scholarly journals Reshaping European and national security in a post COVID – 19 context

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Natea Mihaela Daciana ◽  
Anitei Mihai Daniel

Abstract The COVID-19 crisis, undoubtedly, raised a series of questions concerning aspects of national and human security. The crisis impact, per se, tested, in extremis, the medical systems and the political capacity to take swift decisions needed to protect the population. It is a general accepted thesis that the world will face a second wave of effects: economic and systemic. Regarding the last aspect, the current international system is constructed around many principles among them, relevant for our research are, global governance and national sovereignty. The manner in which the two concepts operate was tested during the pandemic. On one hand the international system of global governance failed to ensure a higher level of human security when facing a crisis. On the other hand, states were left to tackle the effects of the pandemic, more or less alone, as the entire international system was paralyzed. In this context state had to turn to classic concepts of national security, egocentric and protectionist, but needed to ensure one of its fundamental functions – providing the security of its citizens. As others crisis are expected to unfold in a domino like effect, redefining national security will be essential for states and regional organizations. But in this process decisions could collide with assumed international obligations. In this context the article explores this impact of the COVID 19 over the how states define their national security concepts. In this context a special attention will be given, as an example, to the industry sector in the context of the green deal, as European states will be pioneering in implementing new standards in climate protection policies that will affect certain sectors of the economy. Rethinking the national security agenda will certainly face aspects which impose the protection of certain sectors that have a higher negative impact over climate change.

The purpose of national security is to defend the country against external threats. But the purpose of human security is to protect individuals and humans from all threats. In international security theories, the two are distinguished. Therefore, many schools and theories have commented on it. For example, the security theory of realism focuses on "national security" within the framework of "States", but the liberal security theory focuses on "human security" within the framework of the international system. But along with these theories, the role of the great powers cannot be ignored or threatened by national or human security. Throughout history, the conquering and superior powers have always fought for the weak countries. The backward and weak countries have never been immune to this kind of aggression. Therefore, in this paper, we will look for the most important question that is what role do the great powers play in challenging human security in weak countries? This study will analyze the role of powerful countries' intervention in the challenge of human security in the international system and especially in Afghanistan.


Author(s):  
O. B. Berezovska-Chmil

  In this article theoretical and еmpirical analysis of social security are conducted. Ways of the optimization social security are argumented. The author notes that significant transformation processes are taking place in the country. They affect the state of security. It is noted that with the development of scientific and technological progress the number of threats and dangers does not decrease. At the same time, the essence of the phenomenon of "danger" is revealed. Empirical studies have been carried out on the basis of an analysis of problems related to ensuring the necessary safety of people. It is established that in recent times organized crime, including cybercrime, has spread widely in Ukraine. It has a negative impact on ensuring national security and sustainable development. A number of factors have been singled out. They are a potential threat to national security. Groups of possible dangers are determined. Summarizing the opinions of scientists, the essence of the concept of "social security" is characterized. It is emphasized that its state is influenced by the level of economic development, the effectiveness of social policy of the state and state regulation of social development. The authors have grounded the formation of national and social security, have proved that sustainable development is connected with the observance of social standards; have considered the development and implementation of a balanced social and environmental and economic policy. This policy would involve active use of the latest production technologies, minimizing the amount of harmful emissions to the environment, strengthening the role of the state in solving social and economic problems and sustainable development.


Author(s):  
Harold A. Trinkunas

Latin America has long aspired for an interstate system based on the principles of nonintervention and adherence to international law. Over time, the region has become increasingly free of war, and interstate disputes are frequently settled via diplomacy or by international courts. But it has achieved a largely “negative” peace as peaceful relations in the region are neither the result of nor have produced deeper commercial integration, effective regional organizations, or epistemic security communities. This chapter examines realist, liberal, and constructivist explanations to explain the sources of peace and peaceful change in Latin America, as well as how structural changes in the international system have affected the region. In particular, it analyzes how Latin America’s relative weakness in terms of material capabilities has led it to rely on diplomacy, “soft balancing,” and norms entrepreneurship in international law to secure its interest in a progressively more peaceful and rule-bound international order.


