Canada presents first national security strategy in more than 20 years

The first strategy in two decades

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday presented the document “The Plan for a Stronger Canada” — the country’s first national security strategy in more than 20 years, the Anadolu agency reported, citing a statement from his office. The strategy’s authors explain its emergence by “profound new realities”: the erosion of the rules-based international order and new threats to Canada’s sovereignty — from cyberattacks to the “weaponization of trade agreements.” The document’s key thesis: “The line between economic security and national security has disappeared.”

Five priorities and ministers’ statements

The strategy defines five priorities: strengthening economic security and resilience; a “disciplined foreign policy” with diversified partnerships; rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces; protecting citizens from criminal and national security threats; and modernizing intelligence capabilities. In the defence section, the government commits to developing a domestic defence industry, speeding up procurement and strengthening security in the Arctic, while also promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East. The document also provides for intensified efforts against foreign interference, espionage, violent extremism and transnational organized crime — including sabotage, extortion, money laundering and sanctions evasion — and promises to strengthen sovereign intelligence capabilities and update legal authorities “with the protection of Canadians’ rights.” Carney said that in a “rapidly changing, more dangerous and more divided world,” Canada must have the ability to defend its sovereignty. Defence Minister David McGuinty described the strategy’s goal as building a Canada “that can stand on its own two feet,” while Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand noted that the country’s security and prosperity are increasingly shaped by events beyond its borders.