019.

The articles must be uploaded on the Relaciones Internacionales website https://revistas.uam.es/relacionesinternacionales/user/register, after registering as an author. 

 

LANGUAGES: 

Articles in Spanish and English will be accepted, but the articles will be translated into Spanish for publication. Whenever possible, the authors themselves will translate the articles into Spanish. 

 

REFERENCES: 

• Fernández-Tomás, Antonio, “La vinculación entre seguridad colectiva, desarrollo y protección de los derechos humanos: teorías y realidades”, en Huesa, Rosario (coord.), Derechos humanos, responsabilidad internacional y seguridad colectiva. Intersección de sistemas. Estudios en homenaje al profesor Eloy Ruiloba Santana, Marcial Pons, Madrid, 2008, pp. 31-100.
• ONU - Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas, Un concepto más amplio de la libertad: desarrollo, seguridad y derechos humanos para todos. Informe del Secretario General, ONU, Nueva York, 2005.
• Pérez de Armiño, Karlos, “El concepto y el uso de la seguridad humana: análisis crítico de sus potencialidades y riesgos”, en Revista CIDOB d'afers internacionals, Nº. 76, 2007, pp. 59-77. 
• Pérez de Armiño, Karlos, ¿Más allá de la seguridad humana? Desafíos y aportes de los estudios críticos de seguridad, en Cursos de derecho internacional y relaciones internacionales de Vitoria-Gasteiz, Nº. 1, 2011, pp. 235-308.
• Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo, Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano 1994, Fondo de Cultura Económica, México, 1994.