STUDY OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIES

STUDY OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIES

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STUDY OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIES

Marcos Gaston Rízoli – June 30, 2021

This report presents the compilation of it developed along three policy briefs dedicated to the study of the strategies of national security developed during the first half of 2021.

As general objectivewere raised as to the comparative study of these documents, the most recent of those countries with experience in the matter and that are relevant to the Argentina. Defining, in the second place, as specific objectives, to address the concepts of “national security” and the national security strategies of the aforementioned countries to finally make recommendations on the matter for our country. Finally, in the conclusions, we present some reflections on matters of national security strategies for the Republic of Argentina.

In reference to the selected countries for this work, were chosen as those with more experience in the matter (such as united States, United Kingdom, and Russia, which are also permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations), as well as countries of Ibero-america by the cultural link and geographical Argentina (as Spain, Brazil, Chile and Colombia).

What is the meaning of a National Security Strategy?

Several States, and partnerships in formulating policies and strategies applied to the field of national security, characterizing the environment from the paradigm of complexity as “volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous”. From the same respond to basic needs and security concerns of States and their citizens, for the development, applying a systemic approach. In this way, the national security strategies are presented as the documents of more high-level politician who formulated a vision and a program to achieve a desired end state from the present, by aligning the goals with the aims, through public policies and budget allocations. This panorama is derived as a first step to analyze the strategies of national security, to find an answer to three questions: what is strategy?, what do we mean by security? and what does it mean to assign to the environment characteristics of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous?

On the basis of the first question, the term “strategy” has been and is used with many different meanings and scope. On the one hand, to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language has three meanings, still can't let go of extensive studies on the matter, stressing the development of the French general André Beaufré. The use of the term in the expression “national security strategy” oriented towards the elaboration of a document of strategic planning at the highest level, on the basis of trends and scenarios analyzed, a State defines its interests, priorities, objectives and guidelines in the field of national security, to be transformed into public policies. Multiple concepts presented by various countries, I will choose the employee in the National Security strategy and Defense (ENSYD) Chile 2012 because it presents itself as a“political policy” that articulates and coordinates various policies of the public sector, establishing a common vision between them, from the definition of the public in the national interest. Are integrated in the strategies of various sectors such as the armed forces and diplomacy, along with other areas of the State (including some across the public sector), and it also promotes the participation of civil society. In many cases, the strategies are the basis for policies and/or strategies for the sector, focusing for example on maritime security or cyber security, or policy for each branch of the armed forces and foreign policy.

The whole strategy is based on a safety concept.The same is dynamic and although progressively approximate some definitions from academic spaces and multilateral agreements, there is a global consensus on the scope of the same. Each State makes emphasis on various elements as their values, their national interests are perceived, the objectives considered vital to their survival, its geostrategic position and its vocation of international power to come to a definition, securizando various sectors and integrating issues of social, economic, environmental, scientific, technological and health. Current concepts I'd prefer the “extended safety” raised in the ENSYD of Chile, because it is presented as a comprehensive response by the State to the current challenges. In turn, I consider the definition of security presented in the National Defence policy (PDN) of Brazil in 2020, using them together to develop a concept of security that goes beyond traditional content in the material and the differentiation between internal and external security. The same should be emphasized not only in the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State, but also in the preservation of the welfare and rights and constitutional duties of all the inhabitants. Also, link security with the country's development and understand the safety as a public policy, maintaining the differentiation of the defense and at the same time being articulated with the same.

Summing up briefly the contribution of Malia DuMont (2019), who discusses the elements that make up the national security strategies in line with the development of this work, can be distinguished as key elements of these documents: the endorsement of the head of Government, the reflection of national values, articulation of the national interest, a declaration of a strategic vision, identification and assessment of future challenges, risk assessment, description of the necessary resources, measures of effectiveness and basic orientation of implementation.

To apply the paradigm of complexity the social field, understanding the national and international environment with a behavior close to the chaos and the non-linearity as a rule, they incorporate four characteristics to analyze the reality and the future: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. What is the significance of allocating the same? It is understood that the environment is volatile because of the current context of globalization and competition between powers (in a multipolar system) and with multiple transnational challenges, presents an international environment is changing, with changes in geopolitical and geo-economic asked, with great speed and significant. Is uncertainbecause, despite taken into account tendencies and live in an information society, the future remains unpredictable, and more with the speed of change, constantly springing up events and unanticipated outcomes that affect the international order of the future. Is complex, the dynamics existing in an open system such as the international, with multiple interrelated elements, and build on each other, behaving almost at the edge of chaos. Finally, it is also ambiguous by the sum of the three previous features, leading to situations with multiple meanings and confusing, making it difficult for the hour of the decision making.

