The traditional view of security that was borne out of the Cold War can be best summed up by Walt : “the threat, use, and control of military force”. In other words, the referent object of security is the state and issues of concern are of nuclear and military nature. However, in the 1990s, a more inclusive view of security came about – human security. Human security is where the referent object of security is the individual, hence, it can be applied to large areas of everyday life. The concept arose from the UNDP 1994 Human Development Report which represents human security as including economic, food, health, environmental, community, personal and political needs. The question that many p

18 June 2019 brought the planet one step closer to a nuclear war. Russia declared that they – after the USA did so on 2 February 2019 – left the anti-nuclear deal on intermediate-range missiles (INF), which paves the way for a re-nuclearization of the whole of Europe. The now dead INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) was a historic agreement which was achieved in 1987 between USA and the Soviet Union (Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev) with the intention of decreasing nuclear and conventional missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 km. Several inspections were held for the agreement to enter into force. As a result, the two superpowers at the time destroyed 2,692 nuclear weapons after the

It is almost 6 pm and we are slowly approaching the entrance of the stunning Westminster Hall. Our hearts are filled with sorrow: Kofi delivered his speech in the same venue during his very last visit to London. Still, seeing how many gathered to commemorate him and his work was warming and inspiring. As I enter the main hall, I notice many participants from the conference taking place in Chatham House. I also see young people, many of whom were representing various UNA-UK branches. Indeed, this event is extremely valuable and pertinent to the youth. Kofi Annan’s legacy can be hardly overlooked in helping to create the leaders of tomorrow. For us, the generation of change-makers, he will alw

All states are experiencing the devastating effects of climate change one way or another. According the UNDP, as of 2017 humans are estimated to have caused approximately 1°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels; sea levels have risen by about 20cm since 1880; between 1998 and 2017, climate-related disasters have killed 1.3 million people and injured 4.4 billion; to limit warming to 1.5°C, global net CO2 emissions must drop by 45% between 2010 and 2030, and reach net zero around 2050. In light of this, the UNHS is committed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, Climate Action, in order to take action on climate issues in Scotland and work towards climate justice at home and abro

HBO has recently released a mini-series ‘Chernobyl’ depicting the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occurred in April 1986. The Economist declares that ‘Chernobyl’ is the highest-rated TV series ever. In light of the series, I questioned how likely it is for a nuclear accident – be that at a nuclear power station or involving nuclear weapons - to take place. When considering human fallibility, I believe that at some point disaster will strike. Many scholars argue that nuclear weapons’ sole purpose is deterrence and that they are controlled by rational states, meaning that nuclear weapons accidents are not possible. In reality though, nuclear weapons are controlled by humans and mistakes can ea

Check out this new article from our work experience Student, Yumi! Yumi joined UNHS for a week in May and wrote this piece based on her understandings of SDGs 3, 4 and 13. #sdgs #SDG3 #SDG4 #SDG13

Kofi Annan was an inspiration to us all. He is not only remembered as an advocate of the UN but also as a symbol for peace, human rights and sustainable development. Through this lecture, I got to understand his ideas, his goals and his vision of what the world should be. Upon finishing graduation, I was completely lost and confused as to my future career path and where I want to be and what I want to achieve, but after attending this lecture, I have never felt more driven and empowered as a young woman. I've learnt one important lesson from this, that is, 'you are never too young to lead and we are never too old to learn'. It is incredibly inspiring to see how throughout Kofi's life, he lis