Securitization Theory Research Articles

Securitization of Water in Central Asia: Insights from the Regional Water Security Complex

Central Asia is revealing itself as an area where the problem of access to water and its current regional dynamics are almost at a radically critical level, where the potential risk of water disputes is still one of the highest in the world. Therefore, water scarcity issues and challenges triggered by the Aral Sea syndrome, the existing water mismanagement system, infrastructural and investment projects of dams and water reservoirs (Rogun, Naryn, Kambarata, Toktogul, etc.) and their transformation towards an existential threat will be analyzed within the securitization prism through the selected speech acts. This article will contribute to developing a new analytical framework of Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) and the securitization theory in water stress. The efforts undertaken in this article will ultimately lead to the development of a new approach to issues of water security and hydro politics within the concept of the Regional Water Security Complex (RWSC) on the example of the Central Asian region. The main research question will be to what extent water, as an immanent feature of this complex, is politicized and securitized. An important question will also be how the formulated security language indicates the existential nature of water as a security problem in the region.

New trends in Russian diplomacy after February 24, 2022

The article examines the new trends in Russian diplomacy, which emerged after February 24, 2022. The diplomatic war launched against Russia by "unfriendly States" leads to the "zeroing" of ties between the Russian Federation and the States of the collective West - the Anglo-Saxon and European countries. In the context of the degradation of relations with the Euro-Atlantic region, there is a shift in the regional focus in Russia's foreign policy. Moreover, in order to make the implementation of foreign policy goals more efficient Russian intensifies the use of "new tracks" in addition to classical diplomacy. The purpose of the article is to identify the prospects for using the potential of diplomacy of dialogue structures as an auxiliary tool for promoting national interests in the international arena, strengthening Russia's position as an independent center of power in international relations. The theory of a two-level game developed by R. Putnam in relation to the practice of negotiating facilitates the explanation of the diplomacy of dialogue structures specificity. The theory of securitization of the constructivist school served as a theoretical justification for diversifying the global priorities of Russia's foreign policy. In the course of the study, the author came to the conclusion that the diplomacy of the dialogue structures of the Russian Federation is not developing in isolation, but it takes into account the strategic goals and objectives formalized at the official level in the basic conceptual foreign policy document. In particular, the central topics of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum include sovereignty of the economy and the formation of a multipolar world. A series of regional forums and congresses reflects the priority desire of the Russian Federation to build up ties with partners from the CIS and BRICS countries. The “Pivot to the East” raises the profile of the Eastern Economic Forum. Particular attention is paid to the development of relations with the states of the Islamic world, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is noteworthy that regional platforms serve not only for the exchange of views, but also for the adoption of practice-oriented agreements in the field of politics, economics, culture and sports. The very holding of events on the territory of the Russian Federation contributes to the growth of the investment attractiveness of Russian cities and regions, as well as the formation of a favorable image of the country abroad.

Conceptualising securitisation in the field of cyber security policy

ObjectivesThis article will attempt to analyse securitisation theory to explore the discursive features of cyber security, using a multi-actor approach that considers the role of state and non-state actors in the creation and management of cyber security discourses.Material and methodsThe paper aims to assess the contribution of securitization theory to the understanding of both traditional and contemporary security policy issues. More specifically, it is an attempt to reflect on the identification of the challenges facing the modern state.ResultsGrowing dependence on digital technology is inevitable, making the future more threatening than the present. Cyber technology is inherently vulnerable and thus impossible to fully secure. The call for "greater security" becomes justified because the more a country depends on cyber technology, the more inevitable cyber threats become. They are consistently treated by government circles as a security challenge, meaning that the problem is presented as an existential threat, requiring emergency measures and justifying action beyond the normal bounds of political procedure.ConclusionsAs some conclusion and conclusion, it is worth reiterating observations about the multi-stakeholder nature of cyber security and observations about the co-creation of this security by a wide range of actors representing different and in some cases conflicting interests. It can be argued that there is no single discourse on cyber security or cyber threats, and it is simplistic to assume that there is even a single discourse that represents every securitization actor, be it government or the private sector. This diversity explains why the assumption and logic of securitization theory can only apply to some, but not all, cyber security discourses.

