Contemporary Security Challenges Research Articles

Transversal Threats and Collateral Conflicts

Security, a cornerstone of international relations, is intertwined with states' defense and survival. Barry Buzan's work expands security's scope from military to societal dimensions, highlighting its multifaceted nature. Buzan's Regional Security Complex paradigm elucidates interactions among states within and beyond geographical boundaries. Societal security emerges as pivotal, safeguarding a state's identity and integrity. Transnational threats, exemplified by South and Central America's challenges, underscore interconnected security risks. Venezuela's crisis, Colombian violence, and Mexican drug trade intricately impact regional stability and global dynamics. Assessing security through various lenses reveals nuanced perspectives, from realist state-centric views to liberal individualism and constructivist social dynamics. Understanding these complexities is essential for addressing contemporary security challenges effectively. This abstract synthesizes key concepts in security studies, offering insights into evolving security paradigms and their implications for international relations.

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ENHANCING URBAN SECURITY: A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS AND OUTCOMES

Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) has emerged as a pivotal tool in addressing the complexities of urban security, offering insights crucial for effective decision-making and resource allocation in the face of evolving threats. This review examines the multifaceted applications and outcomes of GEOINT in enhancing urban security, encompassing its utilization in surveillance, risk assessment, disaster management, and infrastructure protection. The proliferation of advanced satellite imaging, aerial photography, and geographic information systems (GIS) has revolutionized urban security efforts. Through the integration of various data sources, GEOINT enables the comprehensive mapping and monitoring of urban landscapes, facilitating the identification of vulnerable areas and potential security risks. This proactive approach empowers authorities to preemptively deploy resources and implement targeted interventions, thereby mitigating potential threats before they escalate. Moreover, GEOINT plays a pivotal role in enhancing situational awareness during emergencies and crises. By providing real-time updates on evolving situations, including natural disasters or terrorist activities, GEOINT facilitates rapid response and coordination among emergency responders. Furthermore, its ability to overlay spatial data with demographic and socio-economic information enables a nuanced understanding of the urban environment, ensuring more effective emergency management strategies tailored to specific community needs. Furthermore, GEOINT is instrumental in safeguarding critical urban infrastructure, such as transportation networks, power plants, and water supply systems, from potential security breaches. Through comprehensive spatial analysis, vulnerabilities within infrastructure networks can be identified, and security measures can be optimized to mitigate risks and ensure resilience against potential threats. This review also explores the emerging trends and future directions in the utilization of GEOINT for urban security, including the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for predictive analytics and anomaly detection. Additionally, the ethical and privacy implications associated with the widespread adoption of GEOINT in urban security are discussed, emphasizing the importance of responsible data governance and transparency. The evolving role of GEOINT in enhancing urban security underscores its indispensability in addressing contemporary security challenges. By leveraging spatial data and advanced analytics, GEOINT offers a comprehensive and proactive approach to safeguarding urban environments, thereby ensuring the safety and resilience of communities in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
 Keywords: Intelligence, Security, Geospatial, Technology, Review.

Volunteer Security Outfit and the Fight against Terrorism in Nigeria: A Study of Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno State

The war waged by the Nigerian military against Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State and the North-East at large had suffered setbacks as the complexity of the contemporary security challenges overwhelms the public security sector and therefore government has subscribed to the need to extend the security sector to include ‘private security providers’ and the citizens as stakeholders. This study assessed volunteer security outfit and the fight against terrorism in Nigeria with focus on Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Borno State. The study employed a qualitative method and the Partnership Theory of Crime Prevention and Resistance Theory was adopted as the theoretical framework for the study. KIIs were conducted with ten (10) stakeholders from different professions. Data elicited through KII was analyzed thematically. The study findings revealed that volunteer security outfit is an approach in combating terrorism in Nigeria. The findings further revealed that Civilian JTF activities have helped other government security agencies in coordinating and arresting key Boko Haram members in Borno State thereby becoming a fundamental component to assisting and winning the war against Boko Haram insurgency. The study therefore recommends that educating and sensitizing members of the community and CJTF to be alert to their patriotic duty of reporting crime and illegal entry of other nationals should be advocated and intensified by the Borno State government. The study further recommends that with the current insecurity confronting Nigeria, establishment of local vigilante group of youth in communities across Nigeria should be encouraged to assist and support the security agencies. Since terrorism is a global problem, countries should adopt volunteer security outfit model to end organised crime and terrorism. This should be executed with the highest sense of local ownership and in collaboration with key stakeholders in their domain. Above all, for lasting peace, security and stability to prevail in Borno State, committed and sincere leadership should be demonstrated at all levels of governance in the State.

