1.

National liberation movements

National liberation movements (NLMs) are conflicts fought by nations to gain
independence, usually from a certain regime that is oppressive and/or foreign-ruled. These
movements put the liberation of their country at the forefront, and therefore expect their
citizens to follow suit. They have been a major driving force in European politics ever since
the late 18th century, starting with the French Revolution in 1789. The movements spread to
the States with the formation of American colonies, and they formed the majority of the
upheaval in countries’ political status in the 20th century, especially in Asia and Africa where
long-standing colonial powers were overthrown by nationalist factions. Under international
law, people with a legal right to self-determination are entitled to wage wars of national
liberation. These wars are often viewed as civil wars under Western lenses, while countries
that underwent these movements maintain their status as international wars, citing that the
forces their people battle against are often commanded by foreign forces.
However, such movements face a myriad of challenges, prominent among these are
the right to self-determination and the principle of state sovereignty, the decline in
international support for liberation movements, and the need to navigate complex societal
structures. The right to self-determination, as stated in the UN Charter, asserts that all people
have the right to freely determine their political status. On the other hand, state sovereignty
means nations are the main bodies that international law concerns and have the right to
exercise jurisdiction within their territorial boundaries. In simplified terms, one group may
maintain that they are under a tyrannical and authoritarian regime, for instance, while said
regime may state that the aforementioned group are terrorists who seek to wage war, create
chaos and disrupt harmony in their country. These matters are everything but black and white,
which not only causes a great deal of controversy but also deters other nations from voicing
their concerns. Thus, it can be observed that fewer and fewer are raising their opinions when
such conflicts occur, oftentimes resorting to vague politicspeak.

References:
- Amin, S. (2001). National Liberation Movements. Elsevier EBooks, 10309–10314.
https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-08-043076-7/02723-6
- Amin, S. (2015). National Liberation Movements. Elsevier EBooks.
https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-097086-8.62064-0
- Noelle, Higgins. (2004). The Application of International Humanitarian Law to Wars
of National Liberation. Social Science Research Network.
- Alex (2022, March 3). A Typology of National Liberation Movements. Tel Aviv
Review of Books.
https://www.tarb.co.il/a-typology-of-national-liberation-movements/
 2. Non-traditional security
Non-traditional security issues, according to the Consortium of Non-traditional
Security Studies in Asia, are challenges to the survival and well-being of peoples and states
that arise primarily out of non-military sources. They may include, but are not limited to:
climate change, resource scarcity, infectious diseases, natural disasters, irregular migration,
food shortages, drug and people trafficking, and terrorism. These dangers are often
transnational in scope, rendering many remedies unusable and requiring collaborative
responses from many schools - political, economic, and social, as well as humanitarian use of
military force if need be. In the 21st century, the most serious security threats countries face
are oftentimes not the armies of other countries, but a sleuth of non-state actors such as
terrorist networks, drug cartels and maritime piracy groups. The battlefield is also gradually
shifting from land, air and water to cyberspace with the emergence of cyber-warfare and
cyber-espionage, a byproduct of the technological advancements in the Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) field.

It is widely understood that non-traditional security threats are complex and entail
far-reaching consequences on our lives. Although they rarely affect national sovereignty,
these threats directly threaten and damage the foundation and development of humans,
communities, societies, defense, security, and nations. Hence, countries are always seeking
proactive measures to respond to these challenges. Firstly, only when non-traditional security
issues take place can we realise their consequences. Thus, it is necessary for the people and
the political system to be aware of such threats; the changes and adjustments that ensue could
help prevent the serious aftermath of these problems. Countries are also promoting
international cooperation in detecting, preventing, and responding to non-traditional threats.
As has been stated, such threats are often of regional and international scale, thus
necessitating the whole world to commit to responding to these challenges. To that end, the
quick formulation of legal frameworks and funds between countries, regions, and the world,
as well as the timely and honest discussion of these dangers, would be the name of the game.

References:
- Non-traditional security: Problems and solutions for ethnic minority areas. (n.d.).
Lyluanchinhtri.vn. Retrieved November 26, 2023, from
http://lyluanchinhtri.vn/home/en/index.php/practice/item/791-non-traditional-security-
problems-and-solutions-for-ethnic-minority-areas.html
- Pham (2022). Identifying and opportunely, effectively responding to non-traditional
security challenges. Retrieved November 26, 2023, from
 m.tapchiqptd.vn/en/theory-and-practice/identifying-and-opportunely-effectively-respo
nding-to-non-traditional-security-challenges-18443.html
- Caballero-Anthony, M. (2016). An Introduction to Non-Traditional Security Studies:
A Transnational Approach. SAGE Publications Ltd.
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473972308
- Srikanth, Divya, 2014. Non-traditional security threats in the 21st century: A review.
International Journal of Development and Conflict, Gokhale Institute of Politics and
Economics, vol. 4(1).