ABSTRACT
There seems little doubt among not only the scholars who have contributed to this volume but among academicians and practitioners in general, that the nature of security threats in the twenty-first century has undergone – and continues to undergo – a change. We are no longer in the era of a world clearly defined on the basis of polarity; a world in which states could be considered both the primary source of insecurity as well as necessarily the primary means of response to security threats. Instead, we are faced with insecurity threats from a far broader range of actors, and along a much wider range of issues than inter-state conflict. Whether we are talking about the very serious potential global threats from environmental degradation, the spread of lethal viruses, or terrorism beyond national borders, it is quite easy to come to agreement on the idea that security threats in the twenty-first century are complex and, if not entirely new in nature, at least new in their global reach and severity. What remains a far more contentious issue is the question of the appropriate response to these new security threats: who or what is best poised to counter them? Using what means? Are new actors emerging to respond to these threats or are traditional actors in the best position to adapt their means and step up to the plate?
