On Thursday, October 20, 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) issued a two-page document outlining their new approach and guiding principles to Human Security. Meant to “provide a coherent and consistent understanding of human security for NATO,” it pairs closely with the recently released Strategic Concept.
During our now three-year-old project “Strengthening NATO’s Ability to Protect,” and throughout our careers, we have worked with NATO stakeholders to support the drafting and adoption of the Protection of Civilians Policy (2016) and the evolution of the concept of Human Security. We are pleased by the release and direction of this document, and we look forward to NATO’s future work to develop the implementation of the cross-cutting topics and collaboration with the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.
The human security approach centers on future conflicts and crises likely to occur amongst or close to civilian populations and deems them “inseparable.” It also importantly recognizes current and future threats, for example, the deliberate targeting of civilians as a strategy in conflict: “In the current security environment, civilians are being deliberately targeted in conflict, and their safety and security are being leveraged to serve military objectives; this has become once more apparent with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” While a very challenging aspect of the conflict, we believe there are capabilities that NATO can develop to ensure they can effectively identify risks and neutralize threats to civilians in future operating environments.
The approach highlights the importance of “embedding considerations for the comprehensive safety and security of the populations into all stages and levels of Alliance operations, missions and activities, wherever NATO operates, with the objective of preventing and responding to risks and threats to all people.” It allows the operational commander flexibility to adapt while using the tools of HS and WPS to ensure that we maintain our values as an Alliance. The open-ended nature of this approach is not prescriptive and invites innovation that can move at the speed of the battlefield of tomorrow.
Another critical piece of the approach is that it clearly states that “NATO integrates human security principles into all of the Alliance’s core tasks.” It also links the concept to NATO’s core values. It discusses how the approach can bolster NATO’s understanding of conflict and crisis–including in the future, where that situation may unfold in the territory of a NATO ally. It states: “The notion of human security links NATO’s common values of individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law to NATO practice. A human security approach provides a heightened understanding of conflict and crisis. A better and more holistic view of conflict—above and beyond a typical military intelligence perspective of the adversary—allows NATO to develop a more comprehensive view of the human environment, enhancing operational effectiveness and contributing to lasting peace and security.”
We are pleased that NATO is embracing the sharing of lessons learned on “human security-related issues with relevant actors, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the African Union, host nations, partners, and civil society, as appropriate.” Sharing lessons across operating environments–in addition to amongst Allies–is critical for progress as some of these organizations have more and varying experience with human security and the protection of civilians. While NATO mission sets may be somewhat different from those of these other international and regional actors, it is worthsharing lessons learned and best practices to strengthen each organization and its ability to protect its constituents.
The approach creates a strong foundation for human security as a key objective of future mission sets. Yet, despite this critical milestone, more work remains. This strategic level document must be taken by the two strategic commands (Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation) for further development and operationalization. The Alliance entrusts the strategic commands with ensuring that the political and strategic aspirations of a document like this are realized on the ground. Most militaries do not yet have this as a native area of expertise. To be successful, NATO needs to strengthen and standardize how they request and receive information from external experts with decades of protection experience in global conflicts including setting resources aside to support this work. Doing this will ensure they benefit from decades of past expertise and have a 360degree view of future conflict and crisis.
Effective implementation will require human and financial resources. The document does have a noteworthy mention of the need for future funding to ensure effective implementation. Soon, all five cross-cutting topics will have policy-level documents, and the focus must shift to performance at the operational and tactical levels. The cross-cutting nature of the HS approach invites multiple earmarks for training, exercise funding, expert analysis, and personnel to prepare NATO for the Future. NATO allies must unite at the political level to ensure these resources are available.
We are excited to see how NATO works over the next several years to integrate the human security approach and cross-cutting topics into its doctrine, training, exercises, and mission planning and execution. Doing so will ensure they are prepared to protect civilians in a future crisis or conflict.
