ABSTRACT
Opportunists either get a bad rap for being unprincipled or get praised for having an entrepreneurial spirit. Where one sits on the issue of opportunism depends on one's world view. But— good or bad— opportunism is the best way to promote a human security agenda. Indeed, there may be no more effective way to promote human security than by making good use of someone else's— some state's or group of states'— opportunistic use of a human security claim. The reason for this is simple: States come first in the international system. Promoting human security in this states-first system means finding ways to link human security issues to state security
