Suchergebnisse

This chapter argues that political security is intertwined with democracy and human rights but that some issues and concerns subsist in the Barents Region notably in relation to the respect and protection of the rights of citizens and the rights of indigenous people. The right to vote in national, regional and local elections is crucial to ensure the establishment of representative institutions in a democracy, because the authority of the government derives itself from the consent of the governed. The right of the Sami people to self-determination is an essential feature of their human rights, and is the basis for their inclusion in democratic orders that govern them. While political security necessarily entails the negative obligation of the state to refrain from interfering with basic individual freedoms, it also includes positive obligations for national authorities to take necessary measures to safeguard basic political rights.

Health security is an issue that is intrinsically connected to the environment and the economy of the Barents region. Living and working conditions in the Barents-Arctic region can pose challenges to both physical and mental health. Aside from resource dimensions, human security in the Barents population also depends on the promotion of security at both individual and community levels, as well as in the political sphere. Digital security is also linked to human security, despite the lack of pre-existing scholarship made from the latter perspective. Community security is complex, and requires a people-centred approach to determining specific recommendations. In the Barents Region, indigenous groups articulate community security as the preservation of their culture. Energy security within the Barents Region depends not only on the energy resource in question but also on the interests, aspirations and experiences of the individuals, families, and communities that are affected by or dependent on energy-related events, decisions and developments.