Collective security
International security arrangement / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Collective security is a multi-lateral security arrangement between states in which each state in the institution accepts that an attack on one state is the concern of all and merits a collective response to threats by all.[1] Collective security was a key principle underpinning the League of Nations and the United Nations.[1] Collective security is more ambitious than systems of alliance security or collective defense in that it seeks to encompass the totality of states within a region or indeed globally.
The premise of a collective security arrangement is that it serves as a deterrent to aggression by committing an international coalition against any aggressor.[1] While collective security is an idea with a long history, its implementation in practice has proved problematic.[2]
Collective security is also referred to by the phrase "an attack on one is an attack on all". However, usage of this phrase also frequently refers to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the collective security provision in NATO's charter.[3][4]