MINDS Policy Challenges 2024-25

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The Challenge

The Defence Team’s first priority is its people and their well-being. As such, the Defence Team is undertaking a series of major initiatives aimed at evolving its culture to achieve the fundamental mission of creating and maintaining a safe and inclusive workplace. The goal is to transform the organization into a modern military forged in innovation, guided by honour, and empowered by unity. At the heart of this broad effort is the urgent need to evolve our organizational culture to ensure we not only uphold but also embody and reflect Canada’s values, including its rich diversity and unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion. This work is essential to attracting and retaining top talent and ensuring we have the capabilities to defend Canada and its values in an increasingly complex and dynamic security environment.

Research Questions

• How can the Defence Team promote a culture free from racism, ableism, discrimination, sex- and gender-based violence, and hateful attitudes?
• How can the Defence Team best measure culture and culture change? What kinds of indicators can be used to measure such change and ensure policies are having the intended impact, especially in relation to inclusion and belonging?
• How does mis/disinformation impact culture change in the Defence Team and what are the implications for personnel, partners, and stakeholders, notably in relation to duty of care?
• How can the Defence Team overcome resistance to culture change and the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion? Are there successful strategies from partners and other military organizations that can serve as a guide? What successful strategies can leadership use to consciously model positive culture?
• What are the differing experiences, needs, and barriers/facilitators to accessing and seeking support for diverse groups that historically have been underrepresented in research on sexual misconduct in the military context?
• What principles and practices can be implemented to improve access and services for survivors of sexual misconduct in the Defence Team?
• What are the influences of legacy/historical systems and structures in Canada on current Defence Team culture(s)?

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The Challenge

Ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is able to attract, recruit, develop and retain talent is a top priority. This involves addressing key challenges that personnel face related to healthcare, family care, housing, education and professional development. Strengthening our foundations and supporting our personnel will ensure that our military can continue to grow, establish new capabilities to meet emerging threats, and deploy ready, resilient and relevant forces to meet today’s and future challenges.

Research Questions

• What are the implications of the CAF recruitment and retention crisis for the Canadian government and society as a whole?
• What innovative policies and practices can the CAF implement to modernize its recruitment and close the gap between its actual and authorized force size?
• What policy options exist to support military personnel and their families, notably in the context of healthcare, childcare, and housing?
• When considering new and advanced technologies that are redefining conflicts (i.e., semi-autonomous drones), what skills and abilities do CAF members require? What best practices can we apply to ensure these needs are met?
• How can the Defence Team best attract, recruit and retain talent in advanced technology sectors, notably in the cyber and space domains?
• What are strategies that the Defence Team can use to engage, attract, recruit, retain, and integrate women, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, Persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ and other underrepresented and diverse communities?
• What are the policy or structural barriers that limit underrepresented groups in their career advancement and mobility within CAF (including women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities)?
• What are effective ways in which the Defence Team can work with the provinces, territories, and other government departments to identify and reduce barriers for military families in the areas of healthcare, childcare, eldercare, housing, education and professional development, notably in the context of relocation? How does the approach change when considering the different experiences of regular force members, reserve force members, released members and rangers?
• What are Canada's allies doing in the sphere of civilian augmentation? In what ways can the Defence Team maximize efficiencies and resources considering civilian, regular and reserve forces, and rangers?
• How can the Defence Team better leverage military and civilian positions to provide greater flexibility? Are there best practices from other countries that Canada could apply (i.e., movement between regular and reserve forces, or from the military to civilian work)?

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The Challenge

Strategic competition over the international rules and norms is playing out across all domains. As the global balance shifts towards a multipolar world, the risk of conventional state-on-state war has resurged, the threat of below-threshold conflict continues to increase, and the need for effective deterrence has become more evident. Disruptive state actors, like Russia and China, are threatening the existing international rules-based order to advance their interests and values at the expense of others. Security challenges associated with fragile or failed states, as well as hostile non-state actors, are greatly exacerbating global instability, from threatening international waterways in the Middle East to putting critical supply chains at risk. In times of global interconnectedness, what happens in other regions of the world has direct and significant effects on Canadians. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) needs to be ready, resilient, and relevant, to help safeguard Canada’s security and prosperity, to continue contributions to global efforts to deter major power conflict, confront terrorism and insurgency, and address instability.

