securitization
/sɪˌkjʊərətaɪˈzeɪʃən/
Definition
The process by which non-political issues, such as Indigenous rights or natural resources, are reframed as urgent threats to national security to justify state intervention.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'securitas' meaning freedom from care or safety, combined with the suffix '-ization' to denote a process. In social and political sciences, it emerged in the late 20th century to describe the strategic elevation of topics into the realm of emergency security policy.
In the news
In this article, the term describes how Arctic governance is increasingly shaped by states prioritizing military and strategic concerns over previous goals of scientific cooperation. This shift constrains Indigenous diplomacy by forcing groups to operate within agendas dominated by national security interests.
Negotiating Authority: Indigenous Diplomacy Across Arctic and Global Governance
Read the full article ↗HARVARD Kennedy School - Belfer Center