Technological Innovations and Regional Security Control towards Sustainable Development in the G5 Sahel Region

The Sahel region has suffered multiple security threats that have posed multiple challenges to the security of the entire region and other parts of the world. Following a buildup of security threats in the region since 2012, the US and EU have partnered to provide troops to bolster security and forestall the spread of radicalization into terrorism. This paper focuses on the role of technological innovations on security control and crime management, provides background to the study, with focus on the rise of technology on security control and crime management. The paper also discusses the history of the crisis in the Sahel, focusing on the G5 Sahel, and provides key recommendations on the use of technology as a panacea for security control and crime management in the G5 Sahel. The study was based on securitization theory and was carried out using case-study research design based on three objectives: to assess the current technological innovation infrastructure in use in the G5 Sahel region, evaluate the impact of technological innovations in crime management and security control in the G5 Sahel region and to assess the potential of emerging technological innovations in addressing crime and security management in the G5 Sahel and the broader Sub-Saharan Africa. Technological innovations are critical components of addressing cross border challenges. However, technology can also lead to insecurity challenges, where insurgents use them to perpetrate crimes, including using UAVs to strike at civilian targets. The researchers find that the use of technology has become consequential in the fight against crime and insecurity. They also find that technology has helped address emergent needs in crime and security management in the G5 Sahel. They recommend that there is need to re-imagine the G5 Sahel to increase coordination among member states. They also call for further studies on the impacts of “false flags” on social media, which could be used to negatively profile otherwise harmless civilians. They also call for greater and meaningful public participation to ensure the deployment of new technologies is supported by the public.

Mediated public diplomacy and securitisation theory: the US campaign against Chinese 5G in Brazil and Chile

Amidst the transition to the fifth generation of mobile telecommunications (5G), the US has launched a diplomatic campaign to prevent other states from acquiring such technologies from Chinese providers. In reply, China has launched a similar campaign to rebut being perceived as a security threat. However, the outcomes of such influencing campaigns in other states have been varied. This article argues that mediated public diplomacy and securitisation theory offer complementary ways to research the competition between the US and China in terms of influencing the policies of foreign states. Empirically, it examines the cases of Brazil and Chile, where the US campaign against Chinese 5G suppliers was successful in setting the agenda. However, neither the increased economic interdependence of Brazil and Chile with China nor their close political cultural congruency with the US, though, are enough to explain the different outcomes of the US campaign against Chinese 5G providers in each country. Indeed, Chile rejected the US securitisation move, while in Brazil it was successful, but partial in that it only refers to government 5G, not commercial 5G. The article argues that the degree of consensus among national political elites and other non-state actors to endorse or reject the US narrative explains such differences.

The securitization of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, Asia, and Oceania: Mixes of imbalanced securitizing narratives and measures

Governments across the world resorted to different forms of narratives and measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. This study observed the responses of six administrations (China, Sweden, UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and New Zealand) through the lenses of the securitization theory as complemented with tailor-made methodological tools. Introducing the concept of the ‘securitization gap’ between the securitizing narratives’ intensity and the securitizing measures’ stringency this study argues that a consistency between the rhetoric’s intensity and measures’ severity did not impact the governments’ capacity to manage the COVID-19 outbreak. Further, this study finds a relation between the stringency of the securitizing measures and the management of COVID-19. Administrations that resorted to severe forms of securitization managed to spare more lives from the virus than administrations that did not enforce stringent securitizing tactics. Lastly, this study argues that the agreement of the general public with the securitizing narratives and the securitizing measures did not drastically influence the COVID-19 fatalities in the concerned case studies.

‘Chống dịch như chống giặc’ (‘Fighting the pandemic like fighting the invader’): Audience agency and historical resources in Vietnam’s early securitisation of Covid-19

Abstract Vietnam’s initial response to Covid-19 was conspicuous for various reasons, including how its attempt at securitisation drew deeply from historical narratives, symbols, and traditions specific to the Vietnamese experience, as well as how the securitisation project was not simply top-down and state-driven but also featured ground-up participation where the public was mobilised to participate in and actively reiterate securitisation practices. This richly textured empirical case study of the workings of Vietnamese society and politics represents an invitation to explore key debates surrounding securitisation theory. Reflecting on the empirical material of the case, this paper builds on scholarship seeking to highlight the shortcomings of the Copenhagen School’s model of securitisation and from there further explore securitisation theory and its limits. It takes aim at how the audience and its agency is conceptualised in the theory and develops the notions of ‘historical resources’ and ‘activation architecture’ to more adequately explain the processes of securitisation.

