CLEER WP 2014/5 - Matta, Takács (eds.)
Human security as a tool for comprehensive approach for human rights and security linkages in EU foreign policy
Aaron Matta and Tamara Takács (eds.)
The EU has struggled throughout the evolution of its Common Foreign and Security Policy to place itself as an assertive global and regional player. The new changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty and the emergence of the EEAS, together with the current regional and international challenges it is faced with give a unique opportunity for a renewed focus on existing approaches on human security and the Union’s long term objectives in foreign policy. The human security framework could have the potential of bringing an added value in framing the EU’s strategic narrative and enforcing coordination and cooperation between rival EU policy streams on the institutional level but also its external security and development-oriented policies. Many of the general principles of the human security conceptualisation have been already implicitly accepted and implemented in the EU’s security and human rights discourse.[1] It can thus be argued that human security already plays a major role in the Union’s comprehensive crisis response and operational coordination in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and mediation; crisis management and development programmes; but also humanitarian aid and climate change agendas. Nonetheless, there is an apparent lack of consensus around the use and purpose of human security within the EU’s foreign policy toolkit.
This Working Paper issue is the result of the Centre’s recent research project Human Security as a new operational framework for enhancing Human Rights protection in the EU’s Security & Migration Policies, co-financed by the European Union, under its Lifelong Learning Programme.Some of the papers included in this issue were presented during the conference ‘Human security as a tool for comprehensive approach for human rights and security linkages in EU foreign policy’, organised by CLEER at the T.M.C Asser Institute, in The Hague, on 6 December 2013.
Contributors:
Stephan Keukeleire is a Jean Monnet Professor at ‘Leuven International and European Studies’ (LINES) of the University of Leuven and a Visiting Professor at the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies Department at the College of Europe, Bruges (Belgium). Aaron Matta is a Senior Researcher in the Rule of Law Programme at The Hague Institute of Global Justice. Hans Merket is a Ph.D. Fellow of the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Ghent European Law Institute (Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Ghent University), Ghent (Belgium). Monica Oproiu is a Postdoctoral Researcher within the Department of International Relations and European Integration, National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest (Romania). Hannes Peltonen is a Senior Lecturer of International Politics at the University of Tampere (Finland). Tamara Takács is a Senior Researcher in EU law and Academic programme coordinator of the Centre for the Law of EU External Relations (CLEER) at the T.M.C Asser Instituut (The Hague). Anna Wardell is an Academic Assistant in the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies Department at the College of Europe, Bruges (Belgium).
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