Security in the new millennium

Abstract

The shift from the national security paradigm to the human security paradigm can provide the conceptual umbrella to bring forth a global governance capable of solving the major problems of this new millennium. Rather than creating a world government, global governance aspires to establish an additional layer of international decision‐making between governments and international organizations, which finds solutions that are individual‐centred, within a framework of human security. The fundamental components of human security are the security of people against threats to life, health, livelihood, personal safety, and human dignity. NGOs should also play an important role in global governance. Not only did they help tilt the balance away from hard to soft security, much of the UN's work in the field involves intimate partnerships with dedicated NGOs. Sustained global solutions require a greater commitment to the vision and values of the UN (e.g. human rights) and a systematic use of its forum for managing and ending conflicts. The UN lies at the legislative and normative centre of international organizations, which are an essential means of conducting global governance.