ABSTRACT
Stability is a delicate attribute of public international order. If pursued to its absolute, it could paralyse the development and progress of humankind. If marginalized, it could fuel injustice, violence and conflict. Several differing concepts of ‘stability’ can be identified in international affairs. The United Nations Security Council uses the term to express a desirable state of affairs, almost synonymous with the concept of ‘peace’. In a 1992 ‘Note by the President of the Security Council’, various sources of instability were seen as threatening peace and security. The Council recognized that otherwise welcomed political changes may bring new risks to stability and security, especially stemming from changes to state structures. As the Council observed, ‘non-military sources of instability in the economic, social, humanitarian and ecological fields’ had become threats to peace and security (UNSC, 1992). Similarly, in 2005, the Council discussed the food crisis in Africa as a threat to peace, security and stability (UNSC, 2004–2007). In other contexts, the UN has identified ecological damage, disruption of family and community life as well as greater intrusion into the lives and rights of individuals as endangering stability (UNS-G, 1992). A 2017 Security Council Resolution affirmed that regional and bilateral economic cooperation and development initiatives play a vital role in achieving stability and prosperity (UNSC, 2017).