An automated detection model of threat objects for X-Ray baggage inspection based on modified encoder-decoder model

ABSTRACT Modern security faces challenges in detecting unauthorized and potentially harmful items in luggage, despite X-ray baggage scanning frameworks and research on efficiently screening highly disguised items. In response to this gap, a groundbreaking Modified Encoder-Decoder-based model has been introduced. This innovative model takes X-ray scan images as input and generates distinct feature representations for both suspicious and non-suspicious baggage materials. A key focus of the model is to address the denoising challenge inherent in X-ray images which reduces the models efficiency. This is achieved through the implementation of a Poisson Noise Reduction method during the preprocessing stage. Following preprocessing, the model effectively segments the non-threat image, identifying potential threats from the denoised input. The model showcases superior performance, as evidenced by high Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and low Mean Squared Error (MSE) values, outperforming existing filtering techniques. Rigorous testing on publicly available SIXray and GDXray datasets validates the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Performance metrics for the SIXray dataset, including mAP, IoU, and DC values of 97.32%, 73.14%, and 85.12%, respectively, underscore the model’s efficacy. Notably, the framework attains an impressive accuracy of 99.17% on the SIXray dataset, affirming its robustness in addressing contemporary security challenges.

Współczesne wyzwania dla bezpieczeństwa Polski w kontekście rosyjskich działań w regionie Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej

The purpose of this article is to identify the contemporary security challenges that Poland faces in the context of activities undertaken by the Russian Federation in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. The presented conclusions are a consequence of the research carried out by the diagnostic survey method, with the use of the expert interview technique. This article was written based on research that focused on the security of the Baltic states and Poland, with particular emphasis on the aggressive policies of the Russian Federation. The findings of this research were used to inform the discussion about Poland’s security in the article. The main research problem involves identifying the security challenges that Poland faces in relation to Russian activities in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Guidelines of the Defensibility of the Republic of Armenia in the Context of Global Turbulence / Ориентиры обороноспособности республики армения в контексте глобальной турбулентности

Contemporary security challenges facing countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe have led many experts to think about reviving the traditional security paradigm. In these conditions, a re-evaluation of Armenia's security guidelines involves a multi-level study of the relationship between individuals, public institutions and the state. Moreover, existing challenges have created the need for a “predatory defense strategy,” which must be considered in the context of integrating the functions of the army-education system-church.

Exploring hybrid security strategies in Ghana: State and private sector partnerships

ABSTRACT Mounting security challenges in the Global South provoke scholarly discussions on multi-actor and multi-dimensional interventions, especially the role of private security organisations. Yet, while broadly revealing the growing influence of private security firms and/or anecdotes of periodic private-public security collaborations in contemporary security provision in developing countries, the related literature offers little discussion about the potential for sustained systemic partnerships between public and private security organisations to tackle contemporary security challenges. Contributing to the broader discourse on hybrid governance, this research examines the potential of private-public security operational collaborations and how they could address contemporary security dilemmas in Ghana. The article draws on semi-structured interviews with actors from private and public security sectors to demonstrate the potential of effective private-public security partnerships in the areas of intelligence gathering and logistical (re)enforcement; community education and operations; and surveillance. The data suggest that while private and public securities operate under different structures, codes, and conditions, the three areas present real possibilities for a hybrid security context, which could significantly reduce crime and general security concerns in the country.

