Human Security Norms in East Asia: Towards Conceptual and Operational Innovation

At the core of human security is the idea of how to ensure that all people live safely and with dignity. Since the introduction of the concept in the Human Development Report 1994, human security has been discussed as a “norm-complex” among the international community, which encompasses various existing norms and new elements.

Drawing on the theory of norm dynamics, which examines the process of initiation, diffusion, and regeneration of a norm, this study discusses the expansion and acceptance of the concept of human security in East Asian countries, including Japan. The analysis was conducted on the basis of case studies on 11 countries under a research project entitled “Human Security in Practice: East Asian Experiences” conducted by the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development.

First, the study suggests that the concept of human security has been widely accepted and adapted in the context of East Asian countries, although the term itself has been less referenced. Second, the study presents diverse threats to human security perceived in the 11 countries, including climate change, earthquakes, HIV/AIDS, poverty, human trafficking and conflicts. Finally, it analyzes how human security is understood in relation to state security and state sovereignty.

This paper was published on the website of the Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis and can be accessed via the link below.