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• Security: Focus Areas

SECURITY

Diplomacy

Homeland Security & Terrorism

Security

Until the end of the Cold War, the concept of security generally referred to nation-states maintaining their sovereignty and protecting their national interests from invasion or threats by foreign powers.   For nearly half a century, from 1945 until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the nation of Lenin and Stalin and the United States struggled for global supremacy through military build-ups and a nuclear arms race.   Following the collapse, the decades-long tensions between the United States and now Russia gradually receded, giving way to additional notions of security based upon internal struggles, including civil war, and external provocation by terrorist groups.  From the Kosovo Conflict in the late 1990's to the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 and Spain on March 11, 2004, what it means to be "secure" is now more nebulous than ever.        

That is not to say, however, that the traditional, sovereign-based notion of security has disappeared.  In addition to civil wars and terrorist attacks, the world faces growing threats from unchecked nuclear proliferation and a military buildup in nation-states like North Korea and Iran.  In the face of these threats, a comprehensive, international approach is being taken to global security that focuses more on the protection of the individual than the sovereignty of the state.  This approach consists of cooperative measures taken by nations and international organizations such as the United Nations, including peacekeeping missions, international treaties and conventions, and collective military action, measures in which nation-states often cede control over their national defense and security policies to external actors.  While these measures may provide security for the person, they also have serious implications for the sovereignty of the nation-state.

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DIPLOMACY Support for UN Governance of Space Explains NASA Development Agenda by Jim Kelly Agency's new directive will shift the focus from national space exploration to international economic and social development. EU's Loss May Be West's Gain by John Bolton Euro woes breathe new life into Atlantic alliance. Durban II: No Real Surprises Withholding UN Payments: Why Does the U.S. Do It? Bretton Woods II Is a Small Step toward International Financial Institution Reform		HOMELAND SECURITY & TERRORISM European Court to Review Conditions of U.S. Imprisonment of Terrorists by Jim Kelly ECHR's decision raises questions regarding the lack of guidelines regarding evidence introduced in extradition appeals. Support for UN Governance of Space Explains NASA Development Agenda by Jim Kelly Agency's new directive will shift the focus from national space exploration to international economic and social development. U.S. National Security Strategy Promotes American Acceptionalism by Jim Kelly Unfortunately, the NSS presents America as just one of many nations serving under the leadership of the U.N.. The United Nation's Response to Terrorism: Fourteen and Counting by Frederico Ferreira Without agreement on the definition of terrorism, the United Nations will remain ineffective in addressing the problem. Expert Wants UN Human Rights Groups to Govern Counter-Terrorism Efforts by Jim Kelly National counter-terrorism efforts would be subject to review by the UN Secretariat, NGOs, and other UN member states.

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