4Insecurity/Peace

Developed during the 1990s, the concept of human security offers a comprehensive approach to the subject. Despite criticisms made of both its doctrinal basis and its practical application, human security enables us to shed light on the numerous multisectoral threats that imperil the lives and wellbeing of individuals.

The nature of war has undergone a profound change over the course of history, particularly during the twentieth century. Power conflicts, pitting the armies of developed states against one another, have all but disappeared with the setting up of a legal framework limiting governments’ recourse to force to resolve their differences. This has not prevented military expenditure from increasing, nor has it stopped the major powers from intervening in local conflicts. This development goes hand in hand with a tendency to privatize war, and the emergence of companies providing mercenaries is one of its most spectacular symptoms.

Power has long been based on a limited set of factors, with military capability among them. This traditional view of power has been refined by the introduction of the concept of soft power, emphasizing the existence of persuasive capacity that is not linked to coercion. With the increase in interdependence due to globalization, the notion of structural power has taken hold, stressing the importance of defining the framework of action in which the actors of the global space operate.

The category of “weapons of mass destruction” (WMD), like its expression in terms of proliferation, begs a question. Yet the chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons gathered under the acronym WMD are subject to separate regulatory processes, which take place within different timeframes. Since the 1990s, the word “proliferation” has also been associated with conventional weapons (anti-personnel mines, light weapons, etc.).

While inter-state wars have become rare, contemporary conflicts result mainly from the collapse of countries’ institutional structures and the accompanying breakdown of the social contract. The exacerbated violence affects civilian populations most of all. Despite the setting up of certain safeguards such as the International Penal Court (IPC), the international community very often seems powerless in the face of these new conflicts. Making peace has become more difficult, because it requires the rebuilding of state institutions and a capacity for peaceful coexistence.

Terrorism uses violent action to create fear in the societies targeted; it is not new, and neither is it exclusive to radical Islamic groups. Through the reaction of Western states, which have made it a major preoccupation since the attacks of September 11, 2001, attempting to exploit anxiety, terrorism often results in a withdrawal from the rule of law in democratic countries and a reinforcement of repressive policies in authoritarian regimes.

Since 1948, the UN has been sending out peacekeeping forces (the Blue Helmets) for the purpose of maintaining peace. Peacekeeping missions were rarely used before the end of the Cold War, but since that time they have multiplied and become increasingly complex. Because the responsibilities of UN member states are unequally divided, these missions have become subject to much criticism.

Historically, peace has mainly been studied from the angle of its treaties. During the 1950s, peace studies reinterpreted the definition of peace and violence: no longer was peace considered simply as the absence of conflict. The social and economic inequalities endangering a more comprehensive form of peace are also denounced.