Human Security in Retreat: The Resurgence of Realpolitik and the Crisis of People-Centred Security

Abstract

Since its formal introduction in the 1994 Human Development Report, the concept of human security
has represented the global imperative to promoting the wellbeing and dignity of people worldwide.
With both states and non-state actors recognising and endorsing its utility, there has been little doubt
about the relevance of human security in driving population-centred security until now. Recent events
with geopolitical implications, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts and the
fallouts from nationalist turns in the global North, appear to have challenged the relevance of the
concept vis-à-vis Realpolitik and the dominance of state-centricity in global politics. With the
contemporary geopolitical space set to witness many more of these trends, the future of human
security may be in jeopardy as the concept stands to be relegated to the realm of political convenience.
This paper assesses the sustained viability of human security in an evolving geopolitical landscape
largely shaped by Realpolitik.