Management of the innovative potential of land use of agricultural enterprises in the context of contemporary security challenges

The article is devoted to finding land use management problems of agrarian enterprises during innovative development. Based on the study, priority effective measures for managing the innovative potential of land use of agrarian enterprises in the context of modern security challenges were proposed. Study problems and search for priority measures of management of the innovative potential of land use of agrarian enterprises in the context of modern security challenges. The problems of land use in the conditions of innovative development, technological and climatic changes, have been substantiated, which made it possible to determine that ensuring the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine depends significantly on the state of land resources. It was found that a significant problem of land use of agricultural enterprises is the lack of a long-term strategic plan with clear targets, which forms the conditions for the development of a symbiosis of the interests of the ecological and social subsystems. It has been proven that the land use management system, subject to the determination of benefits from using land resources, should have a multi-alternative view of the purpose and use of the area of agricultural enterprises. Since the land use of agricultural enterprises is an artificial anthropogenic intervention in natural systems for obtaining economic benefits, it is proposed to calculate the potential damage from a specific type of land use in specific conditions. It is emphasized that the primary way to increase land use efficiency in an agricultural enterprise is a consistent technological restructuring. Its necessity is determined by the growth of demand for the products of agricultural enterprises in the right assortment, of the appropriate quality, and the decrease in the size of the land fund for agricultural production. Keywords: agricultural enterprises, land use, land resources, management of innovative potential, efficiency, prioritization, development, security challenges

CONVENTIONAL AND MODERN WARFARE: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE

In the pursuit of a peaceful and secure life, human beings strive to avoid the threat of danger. However, the reality is often marred by disputes, with war being a significant factor that disrupts peace. This paper delves into the distinctions between old and modern models of warfare. Employing a qualitative approach, the study explores relevant literature written by experts on the subject. The research findings reveal compelling differences between old and new wars in terms of their objectives, methods of warfare, and financial backing. Historically, old wars predominantly involved state-to-state conflicts, with state financiers playing a dominant role. In contrast, modern wars encompass diverse players and garner financial support from global sources. Furthermore, new and old wars differ in their target victims, motives, and approaches. These disparities necessitate a corresponding shift in the way these conflicts are addressed and resolved by negotiators worldwide. Understanding the complexities and nuances of modern warfare is crucial to fostering effective strategies for peace building and conflict resolution on a global scale. By examining the transformation of warfare over time, this study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of contemporary security challenges and the importance of adapting conflict management approaches accordingly.

The Stages of Early Radicalization through Migration as a Contemporary Concept of Threat to European Security

Migrant waves occurring at the beginning of this century reflect geopolitical processes in certain parts of the world. By running away from danger for the purpose of existential survival, scientific discourse presents a responsibility that rests on the fine line between rights and safety. On the one hand, the right of every individual or group to a life worthy of man, and on the other hand, for scientists, a new phenomenon that takes on elements of modified hybrid as well as military strategies in contemporary security challenges. The recent past teaches us that we must observe such phenomena also from a security perspective, dissecting them to the smallest detail to be able to provide scientific security answers. The phenomenon of migration contains psycho-security assumptions that terrorist groups can use with the aim of achieving terrorist goals and thus putting European security in question. The aim of the work is to identify the space for early radicalization within the migrant population due to their current psycho-social and physical vulnerability. The obtained results can contribute to the creation of a multidisciplinary approach in the early detection of individuals or groups that, by abusing the psycho-social and physical state of an individual within the migrant population, try to produce a potential terrorist. Such knowledge, through the interpreted results of the research, enables a proper assessment of the migrants themselves, and especially of the terrorists from the security aspect, and the team provides a contribution to the overall security environment of the migrants as well as the overall European security. The justification of such scientific discourses and works through the application of scientific methodology will contribute to the understanding of existing practice, the determination of possible shortcomings and the modification of existing models with the aim of increasing the level of safety.

Savremeni izazovi bezbednosti i njihov uticaj na rast vojne potrošnje i budžeta za razvoj i nabavku naoružanja i vojne opreme

The topic of this paper is contemporary security challenges and their impact on the increase of the military spending and the budget for the development and procurement of weapons and military equipment. It has been explained how the current events on the geopolitical scene, i.e. the accelerated dynamics of the confrontation of the main centres of power, which has moved from the phase of "competition" to the phase of "crisis" and "proxy wars" and is rapidly approaching the "kinetic phase", i.e. direct military conflict, dictates the need for accelerated equipping with state-of-the-art weapons and military equipment, especially the one based on the so-called "disruptive technology". The genesis of the geopolitical image in the context of security threats and trends in the development and equipping with weapons and military equipment has been presented, characteristic threats to security, forms of conflict and dominant weapons and military equipment have been explained, and then the military spending has been discussed and the budget funds for the development and procurement of weapons and military equipment in general have been analysed. The research focus of this paper is aimed at interpreting the state of the military spending by the key global actors and countries in the immediate vicinity of the Republic of Serbia.

