Human security

Description

This is the third in a series of ten papers published jointly by the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) which aim to address ten critical topics for Euro-Mediterranean relations. The papers have been commissioned with a view to formulating policy options on a set of issues which are central to achieving the objectives set out in the 1995 Barcelona Declaration and the Paris Declaration of 2008, as well as defining new targets for 2020 in the political, economic and social spheres. This third paper looks at the perspectives for security cooperation between the EU and its partner countries in the Mediterranean region. The authors argue that security is a crucial area of cooperation in Euro-Mediterranean relations and that there is a need to reevaluate the EU's policies towards the region in the light of the changing international context: a multilateralist approach by the EU towards the partner countries is key to an improvement of the security dialogue in the region. The authors emphasise the need to go beyond conventional understandings of security and to focus on human security in particular in order to resolve the ongoing political conflicts in the Euro-Mediterranean area. They put forward a number of recommendations on how best to consolidate and deepen security cooperation in Euro-Mediterranean relations.

Subjects

Series Statement

• 10 papers for Barcelona 2010 -- 3