Research Questions

• What is Canada's role as a middle power in times of global uncertainty? What is Canada's role in international fora or organizations (such as the United Nations) in shaping responses to global strategic competition? How could Canada best provide leadership within the current limited resource environment?
• What influence does Canada's privileged relationship with the United States (US) have on its role in the world and what are the implications? In what ways can this relationship be strengthened?
• How does Canada's involvement and influence vary in different regions (i.e., the Arctic, Indo-Pacific, South America, etc.)? What strategies and approaches can the CAF use to increase effectiveness and strengthen relationships in different regions?
• What are the implications for Canada from the growing interconnections between the Euro-Atlantic, the Indo-Pacific, and the Arctic? How would any change in power balance in one of the regions affect the other regions and Canada?
• How has the war in Ukraine impacted Canada's security? What are the medium and long-term implications for Canada and Canadians, including national and economic security? How is our engagement in Ukraine and Europe contributing to a safer, more secure Canada?
• What deterrence strategies are likely to reduce the threats from Russia (in Europe, the Arctic, information environment, etc.)?
• What strategies are likely to deter China's economic coercion and other below-threshold threats and how could Canada best contribute to it?

The Challenge

Canada’s main strategic advantage in these times of strategic competition and interdependence is its partnerships and alliances, notably in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. Collective defence remains a cornerstone of Canada’s national security, enabling Canadian security and prosperity. European security is tightly linked to our country’s security and economic wellbeing, as exemplified by Canada’s role in the North American Treaty Organization (NATO), assistance to Ukraine via Operation UNIFER and enhanced presence on the continent, particularly in Latvia with Operation REASSURANCE. Indo-Pacific security is equally vital for Canada’s future. This is reflected in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and investments to increase our forward naval presence, participation in multilateral regional exercises, and military-to-military capacity building programming, including in Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). Our partnerships are crucial in addressing global threats and protecting and upholding Canadian values, such as the rule of law and respect for human rights. Canada needs to efficiently prioritize and build new relations to ensure it remains a strong partner and ally.

Research Questions

Canada's role in multilateralism

• How is multilateralism shaping the security environment, and how can Canada best contribute?
• How can meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and conflict resolution be promoted worldwide? How can Canada take on a leadership position in the WPS agenda?
• How can Canada leverage its bilateral relationships with key allies (i.e., Five Eyes, etc.) to enhance its strategic position?
• What are the implications of long-term underspending on defence vis-à-vis Canada's ability to influence NATO decision making?
• What are NATO's priorities (both for the institution and its members) and where do these intersect with Canada's? What opportunities exist for Canada to take on a leadership role in the Alliance?
• Which mini-lateral arrangements offer the greatest benefit to the Defence Team, and how can they advance Canada's defence and security priorities?
• What are the possible effects on alliances, risks, and likely scenarios stemming from the deepening ties between disruptive actors such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea?

Canada in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific region

• How could the Defence Team enhance the quality of its defence and security contributions in the Euro-Atlantic or Indo-Pacific in a meaningful and sustainable way?
• What does a growing NATO and European Union (EU) defence posture mean for Euro-Atlantic security and what could Canada's role be?
• What do post-war scenarios look like in Ukraine, and how should Europe's security architecture adapt to these scenarios? How can the Defence Team meaningfully contribute to Ukraine's security, prosperity, and reconstruction?
• How do different allies' varying perception of and approach to China influence overall strategic cohesion between Canada and its partners? How could Canada contribute to overall cohesion?
• Given the intensifying strategic competition between the United States (US) and China, and China's increasing use of below-threshold tactics, what are the diverse perspectives of regional partners? What are the priority areas where Canada should build its strategic relationships with Japan, India, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea?
• How can Canada – alongside partners and allies – best contribute to the multifaceted effort to deter China and Russia? What are the internal challenges and pressures facing transatlantic unity, and how can Canada respond to improve cohesion?

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The Challenge

Climate change is a complex, global, and multifaceted challenge, with direct and indirect effects on national and human security. Extreme climate related events are increasing around the world with alarming frequency and severity. Climate change, when combined with other stressors such as gender inequality, resource competition, and human displacement, is a driver of conflict globally and destabilizes the international order. In Canada, the effects of climate change are felt across the country but disproportionally affect Northern communities. The changing physical landscape is transforming the Arctic into a central arena of global strategic competition by making it more accessible. Additionally, the changing climate is causing unprecedented demands on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), who is increasingly called upon to assist the provinces and territories in dealing with the consequences of extreme weather events and natural disasters while still concurrently supporting the full spectrum of more traditional military operations domestically, within North America, and overseas. To align with the Government of Canada’s greening objectives, and to increase resilience and maintain an effective and ready military force, the Department of National Defence (DND) must continue to build awareness of, adapt to, mitigate, and engage on the impacts of climate change and an evolving security environment.