Comparative study of the strategies of national security

In a first approximation on the national security strategies, it is understood that the same are of widespread use in the global scope and contents and scope depend in part on notions of security for each State, or alliance, leaving in many cases from a broad conception of the same, in the service of the development of a country. It has expressed the need of studying these strategies on a global level to work on the subject from our country and from this it was proposed to understand how the world sees these strategies of national security and developed the analysis at the international level with different strategies selected to compare their concepts of “national security” and what aspects and fields are covered in these definitions. For this we chose a number of countries (for the reasons already mentioned), and developed a matrix of comparison, developing here the observations to larger features.

First, it reaffirms that there is not a single conception of national security and that each country deals with a definition of its own in function of elements as their values, national interests are perceived, objectives considered vital to their survival, geo-strategic position and vocation of power. To observe the strategies of the selected countries, it could be noted that there is a consensus that the national security addresses issues beyond the traditional, incorporating human dimensionshighlighting many of the protection of fundamental rights, duties and welfare of the inhabitants. Specifically, the provisional strategy of the Management Biden raises the need for a new and comprehensive understanding of the national security-oriented aspects of economic, human security and social rights.

In regard to definitions of national security, not all strategies are explicitly mentioned. Two conceptualizations -specifically the chilean and brazilian - were incorporated in the previous publication. One way of approaching the concepts is by analyzing what interests outstanding, how is the agenda, what areas includes and other issues. Between interests featuredit has been observed that most of the countries are based on the premise defend its population and territory of threats, including their independence and sovereignty, the rule of law, democratic institutions and way of life. Strategies such as Russia, the United Kingdom, Chile or Japan also include the ability to correlate with the development or prosperity of the country.

The agenda tends to be wide and multidimensional, encompassing social and economic issues, among others, always beyond the traditional ones that are also referred to. In the recent british strategy, there are only priority actions, emphasizing on the importance of a flexible approach. The Spanish also adheres to a holistic approach and the constant adaptation. For Russia, for example, your strategy encompasses expressly issues of state security, public, informational, environmental, economic, transportation, energy, and staff. Spain mentions a built-in security and 15 areas of action. In terms of the areas of the State referred to, the diplomacy is highlighted as a priority in several countries -giving relevance to the field of foreign policy, and by posing and even how is the role or the international integration of the country-focusing on the question of national security is not only a military and police. Spain, Colombia, and Russia specifically mentioned the involvement of all the organs of the State as well as civil society.

With respect to the economic aspects present, usually included as elements to achieve the country's development. Strategies of british and japanese share an interest in promoting economic development, the free trade and competition. The strategy of the chilean made a mention of your problem of social inequality and the Spanish claims that his conception of security includes aspects such as “the protection against disease and poverty.” One observation that stands out, is that the Russian strategy of 2015 presents (article 115), a series of “main indicators of the state of national safety,” including life expectancy, GDP per capita, Gini coefficient, inflation, and unemployment. Health issues are referred to in the Spanish strategy of 2017 and are highlighted in the strategy, interim Management Biden -which focuses more on the relief to the economic consequences - and the new british strategy of 2021 in the wake of the current pandemic COVID-19. Energy issues are also present, and the british strategy mentions protect, among others, to its critical national infrastructure.

Some strategies include mentions of the global commons, the outer space, the cyberspace -considering some countries ' own strategies aimed at the problem - and in the case of Brazil, to the Antarctica. In terms of the spaces of ocean, Japan expresses his interest in the seas “open and stable” and highlights its role as a maritime country. The concern for the climate change appears in all the documents studied.

To see what makes up the regulatory framework strategies, mostly the same consist of documents drawn up by bodies of Executive Power -usually Tips of National Security - on the basis of laws (Goldwater-Nichols Act in the case of the us, or the Law 36/2015 in Spain). Some, such as Russia, are also published as presidential decrees, or, in the cases of south american, were sent as projects of law for approval by the Legislative Powers. At the same time, many strategies or policies are the basis for other sector-specific documents, or second-order as the “Guidelines of the Program of National Defense” and “Defense Program in the Medium Term” (for Japan), strategy, general military, each branch of the military and the National Police (Colombia), national defense strategy (for Brazil), or strategies of maritime security, cyber defence, security, aerospace, and energy security, and even a “comprehensive Plan of culture of Safety” (for Spain).

