Which emphasize military power, national defense, and territorial integrity—human security research shifts attention to people’s everyday vulnerabilities and the conditions necessary for them to live with dignity, safety, and freedom.
The concept of human security gained global Human Security Research recognition in the 1990s, particularly through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In its landmark Human Development Report 1994, the UNDP defined human security as “freedom from fear” and “freedom from want.” This framing emphasized that security threats extend beyond war and violence to include poverty, hunger, disease, environmental degradation, and political repression. Human security research builds on this idea by systematically studying these threats and proposing ways to reduce them.
Human security research is interdisciplinary by nature. It draws from political science, economics, sociology, public health, environmental studies, and international relations. Researchers examine a wide range of issues such as food insecurity, climate change, forced migration, gender-based violence, pandemics, and access to education and healthcare. The goal is not only to analyze risks but also to understand how different threats interact and compound one another, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable populations.
A key feature of human security research is its people-centered approach. Rather than asking whether a country is secure, it asks whether individuals and communities are safe and able to thrive. This perspective highlights inequalities within states and recognizes that governments themselves can sometimes be sources of insecurity through discrimination, corruption, or human rights abuses. As a result, human security research often incorporates human rights principles and emphasizes accountability, inclusion, and social justice.
Human security research also has strong practical relevance. Its findings inform policymaking, development programs, humanitarian interventions, and peacebuilding efforts. International organizations, non-governmental organizations,