Introduction

The concept of human security emerged in the mid-1990s as a new approach to understanding
security. Unlike traditional national security, which focuses mainly on protecting the state from military
threats, human security emphasizes the protection of individuals from economic, social, political, and
environmental dangers. Thus, it expands the understanding of national security by placing human
welfare and safety at its center. It recognizes that threats to people's daily lives can be as important
as threats to the state itself.

Human Security:
The objective of human security is to protect the vital core of all human lives from critical and
pervasive threats such as violent conflict, poverty, disease, environmental hazards, economic crises,
terrorism, and other risks beyond people's control by creating political, economic, social, cultural, and
environmental conditions in which individuals can live with their fundamental rights, freedoms, and
dignity secured. It also requires that all actors, whether governments, institutions, corporations, or
individuals, ensure that their actions do not threaten human security, either intentionally or
unintentionally.

Academia, certain international organizations and even some states, particularly Canada and Japan,
promoted human security as a concept that would provide a better grasp of the new security
challenges from the perspective of individuals or citizens.

The UNDP REPORT in 1994 defined human security as:

-Safety from chronic threats such as hunger, disease and repression.

Protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the pattems of daily life whether in jobs, in homes,
or in communities.
The Report developed this definition in relation to seven dimensions of human security:
•Personal
•Environmental
•Economic
•Political
•Community
•Health and
•Food security

National security
National security is the fundamental duty of a sovereign state to protect its citizens, economy,
institutions, and territorial integrity against both external and internal threats. In the modern context, it
encompasses not just traditional military defense, but also economic, cyber, and environmental
security.

How the Concept of Human Security Expands the Understanding of National Security
The concept of human security broadens the traditional understanding of national security by shifting
attention from the protection of the state to the protection of individuals. Traditional national security
mainly focuses on safeguarding state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence from
external military threats. Human security, however, argues that true security can only be achieved
when individuals are free from fear, want, and threats to their well-being. This expansion can be
understood in the following ways:

1. Shifting the Referent Object of Security

One of the most important contributions of human security is the shift in the referent object of security.
National security traditionally asks, "The security of what?" and answers "the state". Human security
adds the individual to this equation, recognizing that the security of any one level (individual, state, or
international system) cannot be achieved in isolation.. A state may be secure in military terms, but if
its citizens suffer from poverty, violence, disease, or oppression, genuine security does not exist.
Therefore, human security places the welfare and safety of people at the center of security analysis
and policy.

2. Broadening the Scope of Threats

Human security expands the understanding of national security by recognizing that threats to people
are not limited to military attacks or wars. It argues that individuals face many non-military threats that
can seriously affect their lives, safety, and well-being.

•Physical Threats: These include violence, injury, disease, and death caused by crime, conflict,
disasters, or health crises.

•Economic Threats: These involve poverty, unemployment, loss of property, and lack of access to
resources needed for a decent living.

•Threats to Rights and Freedoms: These include imprisonment, political repression, discrimination,
and the denial of basic civil liberties.

•Threats to Position or Status: These refer to social exclusion, public humiliation, discrimination, or
loss of social standing and dignity.
Thus, human security broadens national security by including political, economic, and social threats
alongside military threats.

3. Recognizing the State as a Source of Threat

A human-centric view reveals the "two faces of the state". While states are created to protect
individuals from the "chaos" of a state of nature, they simultaneously become a major source of threat
to their own citizens. These threats can arise from:

•Domestic Law-Making and Enforcement: The state may create insecurity through excessive policing,
abuse of power, unfair laws, or miscarriages of justice that violate citizens' rights.

•Direct Political Action: Governments may target specific individuals or groups through political
repression, arbitrary arrests, intimidation, or persecution. This is often seen in authoritarian regimes
where citizens live in fear of state actions.

•Struggles Over State Machinery: Competition for political power can lead to instability, political
violence, coups, or civil wars, putting the lives and security of ordinary citizens at risk.

•External Security Policies: Some policies adopted to protect the state, such as nuclear deterrence or
military confrontations, may expose citizens to greater dangers and effectively make them "hostages"
to state security strategies.

Thus, human security recognizes that the state is not always a protector; in some cases, it can itself
become a source of insecurity for the people it is meant to protect.

[Link] the Contradiction Between State Security and Individual Security

The human security approach reveals that the interests of the state and the interests of individuals do
not always coincide. Measures taken to strengthen national security may sometimes reduce personal
security and freedom. For example, during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, the
government justified strict political control as necessary for national stability and security. However,
many citizens experienced repression, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on political freedoms.
While the state strengthened its control, the security and rights of individuals were significantly
reduced. Human security therefore emphasizes balancing state security with the protection of
individual freedoms and dignity.

5. Differentiating Between Weak and Strong States

Human security provides a better understanding of the differences between strong and weak states.
In strong states, political institutions are stable, legitimate, and supported by citizens, making it easier
to provide security and public services. In weak states, however, governments often lack legitimacy
and effective control. As a result, citizens may face threats from political instability, civil conflict,
corruption, and state failure. In such situations, focusing solely on national security is insufficient
because the state itself may not be capable of protecting its people. Human security therefore directs
attention to the experiences and needs of individuals and communities rather than only to the state.