NATO issues its much anticipated “Human Security Approach”
By Marla Keenan • Samantha Turner
Human Rights & IHL
On Thursday, October 20, 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) issued a two-page document outlining their new approach and guiding principles to Human Security. Meant to “provide a coherent and consistent understanding of human security for NATO,” it pairs closely with the recently released Strategic Concept.
During our now three-year-old project “Strengthening NATO’s Ability to Protect,” and throughout our careers, we have worked with NATO stakeholders to support the drafting and adoption of the Protection of Civilians Policy (2016) and the evolution of the concept of Human Security. We are pleased by the release and direction of this document, and we look forward to NATO’s future work to develop the implementation of the cross-cutting topics and collaboration with the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.
The human security approach centers on future conflicts and crises likely to occur amongst or close to civilian populations and deems them “inseparable.” It also importantly recognizes current and future threats, for example, the deliberate targeting of civilians as a strategy in conflict: “In the current security environment, civilians are being deliberately targeted in conflict, and their safety and security are being leveraged to serve military objectives; this has become once more apparent with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” While a very challenging aspect of the conflict, we believe there are capabilities that NATO can develop to ensure they can effectively identify risks and neutralize threats to civilians in future operating environments.
The approach highlights the importance of “embedding considerations for the comprehensive safety and security of the populations into all stages and levels of Alliance operations, missions and activities, wherever NATO operates, with the objective of preventing and responding to risks and threats to all people.” It allows the operational commander flexibility to adapt while using the tools of HS and WPS to ensure that we maintain our values as an Alliance. The open-ended nature of this approach is not prescriptive and invites innovation that can move at the speed of the battlefield of tomorrow.
Another critical piece of the approach is that it clearly states that “NATO integrates human security principles into all of the Alliance’s core tasks.” It also links the concept to NATO’s core values. It discusses how the approach can bolster NATO’s understanding of conflict and crisis–including in the future, where that situation may unfold in the territory of a NATO ally. It states: “The notion of human security links NATO’s common values of individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law to NATO practice. A human security approach provides a heightened understanding of conflict and crisis. A better and more holistic view of conflict—above and beyond a typical military intelligence perspective of the adversary—allows NATO to develop a more comprehensive view of the human environment, enhancing operational effectiveness and contributing to lasting peace and security.”
We are pleased that NATO is embracing the sharing of lessons learned on “human security-related issues with relevant actors, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the African Union, host nations, partners, and civil society, as appropriate.” Sharing lessons across operating environments–in addition to amongst Allies–is critical for progress as some of these organizations have more and varying experience with human security and the protection of civilians. While NATO mission sets may be somewhat different from those of these other international and regional actors, it is worthsharing lessons learned and best practices to strengthen each organization and its ability to protect its constituents.
The approach creates a strong foundation for human security as a key objective of future mission sets. Yet, despite this critical milestone, more work remains. This strategic level document must be taken by the two strategic commands (Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation) for further development and operationalization. The Alliance entrusts the strategic commands with ensuring that the political and strategic aspirations of a document like this are realized on the ground. Most militaries do not yet have this as a native area of expertise. To be successful, NATO needs to strengthen and standardize how they request and receive information from external experts with decades of protection experience in global conflicts including setting resources aside to support this work. Doing this will ensure they benefit from decades of past expertise and have a 360degree view of future conflict and crisis.
Effective implementation will require human and financial resources. The document does have a noteworthy mention of the need for future funding to ensure effective implementation. Soon, all five cross-cutting topics will have policy-level documents, and the focus must shift to performance at the operational and tactical levels. The cross-cutting nature of the HS approach invites multiple earmarks for training, exercise funding, expert analysis, and personnel to prepare NATO for the Future. NATO allies must unite at the political level to ensure these resources are available.
We are excited to see how NATO works over the next several years to integrate the human security approach and cross-cutting topics into its doctrine, training, exercises, and mission planning and execution. Doing so will ensure they are prepared to protect civilians in a future crisis or conflict.
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