Human (In)Security in the Middle East (I): An Overview of A Concept in the Making

Security studies have experienced a proliferation following the Cold War. Previously neglected (or less studied) aspects of the security became under closer scrutiny. Human security is one of these concepts. It is indeed an effort for a synthesis, through which one can see the evolution of the security studies in the last several decades. It is a very broad –perhaps one of the broadest- terms in security studies.Middle East provides an unfortunately perfect microcosm where observationscan be made on how nearly all dimensions of human security are being gravely violated in considerable parts of the region.

The 1994 Report on Human Development pointed out the need of a profound transition in thinking “from nuclear security to human security.”The Report was a well-prepared pioneering document for making the issue a widely discussed subject and was successful in bringing in the new dimensions of the security without ignoring the established ones.In the Report, two main aspects of the concept were underlined: “safety from such chronic threats as hunger, disease and repression” and “protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of daily life -whether in homes, in jobs or in communities".

The Report also emphasized that human security is a “universal” concern. This means human security is relevant to all people, regardless of their levels of prosperity, education etc. It is not only relevant to people in poor countries, but also those living in poor countries. Additionally, the Report mentioned the spatial interconnectedness of the human security. In other words, when the security of a people is endangered anywhere in the world, all other nations are likely to be affected at varying degrees. The 1994 Report included further key ideas that human security is “people oriented” and “early prevention” would work better than “late intervention” 

Followingthe Millennium Summit in 2002, the UN Commission on Human Security (abbreviated as CHS) was created by Japan’s leadership.In 2003, the CHS published its report “Human Security Now”.Inthis document a new definition has been adopted: “human security means protecting the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment. Human security means protecting people from critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations. It means using processes that build on people’s strengths and aspirations. It means creating political, social, environmental, economic, military and cultural systems that together give people the building blocks of survival, livelihood and dignity.”Later, “Friends of Human Security” was established in the UN in 2006, co-chaired by Japan and Mexico and comprised of 34 Member States.  It was designed as an unofficial, open-ended forum, whose purpose is to provide an informal discussion outlet for the UN Member States, as well as other international organizations.

Human security is also about strategies. Strategies related to human security are two-fold: protection and empowerment. Protection is defined by the Commission on Human Security as “strategies set up by states, international agencies, NGOs and the private sector, (to) shield people from menaces.” In that, it implies establishing “top-down” measures, recognizing that people face threats that are beyond their control (natural disasters, financial crises, and conflicts). Human security requires systematic, comprehensive and preventive protection. It is certain that States have major responsibility to implement such protection, while other actors such as international bodies, civil society and NGOs also play significant roles.Empowerment on the other hand is comprised of the “strategies (that) enable people to develop their resilience to difficult situations” and implies “bottom-up” measures that aim to develop the capacity of individuals and communities to make informed choices and to act on their “own behalf”. Empowerment not only enables people to develop their full potential but also permits them “to participate in the design and implementation of solutions to ensure human security for themselves and others”.

To sum up, human security is now a more clearly defined term. First, human security is people-centered, meaning that it places the individual at the center of the analysis and, therefore, considers conditions that threaten their survival, livelihood and dignity. Secondly, it is multi-sectoral. Human security is based on a multi-sectoral understanding of insecurities and entails a broadened understanding of threats and their possible causes related to economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security. Third, human security emphasizes the interconnectedness of threats and responses to them in two ways. "First, they are interlinked in a domino effect in the sense that each threat feeds on the other. For example, violent conflicts can lead to deprivation and poverty which in turn could lead to resource depletion, infectious diseases, education deficits, etc. Second, threats in a given country or area can spread into a wider region and have negative externalities for regional or international security". Fourth, human security is comprehensive.Thistranslates into the need for cooperative and multi-sectoral responses that bring together agendas on security, development and human rights. Fifth, it is context-specific. Since insecurities vary considerably across different settings human security promotes the search for contextualized solutions that appropriately respond to each particular situation. And sixth, human security is prevention-oriented.That is to say,human security tries to develop strategies of protection and empowerment, in order toreach the risks and root causes of insecurities with an ultimate aim of preventing them to happen.

Lying at the intersection of three fundamental modern freedoms, i.e. freedom from fear, freedom from want, and the freedom from indignity, human security definitely covers a lot of ground. Two points which will form the main axis of the next part are as follows: First, despite its holistic connotation, the human security can be divided into interrelated dimensions. Second, Middle East provides one of the perfect microcosms where the relevance of human security is paramount. Following a brief overview of the concept of human security, the next part, thus, will analyze, through different dimensions, the reasons behind the enduring challenge of human (in)security in the Middle East.