The Securitizing Role of the Attribution of Responsibility

This paper focuses on the specific interpretations, provided by experts, that follows controversial actions of a state on the international stage and the diverging interpretation of the responsibility of that state. While some experts will argue that the state is fully accountable for its actions, others will highlight external reasons that may downplay the state’s responsibility. This particular framing of the issue will impact the understanding of a situation. This paper argues that a dispositional attribution of responsibility triggers a securitizing move. In other words, dispositional attribution of responsibility entails a specific framing of the issue identifying not only an existential threat and a referent object, but also a responsibility that is directly attributable to an actor.