ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the relationship between human security discourse and international law. It explains treaties developed under the auspices of the human security discourse. The chapter also utilizes human security as both a normative and operational framework for international legal instruments and their negotiation. Human security discourse then necessarily informs the content and interpretation of such instruments, and as such needs to be understood from a legal perspective. The chapter discusses human security discourse straddles a difficult line of trying to simultaneously produce what Newman refers to as 'problem solving' and 'critical' dimensions. The critical role of human security discourse is to challenge existing structures and normative assumptions, such as the role of the state, sovereignty and prevailing power structures. The chapter highlights both formal international law-making, and less formalized multi-stakeholder initiatives. The chapter also provides an overview of preceding chapters.