Problematica tehnologiilor disruptive în contextul cooperării europene în domeniul apărării

"The development of disruptive technologies represents one of the main themes of the contemporary security agenda not only from a national perspective but also at the level of multinational cooperation. In this regard, the European cooperation carried out under the institutional auspices of the Common Security and Defence Policy has gradually addressed the impact of disruptive technologies on the way of structuring the EU’s response to contemporary security challenges. The approach to this subject has gradually evolved towards profiling a distinct typology at the level of which the specific character also derives from the particular parameters of the mode of interaction between the EU institutions. Equally, the specific nature of the European approach also concerns the way of financing the process of developing capabilities of this type, including in terms of complementing the national effort through opportunities offered by the EU budget. From this perspective, it can be concluded that the issue of disruptive technologies will become more and more visible on the European cooperation agenda, including in terms of the priorities advanced through the Strategic Compass as well as at the level of practical initiatives launched in the CSDP context, as is the case with PESCO and EDF."

Disruptive Technologies in the Context of European Defence Cooperation

"The development of disruptive technologies represents one of the main themes of the contemporary security agenda not only from a national perspective but also at the level of multinational cooperation. In this regard, the European cooperation carried out under the institutional auspices of the Common Security and Defence Policy has gradually addressed the impact of disruptive technologies on the way of structuring the EU’s response to contemporary security challenges. The approach to this subject has gradually evolved towards profiling a distinct typology at the level of which the specific character also derives from the particular parameters of the mode of interaction between the EU institutions. Equally, the specific nature of the European approach also concerns the way of financing the process of developing capabilities of this type, including in terms of complementing the national effort through opportunities offered by the EU budget. From this perspective, it can be concluded that the issue of disruptive technologies will become more and more visible on the European cooperation agenda, including in terms of the priorities advanced through the Strategic Compass as well as at the level of practical initiatives launched in the CSDP context, as is the case with PESCO and EDF."

Problematica tehnologiilor disruptive în contextul cooperării europene în domeniul apărării

"The development of disruptive technologies represents one of the main themes of the contemporary security agenda not only from a national perspective but also at the level of multinational cooperation. In this regard, the European cooperation carried out under the institutional auspices of the Common Security and Defence Policy has gradually addressed the impact of disruptive technologies on the way of structuring the EU’s response to contemporary security challenges. The approach to this subject has gradually evolved towards profiling a distinct typology at the level of which the specific character also derives from the particular parameters of the mode of interaction between the EU institutions. Equally, the specific nature of the European approach also concerns the way of financing the process of developing capabilities of this type, including in terms of complementing the national effort through opportunities offered by the EU budget. From this perspective, it can be concluded that the issue of disruptive technologies will become more and more visible on the European cooperation agenda, including in terms of the priorities advanced through the Strategic Compass as well as at the level of practical initiatives launched in the CSDP context, as is the case with PESCO and EDF."

Neutrality of Switzerland in the Light of the Contemporary Security Challenges: Realistic, Neoliberal, and Constructive Approaches

In the article, the author analyzes how the understanding of the concept of neutrality of European states and its implementation in their foreign policy strategies changes at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries, along with the change in the international system of relations. The interesting case of a truly neutral country is Switzerland, whose foreign policy behavior is a challenge to the negative expectations of observers regarding the pessimistic prospects of neutrality as an option for the implementation of the foreign policy course. In this article, the author considers the neutrality of Switzerland from the point of view of three conceptual approaches to the understanding of neutrality: realist, neoliberal and constructivist. From the point of view of realism, Switzerland has long been aware of its status as a “small” state and, respectively, uses it as an important mean of self-preservation in a territory surrounded by “big” states. From a neoliberal point of view, the key trend today is Switzerland's increasing attention to bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation. And from the standpoint of constructivism, neutrality is an important “symbol” of the common identity of the diverse population of Switzerland. Therefore, the author concludes that Switzerland was able to maintain a controversial foreign policy of neutrality, emphasizing its national identity and independence, while at the same time benefiting from international economic interdependence. Switzerland's neutrality allows it to develop and deepen international economic relations very well.