Author(s):  
Wilfrid Greaves

This article examines the implications of human-caused climate change for security in Canada. The first section outlines the current state of climate change, the second discusses climate change impacts on human security in Canada, and the third outlines four other areas of Canada’s national interests threatened by climate change: economic threats; Arctic threats; humanitarian crises at home and abroad; and the threat of domestic conflict. In the conclusion, I argue that climate change has clearly not been successfully “securitized” in Canada, despite the material threats it poses to human and national security, and outline directions for future research.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A77-A78
Author(s):  
Oreste De Rosa ◽  
Nicola Cellini ◽  
Francesca Conte ◽  
Serena Malloggi ◽  
Fiorenza Giganti ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Several studies have shown the negative impact of COVID-19-related confinement measures (spring 2020) on sleep features and quality. Here we aim to follow-up on these data by assessing self-reported sleep characteristics during the second wave of the pandemic (autumn 2020) in Italy, where the government responded with a second, partial, lockdown. Methods Using a longitudinal approach, 214 participants (Mage=36.78±14.2y; 159F) who had participated in a previous survey (April 2020 – Total Lockdown, TL) completed the same online survey from November 10th to December 1st (Partial Lockdown, PL). In each survey, participants had to respond to a set of questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), referring to their current situation and, retrospectively, to their situation before the lockdown, resulting in four time-points (pre-TL, TL, pre-PL, PL). Results Linear mixed-model analysis showed that bedtime was delayed from pre-TL (23:46) to TL (24:42) and then linearly advanced in pre-PL (24:02) and PL (23:56). The same pattern emerged for rise time (pre-TL: 07:48, TL: 9:05, pre-PL: 8:28, PL: 7:58) and time in bed, which increased from pre-TL (8h4min) to TL (8h24min) and then linearly decreased (pre-PL: 8h15m, PL: 8h2m). Subjective sleep quality decreased in the two lockdowns compared to the period with no restrictions. The proportion of poor sleepers (PSQI>5) increased from 39.7% (pre-TL) to 48.6% in TL and again from 36.9% (pre-PL) to 47.7% in PL. Conclusion Sleep habits and quality showed different profiles across four time-points of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictive measures. Sleep timing alterations appeared during the first lockdown, recovered after the confinement period, and almost returned to baseline during the second lockdown (likely due to a normalization of working schedules). Instead, subjective sleep quality markedly worsened during both lockdowns relative to the preceding respective months. These data suggest that subjective sleep quality is particularly sensitive to changes in life habits and psychological factors, independently of sleep habits. Considering that the pandemic situation may continue for several months, there is a need for interventions targeting sleep quality. Support (if any) N/A


2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Chase-Dunn ◽  
Hiroko Inoue

This article discusses the evolution of the international system and global governance within the Europe-centred modern world-system since the 15th century in the context of a comparative framework that includes interpolity systems since the Stone Age. The evolution of the modern system includes the emergence of the European system of sovereign national states and colonial empires, the extension of the Westphalian system to the non-core by succeeding waves of decolonization, the rise and fall of successively larger hegemons, the deepening of global capitalism in waves of globalization, the emergence of weak international regulatory institutions and the prospects for and the rapid emergence of global democracy. It is not claimed that a global state has already emerged, but the authors see the long-term processes as the early stages of the emergence of a world state, and consider how these processes might be accelerated within the next few decades. The need for democratization of the institutions of global governance is also discussed. However, in this article, the focus is more on real geo-historical processes than normative questions, outlining the evolution of interpolity institutional orders, describing the challenges in thinking about global state formation, and discussing some of the technological and political forces that might accelerate the long-term trend toward global state formation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-130
Author(s):  
A.S. MAKSIMOV ◽  

This article is devoted to identifying and characterizing the threat to national security of Russian Federation in the context of a hybrid war. The main aim of the study is to assume that the huge problem for national security of Russia today is the threat of a hybrid nature. This paper proposes the author's classification of hybrid threats, which made it possible to distinguish five functional groups of threats («triads») ‒ in the spiritual and socio-cultural, military-political, economic, information and international legal spheres. The specificity of the «triads» is that each of the three elements of the «triad» is capable of producing the appearance of the second and third elements of the «triad» and maintaining their activity. A variant of ranking «triads» according to the level of their threat intensity is presented, the rates of their intensification in the short term were determined. According to the author's conclusions, the synchronous activity of the «triads» creates a synergistic effect, exerting a complicated negative impact on the state of national security of Russia. The novelty of the research, the results of which are presented in the article, are the classification of hybrid threats and the verbal model of the functioning of the «triads» of threats. The findings of the study can contribute to the development of effective techniques and strategies for countering hybrid threats to national security of Russia.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Francesca Ferracane ◽  
Hosuk Lee-Makiyama

Purpose This paper aims to investigate China’s policy on digital trade with the objective to highlight the rationales behind such policy. Design/methodology/approach China’s policy on digital trade is assessed by analysing the main regulations imposed in the country in the period from 1985 to 2016 that have an impact on digital trade. Findings It was found that there are more than 70 measures imposed today that have a negative impact on digital trade. The measures are diverse and can be justified with several policy objectives, namely, industrial policy, public order and national security, and these support China’s fiscal and state-owned enterprise structure. Originality/value This paper analyses China’s policy on digital trade from a new perspective and provides insights on the rationales behind this policy.


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