Non-state threats and actors have become key topics in contemporary international security as since the end of the Cold War the notion that state is the primary unit of interest in international security has increasingly been challenged. Statistics show that today many more people are killed by ethnic conflicts, HIV/AIDS or the proliferation of small arms than by international war. Moreover, non-state actors, such as non-governmental organizations, private military companies and international regimes, are progressively complementing or even replacing states in the provision of security. Suggesting that such developments can be understood as part of a shift from government to governance in international security, this book examines both how private actors have become one of the main sources of insecurity in the contemporary world and how non-state actors play a growing role in combating these threats.

This textbook examines non-traditional forms of security and expands the notion of security to include non-state actors and non-human actors. Proposing an expansive view of non-traditional forms of security that go beyond traditionally recognized issues of threats to state and national territory, this new textbook rests on the following premises: traditional state-centered threats, such as nuclear proliferation and espionage, remain a concern; old and new threats combine and create interlocking puzzles—a feature of wicked problems and wicked messes; because of the global erosion of borders, new developments of unconventional insecurity interact in ways that frustrate traditional conceptual definitions, conceptual maps, and national policies; unconventional security challenges which have traditionally been seen as "low politics" or "soft" issues are now being recognized as "hard security" challenges in the twenty-first century; many of the so-called "new" threats detailed here are in fact very old: diseases, gender violence, food insecurity, under-development, and crime are all traditional security threats, but deeply modified today by globalization. The chapters offer local and global examples and engage with various theoretical approaches to help readers see the bigger picture. Solutions are also suggested to these problems. Each chapter contains discussion questions to help readers understand the key points and facilitate class discussion. This book will be of great interest to students of international security studies, human security, global politics, and international relations.

This book is a study of the future of international law as well as the future of the United Nations. It is the first study ever bringing together the laws, policies and practices of the UN for the protection of the earth, the oceans, outer space, human rights, victims of armed conflicts and of humanitarian emergencies, the poor, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged world-wide. It reviews unprecedented dangers and challenges facing humanity such as climate change and weapons of mass destruction, and argues that the international law of the future must become an international law of security and of protection. It submits that the concept of international security in the UN Charter can no longer be restricted to situations of armed conflict but must be given its natural meaning: whatever threatens the security of humanity. It calls for the Security Council to perform its role as the guardian of the security of humankind and sees a leadership role for the UN Secretary-General in analysing and presenting challenges of international security and protection to the Security Council for its attention. Written by a seasoned scholar / practitioner of international law and the United Nations, who has served in key policy, peacemaking, peacekeeping and human rights positions in the United Nations, this book offers indispensable new vistas of international law and policy, and the future role of the United Nations.

Sets out a comprehensive framework of analysis for security studies, examining the distinctive character and dynamics of security in five sectors: military, political, economic, environmental, and societal. It rejects traditionalists' case for restricting security in one sector, arguing that security is a particular type of politics applicable to a wide range of issues, and offers a constructivist operational method for distinguishing the process of securitization from that of politicization. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Terrorist attacks perpetrated by lone actors have already occurred in several countries, and this phenomenon is emerging as a threat to the security of both NATO members and other countries worldwide. In this context, a lone actor, or 'lone wolf', is someone who individually prepares or commits violent acts in support of an ideology, group or movement, but who is acting outside of the command structure and without the assistance of any group. Up to now, these individual acts have been seen as almost impossible to forecast, but it is nevertheless important to develop a responsible security policy which takes them into account and incorporates planning for counteraction, prevention and response.This book presents papers, written by leading experts in the field, which reflect the subjects presented at the workshop 'Loan Actors - An Emerging Security Threat', part of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, held in Jerusalem in November 2014. The papers are divided into five sections: the threat of lone actor terrorism; case studies; countering and responding to the threat; legal and ethical aspects; and foresight and policy aspects.The insights, information and recommendations shared in this book will be of interest to all those involved in developing a more efficient response policy to this emerging threat.

"This book addresses various security threats, and the reciprocal use of force they engender, through a constructivist lens: one that assumes the ideas in the heads of policy makers, and their particular interpretations of "facts," to be part of a highly subjective process. After analyzing and explaining the key threats and the vehicles in which they become manifest-- war, armed intervention, insurgency, countering insurgency and terrorism, and intelligence--the book examines the projection of force and elements of force maximization, in chapters on civil-military relations, a diverse military of citizen volunteers, and organization and budget. And it traces how the role of the US dollar, as a globally accepted currency, gives a particular advantage to US business and banking interests, and to the US government, when it comes to financing the costs of global diplomatic, military, and other operations. Taking into account these threats and opportunities, Paul Viotti identifies a number of strategies and policies for the US that are central to the maintaining of peace and security over the next few decades"--Provided by publisher.

International Security Studies (ISS) has changed and diversified in many ways since 1945. This book provides the first intellectual history of the development of the subject in that period. It explains how ISS evolved from an initial concern with the strategic consequences of superpower rivalry and nuclear weapons, to its current diversity in which environmental, economic, human and other securities sit alongside military security, and in which approaches ranging from traditional Realist analysis to Feminism and Post-colonialism are in play. It sets out the driving forces that shaped debates in ISS, shows what makes ISS a single conversation across its diversity, and gives an authoritative account of debates on all the main topics within ISS. This is an unparalleled survey of the literature and institutions of ISS that will be an invaluable guide for all students and scholars of ISS, whether traditionalist, 'new agenda' or critical.