War and peace in the 21st century

It is the argument of this chapter that the COVID-19 pandemic created a need to problematize how we understand security, especially the contrast between state security and human security. This chapter argues that the pandemic has illustrated the importance of human security as well as the need to understand it as a precondition for, and not as an alternative to, state and international security. However, the study does not argue that the increased importance of human security translates into the protection of all humans. The crude reality that security is always at someone's and something's expense sustains vulnerabilities within societies. The study acknowledges that the changes in the security implications (both material and perceived) do not necessarily or automatically translate to changes in policies. Institutional resistance to change and general political trends among other factors affect the extent to which policies will evolve in a direction that would better meet the security implications of the pandemic.

Rethinking the “State Security-Human Security” Nexus in the Face of COVID-19

Human security, defined as a state to relieve people of the traumas that accompany human development, is closely linked to human rights. The treatment of the concept of human security enables the narrowing of the gap between the citizen and the state. At the time of a pandemic, the task of protecting life forces states to take special measures. The response of states to coronavirus has consisted of restrictive measures, which often conflict with human rights. International Human Rights Law allows the restrictions on freedom in cases of national emergencies, but necessary and proportionate. Health security, as an integral part of human security, aims to guarantee a necessary minimum of protection against diseases, especially infectious, epidemic and poor living conditions. State institutions have a responsibility to guarantee medical treatment as needed. Ignoring or refusing this service, even to a single citizen, can have fatal consequences for national security. The Covid-19 pandemic also caused collapse in developed countries, with advanced health systems. It is still too early to make final analyzes, studies and evaluations regarding this pandemic. Experience and lessons learned should serve to make such a situation as less emergency as possible in the future. Important for this, among other things, is the evaluation and respect of professional communities.

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Luljeta Kodra

Papers

Human security and human rights during the Coronavirus pandemic