Human security in the European Union agenda on international cooperation development: elements for a critical analysis

Abstract

The article centers on the inevitable turn in the European Union’s quest for continuing playing a leading role in the International Cooperation for Development. While this block has as “mission” to support development policies across the world, it also seeks to include a vision on human security in its development assistance strategies. Two issues are in focus: what are the risks for the European Union’s Development Policy, analyzed from an academic perspective, if it gradually is becoming more subservient to security goals? What are the risks with such a narrative for vulnerable groups of people in developing countries? At the decision-making level on the international arena, today there seems to exist a general coherence and consensus around security imperatives, but not around development imperatives, which run counter to the pursuit of the binary objective; human security and, or in, development. The article makes a call for a more cautious approach to the concept of human security, especially when matched with development objectives in vulnerable societies. It is recommended that the European Union takes the effort to decouple the complex nexus of security-development and decide what focus should prevail for a particular action: security for the State or security for the people (the individual)? Not paying attention to this blurred distinction in rethoric as well as practice entails negative effects on the efficiency of development aid, lack of coherence, “policy evaporation” and incomprehensive political conditionalities.