Human Security Vision
Human security issues are increasingly recognized as fundamental causes of regional and international insecurity that affect U.S. national interests though the specific pathways and processes are often not clearly understood. Threats to human security, and hence to national and regional stability can originate from many sources: inadequate provision of aid in post conflict or disaster situations; failure to ensure the elemental needs of enough food, water, heat and energy, and a clean environment; lack of law enforcement and protection from violence; health care. Because human security issues can escalate to regional and international security threats, issues such as changing demographics, epidemics such as AIDS, and diseases like malaria, are now included on the national security agenda.
Strategy
As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is in an excellent position to apply its diverse scientific capabilities to contribute to identifying and resolving human security issues that drive significant regional and international stability problems and threatening U.S. national security. The work the Center successfully produces on Asia security issues will provide PNNL with a good idea of where in the range of human security issues, it can provide expertise.
It has long been understood that states weakened through economic, health, energy, environmental or other stresses, are less able to manage successful internal and external relations. With globalization, countries are increasingly affected by one another; the failures of one state may create local and regional instabilities and strategies that extend globally. The USG is increasingly looking to help understand and resolve the underlying sources of national, regional or international tension as a means of reducing security threats to the Unites States. Both the Departments of State (DOS) and Defense (DOD) have established offices responsible for identifying the international situations where it is in the United States interest to help alleviate such tensions, hence reducing the risk of conflict or managing post-conflict transitions more effectively, so peace can be better assured. The Center is exploring where PNNL policy and scientific expertise could enable the Laboratory to contribute effectively to projects dedicated to solving these critical security problems.
Areas of Emphasis in Human Security
The specific path forward for this work is not yet defined. It may result from what we learn and successes we achieve in the nonproliferation and Asia security work, interactions with the UW, and further analysis of actions and thinking of USG agencies addressing these security issues. We have begun to explore the connections between human trafficking and illicit trafficking of nuclear weapons material, equipment and/or technology and dual use nuclear technology intended for weapons use. As the illicit activities of the network run by A.Q. Khan have demonstrated, proliferators have become adept at circumventing export controls through falsification of end-use information, end-user documentation, or cargo manifests. Illicit suppliers and shippers often collude and use transport routes and transshipment points in countries that lack strong controls and enforcement mechanisms.
An examination of human trafficking networks may provide important insights for understanding and defeating networks associated with the proliferation of nuclear and dual-use nuclear technology intended for weapons use. Criminals who are responsible for human trafficking are not merely opportunists who endeavor to increase their profits, they represent organized networks that operate and thrive on the complicity or collusion of government and law enforcement, as well as complicity from individuals not directly involved in the network. It is these same characteristics of complicity and collusion that enable nuclear and dual-use technology - intended for weapons use - to move unhindered through licit networks, many times circumventing export control measures and nonproliferation programs.