Sense and Symbolism: Europe Takes On Human Security

Abstract

Especially with the 2001 "Helsinki Declaration" and the call for a 60,000-member European Rapid Reaction Force, Europe has recognized a need for independence from powerful allies (such as the United States) and from powerful alliances (such as NATO).4 Moreover, the evolution of the European defense "responsibility" has focused on the so-called Petersberg tasks, which concentrate on humanitarian and crisis response capabilities that nonetheless fall short of a fullscale intervention force with the ability to sustain combat over prolonged time. From this rather general-and quite European-understanding of security, the human security concept centers on a concentration on the individual (rather than the state) and that individual's right to physical safety, basic freedoms, and access to sustainable prosperity.6 In ethical terms, human security is both a "system" and a systemic practice that promotes and sustains stability, security, and progressive integration of individuals within their relationships to their states, societies, and regions.