Geopolitical Integrity

Edited by Hugh Segal
Table of Contents | Sample Chapter
April 2005

This collection of essays consolidates a portion of IRPP's contribution to a topic of critical importance in Canada: the nature of a renewed commitment to our military, our national security and our engagement in the world. Editor Hugh Segal proposes a framework for "geopolitical integrity" through which we might review our foreign and defence policies. First, coherence, meaning that Canada's foreign, defence, humanitarian and trade policies should be devised and implemented in an interconnected fashion. Second, ethical responsibility: there ought to be consistency between our rhetoric at home and our actions abroad, and both our words and actions should express our values as a country.

What could genuine geopolitical integrity mean for Canada's security and defence priorities? The distinguished scholars and practitioners represented here outline different perspectives on what constitutes a reasonable level of geopolitical integrity for Canada, taking into account its resource profile, geography, makeup and history. Specifically, some of the issues covered here are military coalitions, multinational and Canada-US interoperability, Canadian force structuring and postconflict security. The volume incorporates previously published and unpublished work produced under the aegis of IRPP's National Security and Military Interoperability research program.