Research Questions

Climate Change and the CAF

• How can climate resilience be built into the existing Defense Team force generation and employment?
• How can CAF planning, training, operations, and readiness adapt to better operate in harsher climates, and effectively anticipate and respond to climate-related emergencies at home and abroad?
• What strategies can be employed to enhance the resilience of military infrastructure against climate-induced disruptions?
• How is climate change expected to affect the Defence Team procurement and supply chains? What are the implications of climate change on the logistics and supply chains critical to defence operations, and how can these be made more resilient? How might climate change affect the availability and distribution of critical resources necessary for military operations, and what mitigation strategies can be implemented?
• How can the CAF maintain operational effectiveness and the pursuit of robust capabilities while mitigating the environmental impact of activities to achieve greening targets?
• How can the CAF maintain readiness for other requirements in the face of evolving and growing requests for assistance from the provinces and territories? How can the CAF work with federal, provincial, and territorial authorities and ensure that it remains a "force of last resort"?
• What lessons learned can Canada apply from other countries regarding domestic emergency response, including disaster response?

Climate Change as a global challenge

• What are the potential advantages, risks and consequences of securitizing climate change for national defence, and how can the Defence Team incorporate these considerations while effectively integrating climate into their policies, strategies, and plans?
• What can be learned from allied approaches to climate security to allow the Defence Team to more effectively assess its risk, adapt, and increase resilience to the effects of climate change and achieve greening targets?
• How can the Defence Team deepen international cooperation on addressing the impacts of climate change on security and defence?
• How can the CAF prepare for additional and more secondary effects of climate change, such as resource scarcity, increased inequality, and migration?
• How can military education and training programs be enhanced to increase awareness among personnel about the profound implications of climate change on national security, human security, and defence operations?
• How does climate change affect existing cross-cutting international frameworks, such as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, or impact ongoing and future multinational operations?
• How can climate science be translated into threat assessments and capability requirements for national defence, safety, and security?

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The Challenge

Prioritizing the defence of Canada contributes to deterring and defeating threats to the continent. Building on historic investments in North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization in 2022, the release of Our North, Strong and Free (ONSAF) includes new investments to deter threats to the continent in all domains. Taken together with key capabilities funded through Strong, Secure, Engaged, these investments will strengthen capabilities to respond to threats posed by the increased accessibility of our shared continent due to climate change, shifting geopolitics and new military technologies. A secure North America creates strategic dilemmas for adversaries, strengthens the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) deterrence and defence posture, and ensures Canada can support our partners and allies overseas and be engaged globally while ensuring domestic security.

Research Questions

• What are the emerging all-domain threats to Canada and North America and how might adversaries exploit the associated gaps and seams in domestic and continental defences?
• What are the interdependencies, probable effects, and challenges that could emerge from future potential attacks on Canadian defence critical infrastructure?
• How should emerging aerospace threats including hypersonic weapons (hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles), shape Canada's approach to air and missile defences?
• How can the Department of National Defence's (DND) cooperation with federal, provincial, territorial government partners, Indigenous Peoples, and the private sector be enhanced to address current and future defence and security threats to North America?
• How can Canada best contribute to the Integrated Air and Missile Defence and defence of North America, both through and outside of NORAD? What initiatives should Canada prioritize alongside allies and partners?
• What are the opportunities for Canada and its partners to strengthen continental defence beyond NORAD?

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The Challenge

Canada’s 2024 defence policy review, Our North Strong and Free (ONSAF), places particular focus on defending the Arctic and its approaches through credible deterrence. As climate change, economic interests, and strategic competition drive growing interest and activity in the region, Canada remains committed to protecting the safety and security of the Arctic. In the face of new and emerging threats, the Defence Team must remain prepared to conduct and sustain activities to: defend against threats to the continent; demonstrate Canada’s enduring sovereignty; and promote cooperation and stability in the region through engagement with domestic and international partners and allies.

Research Questions

• What new or modernized force structures, capabilities, infrastructure, and technologies are needed to enhance the Defence Team's presence, operational effectiveness, and sustainment in the Arctic?
• What are the impacts of climactic, environmental, and geopolitical changes on future defence requirements across Canada's Arctic and North?
• How can the Defence Team best deter conflict and threats to Canada's Arctic, especially within the context of strategic competition and climate change?
• What hybrid threats are manifesting in the Arctic at the local, national, and regional level and how can these threats be mitigated?
• How can the Defence Team enhance engagement with Northern communities/provinces/territories and with Indigenous Peoples, in particular with Inuit treaty partners across Inuit Nunangat, to fulfill Canada's commitments towards reconciliation and meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples through domestic defence and security capabilities/operations?
• How can multi-purpose northern infrastructure best support Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations and contribute towards the needs of territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples, and Northern communities?
• What are the security and defence implications of non-Arctic states seeking to increase their presence and influence in the Arctic? What considerations should guide Canada's response to this increased interest?
• What is the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Arctic? In light of the accession of all like-minded Arctic states to NATO, should this role be re-examined?
• What is the NATO and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) connection in the Arctic? How are the security and defence arenas of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific interconnected, and what are the implications for Canada's Arctic and the broader defence of North America?
• How can Canada enhance opportunities for information and intelligence sharing on Arctic threats with domestic and international partners and allies?
• What is the Defence Team's role in advancing whole-of-government priorities and cross-cutting issues in the Arctic, including those related to Women, Peace and Security (WPS)?

