ABSTRACT
Beyond human rights, international humanitarian law is another reflection of international law that seeks to protect individuals. Human security emerged in the wake of the Cold War and the rise of globalisation. Human security not only complements but potentially unifies the overarching principles and goals established in the UN Charter. This chapter provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book examines the core concept of 'security' and the arguments in favour of moving towards a new paradigm of security and beyond reliance on the traditional conceptualisations of state security and sovereignty that continue to dominate international legal discourse. It explores the reasons why international legal scholarship has failed to engage with human security discourse. The book examines the normative framework of human security and identifies the commonalities that exist between human security and international law. It examines the degree to which human security discourse has actually penetrated the language and structure of international treaties.
