STATEMENT OF PRIORITY THREATS/RISKS/CHALLENGES IN SOME RECENT
‘STRATEGY’ DOCUMENTS
(see Key below for document details)
NATO 1999
Russia 2000
USA 2002
EU 2003
OSCE 2003
Conflicts
Tensions+Conflicts
State of economy
[Human Dignity]
Terrorism
Nuclear+hi-tech
Weaknesses in
state power+society
Global terrorism
WMD proliferation Terrorism
Regional conflicts
Regional conflicts
Threats from WMD
State failure
[Global growth]
Organized crime
Vulnerabilities to:
Terrorism
Sabotage
Organized crime
Disruption of
supply
Uncontrolled
Migration
Crime+terrorism,
inter-ethnic tensions
‘Aggravation of
international
relations’ e.g.
Weakened global
order+balance
Nearby conflicts
Cyber-threats
Military threats
Espionage
Organized
crime
Discrimination
+intolerance
[Development]
Migration
[Partnerships]
Economic+
environ’t probs.
[Transformation of
institutions]*
Pol-mil threats
*The US list of priorities is hard to compare with the others because it is expressed more in terms of
positive targets than negative ‘threats’. The list in the updated US National Security Strategy of March
2006 is identical except for the addition of challenges connected with Globalization
Key:
NATO 1999 = NATO’s Strategic Concept adopted at Washington, April 1999
Russia 2000 = Concept of National Security of the Russian Federation, January 2000
USA 2002 = National Security Strategy of the United States, September 2002
EU 2003 = ‘A Secure Europe in a Better World’, European Security Strategy, December 2003
OSCE 2003 = ‘OSCE Strategy to Address Threats to Security and Stability in the Twenty-First Century’,
December 2003
***
Matters of concern mentioned in NATO’s Bucharest Summit communiqué 2008 (in sequence):
Terrorism
Darfur
WMD proliferation
Cyber-attacks
Energy Security
***
‘Top Five’ Challenges mentioned in a recent teaching seminar on defining a comprehensive defence and
security concept for Iceland:
Natural disasters at home (volcano, earthquake, storm, flood etc) infrastructure breakdown
Economic and financial security
Longer-term impact of climate change inc. strategic competition in High North
Pandemic disease
Terrorism, esp hijacking