ABSTRACT
Human security today is without doubt more than merely an academic concept, having been translated into practice already in various ways. But to what extent can (or should) the concept of human security be regarded as a valid conceptual approach for United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations or European Union (EU) crisis management operations? To what extent has human security been institutionalised in peace and crisis management operations and become, in fact, operational on the ground? The conceptual and practical developments of the concept of human security in UN and EU peace and crisis management operations over the last 15 years and, in particular, the last 10 years need to be analysed as they can give tentative answers to the question of what potential human security has as an operationalised concept in managing conflict and post-conflict situations.
