Can human security approaches expand the human rights agenda to better encompasscollective problems and complex humanitarian crises? Or does the promotion of human security trade off some aspects of the juridical protection of individual liberties to achieve global consensus? As a proponent of both rubrics for over a decade, Canada is uniquely positioned to assess the potential and pitfalls of these alternative approaches and mechanisms. What can Canada’s experience in humanitarian “diplomacy, development and defense” teach us about best principles and best practices for global governance?