The vulnerability of securitisation: the missing link of critical security studies

ABSTRACT This article proposes to focus on vulnerability in the operationalisation of securitisation theory. It argues that in empirical investigations we often fail to acknowledge that security acts may reflect weakness, not strength. Employing second-generation securitisation research, it first problematizes the common approach to securitisation. Namely, that the self-referential conceptualisation of security acts, together with the realist understanding of power, lead to interpretations of securitisation as a tool of unprincipled statecraft. Secondly, drawing on Brown’s work on border walling, the article reasons that securitisation is predicated on vulnerability. Vulnerability is a legitimising necessity of securitisation. One cannot designate a threat without tying it to vulnerability (real/imagined). Securitisations are essentially claims of vulnerability. Thirdly, utilising contextual and narrative analysis of two case studies, this paper illustrates how securitisations are coupled with vulnerability. The article formalizes a generative research avenue of securitisation. One that better accounts for the intersubjective aspects of security acts.

Did the 2014 Crimean Crisis have an Impact on the European Union’s Energy Policy Towards the United States?

Abstract This article investigates the energy policy of the European Union (EU) towards the United States (US) from 2009 to 2020. It focuses more particularly on the impact that the Crimean crisis has had on this EU policy in the context of the transatlantic relationship. To do so, it applies securitisation theory and uses both content and discourse analyses on three document types: exclusively EU-produced texts, texts produced by both the EU and the US through the EU-US energy council and think-tank reports. Contradicting the security discourse often displayed by mainstream media, this article asserts that the Crimean crisis did not add any significant security-based features to the EU’s external energy policy after 2014 when the EU-US partnership is analysed. Despite a discourse containing more security elements, the approach of the EU’s energy policy vis-à-vis the United States has remained primarily market-oriented throughout the period under investigation.

Security-defence nexus in flux: (De)securitisation of technology in the Netherlands

ABSTRACTThe contemporary defence sector is dominated by dual-use technologies which have both military and civilian applications. The trade of these technologies is governed by export controls. Designation of technologies as “dual-use” and export control regimes can be considered as securitisation of such technologies. Securitisation refers to the discursive construction of existential threats. This article seeks to understand which actors desire securitisation or its opposite, desecuritisation, of technology. The contribution of this research is twofold. Firstly, securitisation of technology has implications for understanding defence and security in contemporary Europe. Secondly, identifying the actors involved in (de)securitisation allows for the analysis of their different roles in determining security discourses around technologies. The article builds on the literature on securitisation theory. Then it explores the EU-level export control regimes and afterwards focuses on a single case study of the Netherlands both as representative of smaller European states with an SME-heavy defence sector and as an example of an expanded export control regime by a member state. To conduct the analysis, I use the data obtained through a workshop with representatives of Dutch defence companies as well as a survey that has been answered by security and defence experts.

The jihadists are coming! Abyssal thinking and spatial politics of un/knowing in Ghana’s terrorism discourse

ABSTRACT Coastal West African countries are in a threat anticipatory anxiety mode: over the fear that subaltern violent “jihadist” groups (SVJGs) are breaching their borders and heading south from across the Sahel. In Ghana, this fear has led to a build-up of commentaries, political statements, and counter-extremism/counterterrorism programs. This article interrogates the terrorism discourse in this West African country at the intersection of critical security studies and the politics of space, by applying securitisation theory and critical discourse analysis. In what is the most comprehensive academic review of news articles on the terrorism discourse in Ghana yet, I contend that the discourse evokes what Boaventura de Sousa Santos calls ‘abyssal thinking’ and creates cognitive and physical spatial abyssal lines. On the invisible side, insecurity within Ghana gets “normalised” by the discourse. On the visible side, however, SVJGs are securitised as abnormal, foreign, and uniquely threatening. This nature of the discourse effectively places events and conditions in the country that are either terroristic or constitutive of terrorism on the invisible side of Ghana’s security priorities. The discourse, therefore, hides much about the reality of insecurity and political violence within the country. These arguments advance the frontiers of security/terrorism knowledge and practice in West Africa by demonstrating the pervasiveness of “global war on terror” systems of representation, two decades after their inception and despite their flaws and adverse implications for human and national security.

