A Society-Wide Commitment to National Security

The spectrum of national security threats facing Canada has expanded. The government will need clear directions and priorities and a “society-wide commitment,” argue Hugh Segal and Ann Fitz-Gerald, if the country is to manage and mitigate the impact of these emergent and traditional risks. In this latest report from CIGI’s Reimagining a Canadian National Security Strategy series, the authors recommend actions that should be considered as part of Canada’s response.

On August 25, 2021, the Centre for International Governance Innovation and Bennett Jones LLP hosted a virtual workshop with international and Canadian experts from the public and private sectors and from academia on the theme of Canada and the digitalization of money. This report presents the key takeaways from the workshop.

Since 2020, there has been an uptick in cyber operations against critical infrastructure such as power plants, water systems, hospitals and supply chains. Attacks have occurred in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Canada, countries that have the means to respond. Marie Lamensch asks, What happens if such operations occur in countries that lack the capacity to defend against them?

As the world’s attention focuses on next month’s UN climate change conference in Glasgow, some of the most dramatic changes to the earth’s climate are already appearing in Canada’s North. Simon Dalby writes that as climate change accelerates, it’s clear that much more than shipping and military footprints in the Arctic are at stake: we need to to substantially rethink what national security means.

Robert Fay and David Dodge write that a transition to a digital money system might be disruptive and difficult, but going slow is not a strategy, arguing that too timid a course will impede the development of Canada’s fintech ecosystem and lessen the pressure and incentive for innovation by incumbents. Hesitating could mean that foreign competitors and big tech are allowed to take a stronger hold in this space, without the appropriate safeguards for Canadian consumers.

Oct. 26 – 12:00 p.m. EDT (UTC–04:00): Today, the Ada Lovelace Institute, McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, and CIGI will be co-hosting this online event to discuss the challenges presented by online harm regulation laws. There will also be discussion on how regulators responsible with enforcing these authorities may proceed.

Find out more and register to attend here.

Oct. 28 – 9:00 a.m. EDT (UTC–04:00): Join this Lancet webinar on Thursday to hear first-hand from members of the Lancet and Financial Times Commission about the recommendations in its recent report Growing Up in a Digital World. Andrew Jack, global education editor of the Financial Times, will chair a discussion with commissioners — among them, CIGI President Rohinton P. Medhora — about how governance can shape digital transformations to bring about improvement in health for all. There will be a Q&A session with the presenters, followed by closing remarks from Naomi Lee, senior executive editor at the Lancet.
You can learn more about the commission’s work and access its free report here, and register to attend the webinar here.

Dec. 7 – 9:30 a.m. EST (UTC–05:00): CIGI is pleased to host His Excellency Cong Peiwu, China’s Ambassador to Canada, for a conversation with CIGI President Rohinton P. Medhora about China’s role in the global economy. In the wake of the G20 leaders’ summit and the WTO Ministerial Conference, this conversation will explore China’s role and influence in issues preoccupying governments worldwide, such as technology, trade, investment, climate change, and cyber and data governance. A Q&A period moderated by Medhora will follow.

Note: The date of this event has recently changed. To join us online on December 7, please register here.