Police Leadership Training: Effective Policies and Methods

Modern security institutions face important issues related to police leadership training and contemporary security challenges. The scope and context of training programs in security institutions must be evaluated to develop effective policies and methods for training security leaders. The International Police Science Association (IPSA) aims to support effective training approaches and other aspects of effective policing by supporting and sharing international scientific efforts in police science.

Institutional corruption as the bane of critical infrastructure protection in Nigeria

Against a background of contemporary security challenges such as terrorism, violent extremism, insurgency, armed banditry, and separatist movements across the country, the study attempts to examine critical infrastructure protection. With the aid of largely secondary data, the study finds that there is an inextricable link between CIP and institutional corruption in Nigeria. Institutional corruption has been a major factor inhibiting effective critical infrastructure protection in Nigeria. This is because funds meant for the strengthening of operational effectiveness of the agencies are often diverted to other expenditure that does not have an effect on the operational strength of the agencies, thereby undermining their capacity to deliver on their mandates and increasing the vulnerability of the infrastructures to vandalism. The study recommends the adoption of a whole-of-society approach to CIP in Nigeria, because of its ability to block leakages and ensure transparency in the business of government as well as encouraging all stakeholders, the state, private, CSOs, the media, traditional institutions and all others involved, to share responsibilities in the protection of infrastructures as part of their concerns.

أثر القواعد الفقهية في مواجهة التحديات الأمنية المعاصرة

The impact of Jurisprudence Rules in Addressing Contemporary security Challenges Islamic jurisprudence is related to various fields of knowledge, as it is a science of great value, great in impact, and among the most prominent features of jurisprudence comes the jurisprudence rules. It regulates the principles of the doctrine for the jurist. Therefore, the main this research focuses on (the impact of jurisprudence rules in addressing contemporary security challenges). It is the relationship between jurisprudence rules and achieving security. Its fruit would be a statement of the distinguished impact of jurisprudence rules on the stability of the country, and its leading role in maintaining, strengthening, and preserving security. The most important elements of the main research are the following: 1. The legal foundations for rooting security awareness. 2. The impact of jurisprudence rules in addressing the perpetrators and aggressors. 3. The effect of jurisprudence rules in enhancing intellectual security. 4. The impact of jurisprudence rules in confronting rumors threatening the security of the country.

A Rapid Reaction Force for the United Nations: Middle Powers, Human Security, and the Multinational Standby High Readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG)

Contemporary threats to human security have prompted middle powers to call again for the establishment of a rapid reaction force even as they failed to implement the Multinational Standby High Readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG) over a decade ago. Despite this failure, much of what has been written on middle powers simply assumed that they successfully contributed to human security. Previous studies on rapid reaction force and SHIRBRIG also lacked a theoretical examination - merely identifying lessons learned and offering policy recommendations. Utilising Ronald M. Behringer’s conceptualisation of middle power theory which posits that middle powers use the concept of human security to design instruments that address contemporary security challenges, this article attempts to bridge the gaps in the literature by arguing that middle powers were only successful in creating a rapid reaction force, but not in providing the material capabilities to implement it. Ultimately, the concept of human security was not enough to make middle powers commit vital resources to SHIRBRIG.

Security beyond the border: exploring Australia and New Zealand trans-Tasman relations in a globalised world

ABSTRACT This article addresses contemporary security challenges related to borders within Oceania, focusing on trans-Tasman relations. We address border security between Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia as a matter of an ascendant relationship, based on coordination and cooperation. By interrogating shared and divergent attributes between the nations, we are able to provide an overview of approaches towards regional threats. Behind these approaches are socio-political contexts, including drivers and authorities for cooperation as well as cultural and political identities. Importantly, the evolution of shared practices between the nations and a future scan of security in the region lead to important geopolitical considerations.