Vanguard Magazine

The Urgent Need to Invest in Canada's Foreign Policy Tools N ot since the darkest days of the Cold War has the global situation looked so worry- ing. And yet, Canada has not changed its basic ap- proach to crafting and executing foreign, defence and security policy since the Cold War ended, and we chronically underfund the policies and capabilities we do have. In short, we continue to rely on our hopes for the "rules-based international order", established in the aftermath of the Second World War, nearly 80 years ago. But that order is under threat as never before in this century and we do not maintain the capa- bility to make a suitable national contribu- tion to the maintenance of it. In the past few years numerous organiza- tions, academics, foreign affairs experts and others have expressed concern about Can- ada's growing irrelevance in the world. 1 A broad consensus has emerged on the need for sustained action to repair Canada's abil- ity to contribute to the maintenance of a global order in keeping with our interests, our values, and which honours Canada's historic role as a supporter of freedom and order in the world. We believe that an urgent national effort is required to make significant and sus- tained investments across the entire spec- trum of Canada's engagements with the world. We believe these interests are: • the defence of Canada and its allies; • the maintenance of the values and the prosperity upon which our way of life depends; and • the need for countries to commit to the upholding of a stable international order. To be clear, we believe that the values and interests which are crucial to Canada are individual liberty and freedom of expres- sion; and a fair, rules-based, free and open global trading system. In this paper we call on Canada to revital- ize our means to re-engage with the world across the full range of our capabilities. In a recent paper published by the Cana- dian Global Affairs Institute three experts outline in greater detail what 2 per cent of GDP for defence spending could look like. The government's most recent de- fence policy, Our North, Strong and Free, made a start, but much more remains to be done if Canada is to catch up with our closest allies and go beyond "exploring" a truly revitalized defence capability. But Canada's ability to promote its in- terests in the world is not just a question of hard, military power. What is required is a sustained investment in all of the areas which constitute Canada's ability to influ- ence the world in ways which promote our interests. These are: foreign policy and diplomacy; Official Development As- sistance (ODA); security and intelligence capabilities; and defence. Investing in one area without addressing deficiencies in the others will not result in a Canada truly able to contribute to international peace, order, and security. The Way Forward on ODA and Defence: Fund Existing Commitments! To start, we call upon the Canadian gov- ernment to address the commitments it has already made to our allies and the international community. These can form the basis for a concerted approach in the areas of ODA and defence. For example, Canada accepts the UN's call to commit 0.7 per cent of what the UN calls "Gross National Income" for ODA, but we have never come close. Our ODA has hovered around 0.3 per cent for several years. This represents slightly less than $7 Billion. To meet the 0.7 per cent target would require slightly more than doubling this figure, adjusted annu- ally for inflation. Deploying that money in support of our national interests requires an approach to ODA which prioritizes support for those around the world who share our values and objectives, including universal human rights and gender equal- ity, and those whose fledgeling democra- cies are at risk of falling back toward au- tocracy or authoritarianism. This will require a much more selective approach than we have seen to date. Ca- nadian ODA must be targeted and spent in amounts sufficient to achieve big ob- jectives, rather than doled out in small amounts across large landscapes. The means by which recipients will be selected will be a matter of fierce debate, but a renewed commitment to meet our ODA targets requires us, above all, to re-learn the basic lesson that ODA is not simply an altruistic gift to the world; it is an invest- ment we make to support the develop- ment of societies which share our inter- ests and values. If done properly, ODA should not be seen as an "alternative" to other priorities, such as defence spending, but as a vital part of an integrated ap- proach to creating the kind of world that is in keeping with our interests and values. Similarly, we officially committed to our allies in 2014 to achieve 2 per cent of GDP for defence spending. Notwithstanding www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2024 29 T H E LA S T W O R D B Y P E T E R J O N E S A N D P H I L I P P E LA G A S S É CA N A DA A N D T H E WO R L D: Photo: Minister of National Defence Bill Blair/ x.com

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