Not So Ambitious? Indonesia’s Coal Dependence Amidst The Era of Energy Transition

Indonesia ratified the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and pledged to reduce its carbon emissions. This commitment, however, contrasts Indonesia's development plan under Joko Widodo's administration. His policy has enabled the development of additional power plants, hence perpetuating Indonesia's reliance on coal. Thus, it is essential to examine why Indonesia is still struggling to break free from its dependence on coal, despite its ambitious goal to tackle climate change. This paper will apply the Copenhagen School's securitisation theory to explore how security is defined and shapes Indonesia's energy transition process. Furthermore, this research will use distributive and procedural justice theory to examine the decision-making process and climate change policy implementation. In order to accomplish so, we will employ qualitative methods such as desk studies, which will comprise academic literature as well as government statements and regulations. This paper argues that Indonesia's energy transition is impeded by how other security issues are prioritised above climate change. In addition, the lack of justice principles in the climate policy formulation and implementation has contributed to Indonesia's reliance on coal. Since Indonesia is the world's largest coal exporter and one of the top ten global polluters, this study intends to contribute to identifying challenges in the transition to renewable energy.Keywords: Indonesia; coal dependence; energy transition; securitisation; distributive and procedural justice

Securitization of Forced Migrants in the European Union

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the EUs responses to arriving forced migrants during the ongoing Ukraine conflict and whether the EU has selective humanity towards forced migrants who come from varied backgrounds. The theory of securitization will be applied to analyze the EUs responses towards the arriving forced migrants. Greece will serve as a case study to show securitization works within EU states and explain the EUs failure to handle the refugee crisis in 2015. Then, through the comparison to the EUs current response to Ukraine refugees, it seems that the EU does have a double standard towards forced migrants from different cultural backgrounds and ethnics.

Securitization of a Political Conflict in Southeast Asia: Disengaging the Indigenous Audience in West Papua

ABSTRACT The Indonesian government maintains a security approach to dealing with the armed conflict in West Papua. However, the state’s securitization results in more harm, evidenced by the increasing number of armed attacks in its Central Highlands. Why has the securitization failed to quell the conflict in West Papua? How and why does Indonesia’s government securitize the conflict? This article uses securitization theory to show three strategies the Indonesian government uses to address the conflict and how the government excludes Papuans. It further argues that examining the Papuan resistance is critical to elucidate the ineffectiveness of this securitization. It concludes that securitization must be deliberative in achieving security outcomes, and those would only prolong rather than halt the conflict if only relying on powerful actors.

A “Matter of Life and Death”? Patterns of Securitisation and Desecuritisation of Food Resilience in Indonesia

Food self-sufficiency had been a perennial quest for Indonesian administrations. The research explored two questions. First, how have political leaders securitised the self-sufficiency narrative? Second, is the securitisation of food justified? This research examined the “self-sufficiency” narrative across Indonesian governments and charts the patterns in its securitisation and de-securitisation through the lens of just securitisation theory. The research made two arguments. First, the securitisation of food in Indonesia has not always been for the benefit of the nation, but instead, the political elite. The second argument is the securitisation of food in Indonesia is not always justified, and therefore, necessitates further review of policies related to food security. The findings show that the securitisation of food in general to be unjustified. Therefore, the de-securitising food security and returning it to the realm of normal politics should be the immediate goal for Indonesian administrations, in addition to formulating alternative policies not grounded in the self-sufficiency narrative.

Securitization Theory in South Asia and Kartarpur Border: A Peace Initiative or a Conflict?