Finally, as well as from studies and self-interest -can stand Uk that analyzes trends and sets a vision to 2030, in countries such as Chile, whose strategy says based in countries with experience-, Colombia and Spain permeates the rules of the United Nations, and in the latter case also of the European Union. In the recent u.s. strategy, mentioned the issue about who will have the role of formulating the new international standards, and the promotion of multilateralism. All point to an insertion of active international, whether the united States or United Kingdom, with a leadership role, and Spain from its “global vocation” or Brazil, strengthening its role in the world. The contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security are expressed by Chile, Colombia and Japan.

Conclusions: reflections for our country

In conclusionthe national security strategies are of widespread use in the global scope as policy tools to chart a “roadmap” towards a desired end state in the future in dynamic environments. Their content and scope depend on the interpretation of a strategy, the notion of security and the characterization of the environment in terms of its volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Usually, it stems from a broader conception of security, at the service of development. In this way, they are useful to align the objectives with the goals, guiding the articulation of industries and an efficient budget allocation. In addition, they reflect an organizational culture that understands the complex nature of the environment, proposing as a challenge to the adoption of flexible approaches and strategies that are adapted or updated permanently to the changes. Many of the strategies, on the basis of their regulatory frameworks, consist of documents submitted by the executive bodies of the Legislative Powers to its legal sanction, which encourages debate and the achievement of agreements on the subject matter, as well as its conception as a policy of State. The character of public documents is useful for international cooperation and the dissemination of the importance of national security in the societies of each country.

To make the comparison work at the global level, it could be seen that there are many conceptions of national security that go beyond the traditional and linked with the policy of the interior, exterior and the development of the country. Incorporate issues related to the social rights and human security to protect and promote the interests of the inhabitants. It becomes the key that our country can arrive at a conception of national security and to develop their own interests and a desired end state. Although it can be seen that it is a risk cover as many issues in the field of national security, may be recommended to focus on actions or areas considered a priority as a “guide to action” for the country's development in the areas of defense, security and foreign policy as the three axes of action -observed mostly in the documents analyzed-.

One of the main reflections is the need for a national security strategy of the Argentine State effective and enduring, which will help in the improvement of governance through public policies coordinated and efficient use of resources, presented as a conceptual framework aimed to better decision making. For a national security strategy to be effective and enduring, must be based on a policy decision to implement it, to be agreed upon between the powers of the State, enacted by the higher level of the management of Government as a State policy and promote a vision of the desired future and adapting to change. The result will be the improvement of governance and the reduction of political risk, both necessary for the development of the country. It must be remembered that he had managed to work out a first national security strategy in 2019 that should be revisited and updated by the current pandemic of COVID-19 (as they have been doing some countries), and consolidated as a state policy.

On the basis of the studied and published, there follows a series of proposals to think in terms of a national security strategy from our country.

In a context where it is thought in the short term and in the confrontation, should be undertaken in to achieve consensus, and a State policy to develop a grand strategy for the country as a “road map” towards a desired future, to which is added a national security strategy that links domestic policy, with foreign and defense, in addition to issues related to social rights and human security to protect and promote the interests of the inhabitants. It has been shown by the experience of several countries with a track record in the field, including some of our region, which can serve as the basis for a new project of their own. It is necessary to have the decision policy to do so, achieving consensus on the powers of the State and to foster a culture in national security, involving the civil society (considering as an example the interest in Spanish in the same, including a plan on the subject). As previously stated, improve governance, and reduce the political risk are necessary to achieve the development of our country.

To do this, in the first place should be a regulatory framework specific (taking cases analyzed), to which a future final document to be ratified by the Congress of the Nation. In the second place, might settle a specialized agency in the national government to perform future studies and foresight, analyzing trends in the national and global, and what are the threats and challenges that our country faces. In the third place, to reach a conception of national securityfocusing -as noted above - in actions or areas considered a priority as a “guide to action” for the country's development in the areas of defense, security and foreign policy as the three main axes of action. And with this, formulate interests, objectives, and desired end state for the drafting of a strategy. The same should contain a comprehensive approach to promote, flexible approaches and the adaptation constant in this complex context and an insert international smart that takes into account our interest in the Latin american region, in the South Atlantic, Antarctica and the rest of the world.

This strategy should be the basis of public policy coordinated and efficient use of resourcesthrough the management of budgets. Also could be considered strategies of second-order or sectoralin areas like maritime security and cybersecurity, and there are examples in the countries previously studied.

Bibliography

The National Security strategies

The White House (2021). “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance”. Washington, D. C., march, 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NSC-1v2.pdf

@2020 by Fundación Argentina Global

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