NATO GLobal Commons Project

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Source

  • PRE-DECISIONAL INTERIM REPORT, December 2, 2010

URL = http://www.act.nato.int/images/stories/events/2010/gc/gc_ir_20101202.pdf


Excerpt

From the introduction:

"The new Strategic Concept, which Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will present at the Lisbon Summit on 19 November 2010, will shape the central features of the security environment for a decade to come. Part of the concept will emphasize the importance of assured access to the Global Commons, not only for NATO, but for the security and prosperity of partners, allies, and the world.

In May 2010, Gen. Abrial directed a study of the Global Commons that would identify the challenges and vulnerabilities that affect assured access to and transit through the Commons for NATO. The goal of the study is to provide guidance and recommendations for appropriate policy and planning in the immediate and near terms. This interim report serves as an outline for the more detailed final report, which will be presented by SACT to the North Atlantic Council and Military Committee in early 2011.


To meet this mandate, a series of six workshops were held, both internally and external to the Alliance. Building on the successful example of the Multiple Futures Project, the conduct of and output from these workshops was based on open dialogue, and facilitated discussion among Alliance members, partners, and interested nations on what they deemed the most important issues regarding the Global Commons. Each workshop was organized around a theme, e.g., trans-Atlantic relations and views, perspectives from outside the Alliance, and each of the four domains: air, space, cyber and maritime. Analysts from ACT’s Think Tank group (TTG) presented each assembly with a tailored read-ahead outlining the aim of the workshop, along with questions of interest that were designed to enhance understanding and elicit individual perceptions regarding the importance of the Commons in a globalized world. Lastly, the workshops asked participants whether they saw a role for of NATO, and if so, what that role might be.

In addition to the free-flowing discussions that took place, the TTG designed a survey for participants and subject matter experts, which asked them to rank their concerns regarding many aspects of the Commons. These ranged from where further study might best focus, to the appropriate role for NATO in specific activities such as counter-piracy and non- proliferation. Over time, several common threads emerged which form part of the early analysis and draft conclusions of this report.

To be sure the ideas presented here are clearly understood, and can become the basis of a common dialogue within the Alliance, this report begins by defining the four domains that make up the Global Commons, itself a matter of continuing debate among nations. It goes on to describe NATO’s interests in the Commons, and outlines some of the known and evolving threats to those interests in each domain. The report then presents a case for why this is an appropriate and critical area of concern for NATO, and makes several draft recommendations for both immediate and more long-term actions the Alliance might undertake to secure the interests of its members and partners in assuring access to the Global Commons. These recommendations, based on the feedback received from nations and research conducted in the course of the past six months, are grounded in the hard contemporary reality of uncertainty, rapid change, and budget constrictions. Equally important, however, is the message that the member nations of the Alliance can and must take positive steps now, if we are to assure access to and security in the Global Commons."


The Four Domains of the Global Commons

"The domains of air, maritime, space, and cyberspace have many similarities and are closely interwoven, yet each has its own distinct properties, and thus should be addressed both individually and holistically. A critical weakness of the global system is that space and cyberspace, the two newest and most ubiquitous domains to be exploited by humans, still have few regulations. As use has increased geometrically, the cost of potentially disruptive technology, and barriers to its acquisition, have declined rapidly. This inverse correlation allows potential adversaries to exploit new vulnerabilities and deny access to others at ever decreasing cost. The challenge for NATO will be to identify its interests in each domain, understand the implications and complexity of an increasingly inter-connected Commons, grasp the nature of the threats to those interests, and finally, in this age of austerity, apportion scarce resources as effectively as possible to best prevent adversaries from imposing their will on the Alliance. If there is a “key to the Commons,” it lies in applying a comprehensive approach that draws on the knowledge and abilities of all stakeholders to help solve the problems of access, use, and security across the four domains."