Despite general consensus around the fact that human development is rooted in the optimal relationship of the individual with the Estate, the environment, the Institutions and the cultural and political systems, to address such relationships from a security perspective have been more problematic. This paper is not intended to join the debate around the concept of Human Security itself, but to evaluate the ways in which it can become an effective instrument to protect the individual against the threats of this century. We argue that as a paradigm, the Human Security discourse has reinforced, rather than challenged, traditional political models in terms of security but it still is  an instrument with the potential to broaden the conceptual framework to evaluate threats, prioritize policy making and identify the sources of vulnerability and resilience in conflict and transition. Finally, we review the conceptual scope of Human Security from the perspective of the capacity of human groups to assess, cope and mitigate threats and vulnerabilities, in different social contexts.