The Life Cycle of Human Security

International norms are defined as a “set of standards for the appropriate behavior of states” (Finnemore/ Sikkink, 1998). Norms and normative issues have been central to the study of politics since Aristotle and Plato; so they are vital. Policy norm may be seen as an informal necessity to act in a certain way that is considered appropriate because the norm is seen as a regulative ideal that sets a standard for behavior and limits the range of choice and constrains actions. However, the existence of an international norm does not mean that all actors obey that norm, generally, local actors accept the norm as a standard for measurement of their behavior. Historical events that affect worlds such as wars and great depressions bring new ideas and norms. In an ideational international area, idea and norm shifts are the main points for transformation. However, the international system is applied by law and norms operating without direct punitive capacity. Although it is accepted that the emergence of norm took eighty years and norm took another forty years, change is accelerating with globalization and international organizations. Norms provide international organizations coherent and draw a framework for them. UN provides opportunities to negotiate on a broad range of normative issues. UN has been trying to establish norms; human rights, poverty, education…

Norms do not come out of anywhere. There must be a necessity or desirable behavior. According to Finnemore and Sikkink; there is a life cycle of an international norm; emergence, cascade, and internationalization. Norm emerges between norm makers and dominant countries in the center. Many international norms began as domestic norms and become internationally through the efforts of entrepreneurs. Norm entrepreneurs frame, interpret and dramatize the issue. They can be “inappropriate” and are disturbed by the attitude of the state, so they try to change it. They can chain themselves to fences, go on hunher strikes and make protests.  In most cases for an emergent norm to move to the second stage, it must be institutionalized in a specific set of international rules and organizations to promote. This institutionalization contributes to norm cascade both by clarifying what a norm is and what constitutes a violation. Then the norm reaches its tipping point. Many emergent norms fail to reach a tipping point, and later new arguments are offered. Finally, the norm gains a taken-for-granted status when it is institutionalized internationally as a standard. After the tipping point has been reached, more countries tend to adopt new norms quickly even without domestic pressure for such change. Legitimation is significant for states and as entering the international area state behaviors can be shaped. Acharya claimed that situations where peripheral countries do not adopt international standards but instead create a regional norm with localization. Western norms spread fast internationally. Therefore, states tend to follow norms associated with liberalism because being ‘‘liberal states’’ will provide them with self-esteem. That is, peripheral countries have a strong incentive to collectivize their endeavor to construct an alternative to the global standard. Whereas dominant actors, i.e., the US or the EU, may construct and promote a global norm unilaterally, peripheral countries with similar interests in promoting the alternative norm must do it collectively. (Krampf, The Life Cycles of Competing Policy Norms, 2013)

Traditionally, security meant protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states from external military threats. (Acharya, Human Security). Human Security challenges Western understanding of development, as well as Western dominance in International Relations. Human Security was emphasized by Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen. These economists were not satisfied with the notion of “development” launched by the West, which centered mainly on“economic growth”.They developed the idea of “human development”, which focuses on building human capabilities to overcome discrimination, poverty, illiteracy, and diseases. All of these paved the way for rising of “ Human Security” in UNDP mentioned the concept of Human Security in the UN Development Report of 1994. According to Report, Human Security is composed of "Freedom from Fear" and "Freedom from Want" and includes 7 areas: Economic security (basic income); Food security (ensuring that all people have access to basic food); Health security (guaranteeing minimum protection from diseases); Environmental security (protecting people from the ravages of nature and deterioration of environment); Personal security (protecting individuals from physical violence either from the state or non-state actors); Community security (preserving traditions and safeguarding communities from sectarian and ethnic violence); Political security (ensuring people to live in a society that guarantees their basic human rights such as freedom to think and freedom of expression).

Issues such as the Middle East oil crisis and environmental degradation began to fall within the scope of security in the 1970s. Report of Palme Commission signed as the doctrine of ‘common security in 1982. International Conference on Relationship between Disarmament and Development in 1986 in Paris tried ‘to enlarge world understanding that human security demands more resources for development and fewer for arms’. “Guns versus butter” dilemma. Arms race and development are in a competitive relationship. In 1987, the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development emphasized the linkage between environmental degradation and conflict. In the post-CW era, the importance given to people’s security has grown because of the rising number of civil wars, ethnic cleansing, displacement of people across borders, and diseases. Additionally, the spreading of democratization and post-CW emphasis on human rights and humanitarian intervention has risen. In the 1990s War Criminal Tribunals were established in Yugoslavia and Rwanda. In 2002, International Criminal Court was established permanent institution with the power to exercise its jurisdiction over persons with the most serious crimes such as crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes. UN encouraged “humanitarian intervention”. UNDP works on poverty, hunger, and disease by raising awareness. National security is still there but it is no longer sufficient to ensure “peace”. There are new threats to humans. According to UN Commission on Human Security 2003 ‘Human security complements state security.

There are critics of Human Security. Firstly, “ Human Security is too broad”. According to Roland Paris, “definitions of Human Security are not certain, encompassing everything from physical security to psychological wellbeing”. Secondly, “ Human Security is very moralistic compared with the traditional understanding of security, thus unattainable and unrealistic”. Thirdly, “ Human Security neglects the role of the state as a provider of security”. Lastly, "Which one is the priority of Human Security? Freedom from fear or freedom from want?" According to the official definition, both are vital. First focus on bans on the use of landmines, protecting women and children in armed conflicts, and promulgation of human rights. The second focus on poverty, disease, environment, and social and economic injustices. Only one of them cannot be sufficient to ensure security because there is still global problems such as global diseases, poverty, and pandemic. There is a circle between wars, conflicts, and underdevelopment. According to the Human Development Report of 2005 “Conflict undermines nutrition and public health, destroys education systems, devastates livelihoods and retards prospects for economic growth”. There are people who often exploit poverty, deprivation, lack of economic opportunity, social injustices, and lack of natural resources. Additionally, environmental degradation and climate change are reasons for conflicts. Population growth causes scarcity. Competition for scarce resources is a scenario that may come true in the future. Human Security gives important roles to women because women in wars are both victims and actors. For example protection of women in conflicts and encouraging women for taking roles in the UN. Sexual violence has been recognized as a “crime against humanity”. However, Human Security has not yet replaced national security and is not a priority of international society. 

Eventually, although norms are always part of global politics, technological developments, political events, and globalization lead to increased interconnectedness and homogenization of global norms. The linkages between armed conflict, poverty, disease, and the environment are poorly understood and they need broader elaboration. Because still some subjects are seen as high political issues that are seen as low politics, can be ignored sometimes. Although Human Security has also been brought to the fore by the crisis, widespread poverty, and unemployment, induced by accelerating globalization, Human Security needs a long way before it is universally accepted and internalized as a conceptual framework for the international community.