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The Challenge

The increasing reliance on cyber and space for daily life, economic growth, and military operations presents both opportunities and challenges for Canada’s prosperity and defence. Cyber and space are crucial domains of military operations, and critically important to gain advantage over our adversaries. At the same time, reliance on these domains creates a vulnerability, which is exacerbated by rapid advances in technology and offensive capabilities that can be exploited by actors. Moreover, disruptive actions in cyber and space are often conducted below the threshold of conflict, blurring our normally clear legal threshold for action to the advantage of adversaries.

Retaining an edge in this complex environment demands creativity, integration, and leveraging the full range of national security tools. The Defence Team must be ready to anticipate, adapt, and act to contribute alongside national and international partners to secure Canadian defence, national security, and broader interests against these pan-domain challenges.

Research Questions

• Deterrence in cyber and space domains contribute to security in North America. What key elements should the Defence Team prioritize in a credible deterrence strategy, specifically as it pertains to the cyber and space domains?
• How should Canada ensure greater resilience of assets supporting operations in the cyber and space domains?
• How does the employment of effects in the cyber and space domains impact the traditional understanding of escalation, from peacetime through crisis to conflict?
• What is the role of commercial actors in the cyber and space domains, including during conflict, and how should the Government of Canada engage them and manage their contribution, from both a policy and legal perspective?
• How should the Defence Team advance strategic partnerships with industry to ensure cyber and space competitive advantage?
• What are key opportunities to enhance interoperability and collaboration with traditional and non-traditional military and defence partners?
• How can the Defence Team contribute to raising overall awareness of the critical role of cyber and space in the public space in a way that fosters an informed national policy and political dialogue on these issues?
• How do the cyber and space domains affect other important Government of Canada priorities, such as climate change and diversity and inclusion?

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The Challenge

Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) as well as quantum technology, have the potential to fundamentally change the nature of conflict and military operations. They can provide unique advantages of speed and efficiency that will benefit both operational and enterprise applications, but can also be used to amplify existing threats, such as cyber and disinformation. The Defence Team and Canada as a whole are endeavoring to be at the forefront of global efforts to meet the opportunities and challenges associated with emerging technologies. This is especially the case with a strong Canadian research and development ecosystem (i.e., academia and industry), and the Defence Team initiatives to develop and employ emerging technologies in a responsible manner, in accordance with national and international law and Canada’s principles and moral standards.

Canada released its National Defence AI and National Quantum Strategies, focusing on ethical, inclusive, and trusted AI and Quantum implementation and prioritizing interoperability, battlespace advantage, and corporate stewardship. The rapid pace of that technological change requires the Defence Team to quickly translate advancements into military capabilities, limit the exploitation by adversaries, partner with academia and industry, and retain a necessary technological edge alongside key allies.

Research Questions

• How can the Defence Team build upon existing programs and other strategic partnerships with industry, start-ups and academia to further expedite the innovation, procurement, and onboarding of new technologies into military capabilities, ensuring we keep pace with allies and adversaries and maintain a competitive advantage?
• What are the central emerging and disruptive technologies of military relevance and does the Defence Team have the appropriate policies in place to support adoption along the same timelines as our partners and adversaries?
• What are best practices or lessons learned from allies and partners that can inform Canada's approach to emerging technology innovation, procurement, and military adoption?
• What are the legal and ethical policy considerations for the Defence Team in developing, adopting, and employing emerging technologies?
• How could the Defence Team leverage emerging technology to increase resilience in the information domain? What can Canada do to increase the public awareness of and resilience to risks in the information environment?
• How do emerging technologies affect other important Government of Canada priorities, such as climate change and diversity and inclusion? Are there other less talked about emerging technologies that promise to have major defence policy and military implications that require more attention?
• How should the Defence Team adapt to threats posed by uncrewed systems such as drones, including in the air, maritime, and land domains? In this vein, what offensive capabilities should Canada be investing in to ensure interoperability?