Reimagining National Security; from rhetoric to reality

FACING EVOLVING GLOBAL AND INTERNAL COMPLEXITIES, SRI LANKA SEEKS A PRAGMATIC AND INCLUSIVE NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY TO SAFEGUARD ITS FUTURE

- By Ravindu Abeysekara

For Sri Lanka, establishing a clear National Security Policy (NSP) is crucial to inform citizens and partners of its enduring approach, articulate a shared vision, and prioritize the effective utilization of resources.

This policy must reflect the nation's democratic path and address contemporary threats, challenges, and risks that have profoundly impacted its way of life

What is National Security? It is a question that has long been asked. While recently posed rhetorically, the question remains vital because we live in a moment of human history marked by exponential changes and transformations in our way of life.

Most importantly, a National Security Policy (NSP) paper serves to inform the public, institutions, enterprises, industries, state and non-state actors alike, and international partners of our enduring approach to national security and the evolving strategic environment. The policy paper also aims to provide a shared vision, unity of effort, and prioritization for the effective utilization of means, minimizing costs, managing risks, and creating opportunities for the country and its citizens. This is also intended as a safeguard against possibilities of despotic governance. It further reflects our development path, our democracy, and its framework. We need to depart from the past and reassess existing threats, challenges, and risks.

Our National Security perspective should encompass the collective realization of our enduring values, interests, aspirations, and efforts aimed at guarding, sustaining, and advancing against internal vulnerabilities and external threats that undermine elements of national power, social cohesion, national will, and resilience to succeed in our darkest hours. It is also fundamental to realizing our vision through opportunities presented locally, regionally, and globally. What would be an ideal framework to follow its formulation?