NEXUS OF HUMAN SECURITY AND NATIONAL SECURITY: HOW IT MAY ADAPT TO OUR CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS. A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MIDDLE EAST

The concept of human security may have existed alongside state security throughout history. However, scholars did not establish a solid definition until after World War II. Since then, experts and scholars have begun to pay closer attention to it, as they viewed the concept as a response to human fear and insecurity. Human security is a concept that the U.N. Development Program (hereafter UNDP) initiated in 1994, marking the term “human security within the U.N. system, highlighted with four characteristics: universal, people-centered, independent, and early prevention.” The UNDP further enumerated seven disciplines for human security, including “economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political." By 1999, when 13 foreign ministers gathered to create a Human Security Network (hereafter HSN) to promote the concept at the national and international level, mainly were Europeans such as Switzerland and Austria, or Latin Americans such as Costa Rica and Panama, except for Jordan, not so many countries from the Middle East took part in the network. Further to these developments, others have noted that the term human security means that a state's core obligation is to meet its people's security needs. In general, in the Middle East and North Africa (hereafter MENA), States have overlooked addressing this concept and its core principles for various reasons. Some reasons include a weak rule of law system, unprecedented health, environmental, and natural disasters, and domestic uprisings. Although a few of them have taken steps toward developmental and sustainable policies, they lack strong foundations, and it will still be challenging for them to attain peace and security. Meanwhile, what makes this region unique is that “it is the birthplace of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is, therefore, a region of great diversity. While Arabs compose the majority of the Middle East’s population, the region is also home to Berbers, Kurds, Jews, Persians, Turks, and a vast array of other ethnic and religious minorities.” Diversity of religions and ethnicities, along with colonialism and rich natural resources, have created prolonged conflicts that persist to this day, making it look less peaceful than other regions at times. The revitalization of the human security framework in the region promises to anticipate and mitigate the emergence of various challenges to the states' national security. To implement such frameworks and address those challenges, this dissertation advocates for creating a legally binding institution reminiscent of the European Union, aimed at safeguarding the fundamental human needs within the region and protecting long-term peace and security. The theoretical framework underpinning this dissertation encompasses both analytical and normative literature reviews. This means that through a thorough analysis, it delves into the essence of law as it relates to security, tracing its historical foundations and evolution. Moreover, the normative aspect of the research critically examines existing legal dilemmas, offering insights and recommendations on how these issues should be addressed or reformed to align with the ideals of human security.