CONTEMPORARY SECURITY ENVIRONMENT

CHARACTERISTICS

Andrei BUTNARIU, Ph.D Candidate^

Abstract: The modern security landscape is defined by unpredictable and

complex risks that blur the lines between internal and external threats. Integrating

these challenges into national strategies is mandatory. To maintain global stability,

security systems must prioritize international collaboration as their core operational

pillar.

Keywords: international security environment, challenges, international

security, failed states, weak states, global terrorism, international cooperation.

DOI

10.56082/annalsarscimilit.2026.1.75

I. Key considerations regarding the contemporary security

environment

The term "security" comes from the Latin " securitas - securitatis " and

represents " the fact of being safe from any danger; feeling of trust and peace

that the absence of any danger gives someone ", " that state of affairs that

protects a community or a certain state from any external or internal danger,

following specific measures that are adopted and that ensure the existence,

independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of the state and respect for its

fundamental interests ".

The security environment represents the totality of political,

economic, social, informational and military systems, factors and processes

that interact creating a space characterized by certain constants and several

variables.

Currently, the security environment is undergoing extensive

transformations, marked by insecurity, uncertainty and unpredictability.

Among the factors that threaten the contemporary security

environment are: clandestine migration, actions of incitement to xenophobia,

extremism and separatism, the proliferation and development of terrorist

networks, transnational organized crime, trafficking in persons, drugs,

weapons and ammunition, radioactive and strategic materials.

Economic pressures can also encourage social tensions within states,

with major implications for the security environment.

Also, at the level of the contemporary security environment, a series

of social, ethnic, religious, political and other conflicts can be identified,

which result in the instability of the international security environment. To



„Ferdinand I” Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania, email:

andrei_butnariu06@yahoo.com.

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CONTEMPORARY SECURITY ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS

ensure security, states have resorted to the creation of international security

structures that, based on specific principles, norms and instruments, can

achieve cooperation and understanding between international actors.

Thus, at this date, the following structures are established and

operating in the security environment: the United Nations (UN), the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the North

Atlantic Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), the Council of

Europe and a series of regional security organizations.

According to a study by the United Nations, there is security when

states estimate that the danger of suffering a military attack, political pressure

or economic constraints is zero and that they can, for this reason, freely pursue

their development.

II.

Global security environment

One of the main risks and threats to the contemporary security

environment is international terrorism identified by the terrorist attacks of

September 11, 2001, actions of the same nature were carried out in Madrid,

London, Moscow or Istanbul.

International terrorism represents the most serious threat to life and

individual freedom, democracy and its fundamental values.

The category of risks and threats to the security environment also

includes regional conflicts, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction (nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological weapons).

At a global level, the monopoly of the United States of America on

global power has ended, and today we find ourselves facing a multipolar

world. The loss by the USA of the monopoly of global power that it holds or

believed it held has resulted in the emergence of other powers that have risen

and made their presence felt: the European Union, Russia, China, Japan and

India. In this regard, the two regional nuclear powers should also be

mentioned: Iran and North Korea.

At the level of the global security environment, a primary objective is

represented by the improvement of relations between Russia and the USA, as

they are at their lowest level since the end of the Cold War, being considered

a threat to the contemporary security environment.

Russia, officially called the Russian Federation, plays an important

role in maintaining international peace and security, being one of the five

permanent members of the UN Security Council. Currently, Russia's main

objective is to return to the status of a great global power. Russia's rise is

given by a series of factors such as: size, population, fabulous resources

(especially those in Siberia), military potential and nuclear power.

A new economic and military world superpower is China. From an

economic point of view, China has surpassed Japan in the ranking of the

world's largest economies, advancing to second place after the USA.

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Andrei BUTNARIU, Ph.D Candidate

Regarding the armed forces, the Chinese People's Liberation Army is

considered the largest standing military force in the world.

According to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation

and Development (OECD), China and India will become economic

superpowers in the not too distant future, the consequence of which is the loss

of the US as the world's leading power.

In recent years, in particular, the ever-increasing migration between

states has produced group identity conflicts. An example of this is the

migration from Bangladesh to northeastern India. In recent years, it can be

observed that the population of the Indian state of Assam has grown

considerably, causing major social changes, the result of which is the

provocation of an inter-group conflict that has caused serious difficulties in

relations between India and Bangladesh.

Poverty and deprivation are a source of internal conflicts, but also the

cause of the spread of tension between states. Disputes in Saharan and sub-

Saharan Africa are known for their scarce fertile areas, so that the population

in poor areas is tempted to move and resort to violence to access the goods

necessary for survival.

The United Nations is the most important international organization

in the world that is actively involved in maintaining an adequate security

climate through collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats

to the peace and the repression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the

peace, as well as by settling and resolving disputes or situations of an

international character which may lead to a breach of the peace, by peaceful

means and in accordance with the principles of justice and international law.

III.

European security environment

At European level, the states have adopted a common security and

defence policy through the European Union. The European Union's foreign

and security policy, developed over many years, allows the member states to

speak and act with one voice on the world stage. Within the European Union,

the role of foreign and security policy is to maintain peace and strengthen

international security.

