English
By George Koukakis, Senior Researcher KEDISA
Security is a broad term that can is defined as «the state of being protected or safe from harm, […] the state of being closely watched or guarded, […] the state of being free from anxiety or worry : the state of being or feeling secure». When it comes to states though, national security is defined as the protection against external (outside of the state’s borders) threats along with domestic threats, located in the homeland. In the first case, external national security is mainly the responsibility of the Ministry/Department of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Department of State, while in the second case, internal (domestic) security is usually the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior/Department of Homeland Security.
In order to coordinate the work of all the governmental agencies/departments and effectively counter both types of threats, most states have established a National Security Council (NSC) in order to apply a comprehensive approach regarding national security. One of the main responsibilities of the NSC is drafting the state’s National Security Strategy (NSS), a document that describes the state’s Grand Strategy, meaning «[…] the identification of a national goal, a thorough assessment of the state’s resources, and, ultimately, the marshaling of those resources in a highly organized manner to achieve the goal».