South Asia has been a special geographical region where all of its member states have common interests in sociocultural, political, and economic spheres. South Asia is regarded as a single geographical entity where security issues have a cross-border impact due to this region's singularity. Pakistan has opened the Kartarpur border between Pakistan and India for the Sikh community. It is a positive step toward regional peace, but the security of the region has also been called into question, including whether or not the tension between Pakistan and India will decrease or worsen. Would it threaten regional security or bring about peace? In the new situation, how would India and the Sikh community act? How may a sovereign state develop relations with a religious community (resented group) of a nearby sovereign state by passing it? How would it change the way that states interact with one another, both internationally and regionally? The focus of the research article is primarily an effort to respond to these questions. The qualitative research has approached, and the historical and correlational methodology has opted to find out how the opening of the Kartarpur border affects Indo-Pak security and how South Asia has to face its after-effects.

Securitization in Moreh town of Manipur State, India and the impact of the Myanmar political conflict

The border of Moreh town is a major security concern for the Manipur State of India due to its location whereby it shares the border with neighboring Myanmar and the diverse population characteristics. Furthermore, the conflict in Myanmar following a military coup in 2021 heightened regional tensions. It impacted people in the nation and neighboring countries as a result of mass migration fleeing political and economic difficulties. The objective of this article is to examine the security policy-making process and its components in Moreh town, as well as the impact of Myanmar's political crisis on human security, using Securitization Theory as a framework. This study employs qualitative research methodology, primarily relying on secondary documents. According to the findings of this study, the government, both federal and state, is the primary securitizing actor in Moreh town, with other non-actors in dual process of securitization, prioritizing illegal migration as a case study. While insurgencies and other cross-border crimes are also important security issues in the area. As a result of border restrictions and limitations, these issues could have an impact on both national and human security.

Türkiye’deki Muhalefet Partilerinin Suriyeli Mültecilere yönelik Söylemleri: Güvenlikleştirme ve Geri Gönderme

3.6 million Syrian refugees who were forced to move to Turkey since the initiation of the civil war in Syria in 2011 have had a significant impact on Turkish politics. While the governing Justice and Development Party has fluctuated between religiously-based humanitarianism and securitization discourses, opposition parties have prioritized the issue in response to growing public discontent. Focusing on the recent repatriation debate, this article analyzes the attitudes and discourses of opposition parties towards the Syrian refugees. By drawing on the Copenhagen School securitization theory, the study examines the discourses of four opposition parties under the dimensions of economy, culture and security. The article concludes that while Republican People’s Party, Good Party and Victory Party securitize the issue to varying degrees, Peoples’ Democratic Party does not.

Upholding disciplinary whiteness: The #SdScandal, gender and international relations’ critical turn

This article examines the #SdScandal: the backroom and public fracas surrounding an article on epistemic racism in classic securitization theory that we authored. It argues that what the #SdScandal illustrates is that disciplinary whiteness in international relations has been upheld not despite, but in part through, the ‘critical turn’. Using textual analysis as well as cyber-ethnographic and auto-ethnographic methods, it details how post-positivist knowledge-frames sometimes become vehicles for the rehabilitation of racial-colonial concepts, and how white femininities and novel tender masculinities can be evoked in the defence of institutional hierarchies. That such gendered shifts in disciplinary whiteness (seem to) depart from old-guard ‘white man’s IR’ (per Lake, 2016) only increases their efficacy in securing the status quo. The article further contextualizes this argument about international relations within the broad backlash against resurgent claims for racial justice both inside and outside the academy. It identifies political-intellectual convergences, not only between orthodox and some critical thought, but between right-wing and some self-identified liberal, leftist and/or feminist scholars, especially around the supposed threat of ‘cancellation’ of scholars and scholarship. Examining what critics of the #SdScandal called threats of retribution against this journal, it argues that at stake are issues of editorial independence and academic freedom, and, more broadly, contending visions of how to pursue anti-racism.

SEKURITISASI PMI DOMESTIC WORKER DI MALAYSIA TAHUN 2017-2020

This essay highlights the problem of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Malaysia by using securitization theory regarding migrant workers in obtaining human rights and examines whether the policies imposed in Malaysia for domestic workers aimed at that have been implemented properly as a concentration of human security. The paper is reviewed by elaborating the literature on foreign workers in Malaysia along with the conditions and policies regarding the restriction of some rights of domestic workers will be described and analyzed under the human rights and government regulations of the two countries in dealing with migrant workers.