The European Union has made a significant contribution to

maintaining the stability of the European security environment through

peacekeeping missions in various conflict zones.

An example of this is the European Union's contribution to mediating

a ceasefire agreement between Georgia and Russia. In August 2008, the

European Union sent European observers to monitor the situation (the EU

Monitoring Mission in Georgia) and provided humanitarian aid to people

displaced by the conflicts.

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CONTEMPORARY SECURITY ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS

At the European level, the separatist tendencies identified in Scotland,

the Basque Country (Spain), Flanders (Belgium), Corsica (France) and

Lombardy, respectively Venice (Italy), can be identified as threats to the

contemporary security environment. Even though there are several reasons

behind the desire for independence, and cultural identity plays an important

role, in most cases separatist tendencies are observed especially in regions

with strong economies, which constitute a support for less developed regions.

In this regard, another example is the referendum for the independence of

Catalonia in October 2017, which brought the issue of separatist tendencies

in Europe back into focus. Another threat to the European security

environment is represented by the Serbian-Albanian conflict, which has the

province of Kosovo as its epicenter. Currently, Kosovo is a partially

recognized state, which declared its independence from Serbia in February

2008. Within the European Union, Kosovo is recognized only by some of the

member states, being considered a state imposed on the world map.

In some parts of Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and

Montenegro, Kosovo), the existence of weak state structures, civil conflicts

and access to weapons have led to the strengthening of the positions of

organized crime. These situations constitute threats to security, by supporting

human and drug trafficking.

Organized crime is another factor that threatens the security of Europe

through drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal immigration and illegal

arms trafficking.

IV. Security environment in Romania

The notion of "national security of Romania" is defined by the

provisions of Law no. 51/1991 on the national security of Romania. The

provisions of art. 1 stipulate that by national security of Romania is

understood the state of legality, balance and social, economic and political

stability necessary for the existence and development of the Romanian state

as a sovereign, unitary, independent and indivisible state, the maintenance of

the rule of law, as well as the climate of unrestricted exercise of the rights,

freedoms and fundamental duties of citizens, according to the principles and

stable democratic norms. National security is achieved by knowing,

preventing and eliminating internal or external threats that may harm the

values provided for in art. 1 of Law no. 51/1991.

At the national level, the risk factors that may affect, by their nature,

the security of the country are represented by internal or external situations

that may harm fundamental interests. The risk factors for the national security

environment include: clandestine migration, actions of incitement to

xenophobia, extremism and separatism, the proliferation and development of

terrorist networks, transnational organized crime, trafficking in persons,

drugs, weapons and ammunition, radioactive and strategic materials.

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Andrei BUTNARIU, Ph.D Candidate

The National Defense Strategy of the Country for the period 2015-

2019 identifies a series of pragmatic solutions and directions of action. A

strong Romania in Europe and in the world expresses the final objective of

the Strategy most clearly. A strong Romania in Europe and in the world

means, first of all, a state that ensures the security of its citizens wherever

they are in the world. The main objectives of national security are the

following: promoting and defending the fundamental interests of Romania,

protecting citizens and guaranteeing their fundamental rights and freedoms,

as well as ensuring the freedom of action of the state in international relations.

Among the threats to the national security environment are also

separatist tendencies. In our country, these are identified in the Szeklerland,

where ethnic Hungarians want this region to be autonomous and to have its

own legislative and executive body.

For Romania, the Black Sea has always had a special significance in

shaping foreign and security policy. Marking the first time that references to

the Black Sea were included in a NATO Summit declaration, the 2004

Istanbul Summit highlighted the importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-

Atlantic security and expressed NATO's desire to identify ways to support

regional efforts to strengthen security and stability, by using existing

cooperation mechanisms of the states in the region. Therefore, the Black Sea

region constitutes an area of strategic importance for NATO, and stability and

security in the region are extremely important for the contemporary security

environment.

In the national security environment, an important role is played by

the army, which has the primary purpose of guaranteeing the sovereignty,

independence and unity of the state, the territorial integrity of the country and

constitutional democracy. In this regard, it should be noted that military

power contributes to maintaining regional security and participates in actions

against terrorism. The capacity of the Romanian Army to operate together

with multinational forces to maintain security and peace was proven by its

participation in the Peacekeeping Force in Afghanistan. Therefore, ensuring

the budget of 2% of the G.I.B. for defense is extremely important both for

equipping the armed forces and for ensuring Euro-Atlantic security on

NATO's eastern border.

V. Conclusions

In conclusion, the national security environment is closely

interdependent with the European and global ones. From the analysis carried

out, we can observe that the three security environments are subject to the

same type of threats: the development of terrorist networks, the proliferation

of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, clandestine migration,

human trafficking, etc. We can also observe that for the security environments

subject to analysis, a series of common features can be identified such as:

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CONTEMPORARY SECURITY ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS

instability, uncertainty and unpredictability. Another conclusion is that at the

level of each security environment subject to analysis, we identify the

existence of international structures that contribute to maintaining security.

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