'Vulnerability' has become a buzzword in debates on security policy, particularily after 9/11 and the so-called global war on terror.

Vulnerability is presented as something that should be removed at seemingly any cost. It is presented as the opposite of security. But although it is true that human vulnerability is what gives rise to the need for and the right to protection, it is also true that vulnerability is fundamental to what it means to be human. That does not only mean that it is inescapable, but that it also must be seen as a basic precondition for ethical behaviour. The recognition of the mutual but always asymmetrical human vulnerability is therefore basic to peacebuilding.

This approach was laid out in a study document issued by the Church of Norway's Commission on International Affairs in 2000/2002, see:
Vulnerability and Security (Text in Norwegian)
Relationship Between Vulnerability and Security

Staalsett, who headed the commission and was one of the co-authors of the document, presents the main line of thought in the document, its sources of inspiration, and implications for peace policy. He also discusses the limitations and further potential of this approach.