Writing before the events of 9/11 tilted the balance perhaps irretrievably back to national security, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan claimed in his Millennium Report that the concept of human security had ‘become an increasingly important element in international law and international relations, increasingly providing a conceptual framework for international action’ (Annan 2000b: 6). As Annan noted, however, considerable controversy and ambiguity surround the concept.