State and Human Security in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies
As part of the outreach component of the Security Sector Reform project, the Institute of Law at Birzeit University hosted Professor Mandy Turner, Professor of Conflict Resolution at the Department of Peace Studies at Bradford University in the United Kingdom to give a lecture on State and Human Security in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies.
Dr. Ghassan Faramand, Director of the Institute of Law, welcomed Professor Turner and the audience who represented several local and international organizations as well Birzeit Professors and students. Dr. Faramand highlighted the importance of Professor Turner lecture and its relation to the Palestinian context.
When given the floor, Professor Turner thanked Birzeit University for inviting her to talk on the subject and started her lecture by problematising security and asking the question “Security for whom?”. She answered by defining the concept of security and explaining that in her presentation she will be widening out the concept of security from State Security to include Human Security.
Professor Turner started by splitting the State building process into 3 phases: (1) Period of non-recognition and armed struggle; (2) Process of recognition and peace process and (3) Initial period of recognition and peace building. Professor Mandy then elaborated on each phase starting with the period of non-recognition and armed struggle which is characterised by a tension between right to self-determination enshrined in Article 1 of UN Charter and right to state sovereignty enshrined in Article 2 of UN Charter. The struggle for recognition in this phase challenges the state sovereignty and the security of the occupier or the central state. The Human security of the unrecognised peoplein this phaseis threatened by the occupier or the central state, especially when they use military force and refuse to negotiate. Security of unrecognised people in this period is dependent upon a peace process and UN peacekeeping force. Unrecognised people appeal to UN (e.g. Arafat speech at UN 1974) or to other security organisations (e.g. Kosovo Liberation Army/NATO) for the right to self-determination which depend on several key factors such as the support of a powerful patron and that the right for self-determination does not challenge the political or strategic interests of one of the 5 Permanent Members of UN Security Council (US, UK, France, Russia & China). UN becomes powerless if it does.
In the second phase a coherent and legitimate peace process will start involving all parties. International actors who play the role of ‘custodians of the peace’ need to ensure security of weaker party and balance asymmetry. Professor Turner then gave several examples of countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo,Timor-Leste and Palestine.
As for the period of recognition and peace building (Post-Conflict period), Professor Turner emphasized on the Human Security with its two-fold aspects: Freedom from fear and Freedom from want. To free people from fear, the nascent state needs to have monopoly over legitimate use of force and to pacify other sources of forces such as militias and freedom fighters. In this phase the state also works on the development of Rule of Law. As for freedom from want, humanitarian assistance is provided by the international community, infrastructure is repaired or built, economy is stimulated and state institutions are built with the participation of civil society and political parties. Professor Mandy Turner gave case studies speaking in details on State security and Human Security in Bosnia, Kosovo, Timor-Leste and Palestine. She concluded by giving a ‘check list’ for security and stability that consists of security (freedom from fear), wealth and welfare (freedom from want), representation and legitimacy, sovereignty and the right to self-determination and self-rule.
