Human and International Security

            The term International security refers to the measures that have been taken by nations and international organizations to ensure mutual human survival and safety (Mahipal Singh 2011). The measures are military actions as well as diplomatic agreements like treaties or conventions. International security can therefore be considered as state security in the global arena.
             Human security on the other hand is an emerging concept for understanding global problems whose proponents challenge the traditional understanding of national security. This is because human security argues that the proper referent of security is supposed to be the individual rather than the state (Kaldor 2013). According to Buzan (2007, p 49), an individual is an irreducible basic unit to which the concept of security can be applied. The idea of security is thus easier to apply on thing rather than individuals. The concept of human security has attracted great attention among scholars and practitioners alike since the publication of the Human Development Report by the UNDP. Even though it is seen as a reflection of the new security environment after the Cold world war, quite a number of scholars are skeptical about the validity of the concept. They see it as being too vague to be examined academically and should not blur the significance of traditional security agendas (Bjornberg 2012).
             What is certain is that while major military power like the US pay very little attention to the discussions about human security, middle rank power like Canada are taking advantage and linking their foreign policies with human security concept. Countries like Japan have also set up fund for human security. This paper seeks to discuss how the concept of human security has challenged the traditional conceptions and practices of international security.
             Background of the Traditional Concept of Security.
             Security is not an old term in the political sense, while in the international relations discipline; it simply means national security which is the protection of a state from external threats.