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Commentary

Forging the Economy-Security Link at the Toronto G7 Foreign and Security Ministers' Meetings

Tracy Wang, G7 Research Group
April 22, 2018

There is an intimate link between economy and security in international affairs, with each domain serving as both a cause and cure of problems and progress in the other. A strong economy enables countries to contribute to global security in both reactive and preventive ways, while security from threats, both inside and outside a country, enable it to grow the economy more than it otherwise would.

How well will the G7 foreign and security ministers' meeting in Toronto on April 22-24 recognize the links, and act in ways that mobilize the synergies between the two? Given the agendas of the ministers' working sessions, gender and cyber security seem to be more predominant than the economy in combination with security to catalyze its effectiveness.

When the G7 foreign ministers met in April 2017 in Lucca, Italy, several of the 141 commitments they announced in their communiqué contained a clear economic link to security. Examples include:

• "[we are determined to coordinate our efforts in] promoting stability, inclusion and prosperity," with regard to countering terrorism and violent extremism;
• "we reiterate our full support to Prime Minister al-Abadi and strongly encourage the Government of Iraq to continue in its efforts to advance reconciliation at national and local level and the implementation of political and economic reforms";
• "we affirm our commitment to supporting the PC/GNA and the people of Libya in order to broaden support for the Libyan Political Agreement and reconciliation, consolidate effective state institutions, including security forces, … diversify the economy, … and eradicate the terrorist threat, while continuing to fight all forms of criminal activity"; and
• "we affirm our long term commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan."

The year before, in April 2016 at Hiroshima, Japan, among the foreign ministers' 59 commitments were several that addressed link between the economy and security:

• Addressing Iraq, "the G7 affirms our commitment to work together, including with the International Monetary Fund and the international financial institutions, to provide and expedite financing for Iraq as appropriate, in support of its economic reform program and efforts to directly address fiscal vulnerabilities."
• Regarding Ukraine, the foreign ministers stated, "we remain fully committed to Ukraine's reform agenda, and to providing long-term support to this end" and "we will continue to work together with the international financial institutions and other partners to provide financial and technical assistance."
• Regarding Arab countries in transition, the foreign ministers "reiterate[d] our commitment to the implementation of the Deauville Partnership, in order to address the political, economic and social challenges faced by the Arab countries in transition (ACTs)" and "remain committed to supporting ACTs in order to foster sound financial and economic evolution through long term structural reforms and improved governance in support of economic development and stability and democratization."

In Toronto, the foreign and security ministers remain primarily focused on conflict regions. Gender and cyberspace, as opposed to the economy, are catalyzed in tandem with security in two of the foreign ministers' eight sessions: "Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, with a focus on Women, Peace and Security" and "Conflict Prevention and Support for UN Peace Efforts and Reforms, Cyber, Counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism" sessions. Themes relating to cyber security take predominance in the security ministers' meetings, with half the sessions on the topic: the third session, "Preventing Violent Extremist and Terrorist Use of the Internet," and the fourth session, "Cybersecurity."

Why is it that none of the foreign and security sessions appeal directly to the economy? Although Canada has many comparative advantages within the G7, women and gender are issues where other world leaders may confidently look to Canada for guidance, and Canada is likely looking to spark discourse and meaningful progress here as one of the Charlevoix's five main themes. In Toronto, it is sensible for Canada to leverage its strengths and priorities when it sets the agenda.

It remains to be seen how fruitful discussions on Ukraine were at Taormina given Ukraine's pervasive corruption and imminent security threat of the Russians, as well as how possible it will be to rebuild Iraq now that ISIS has been removed as a territorial state. At Charlevoix, Canada would be wise to communicate strong leadership and the promotion of the institution's values and importance in light of neighbouring United States heading in an increasingly closed-off space — whether it be by coercing states to devote resources to the protection of women in war zones, which the United States may agree to, or by taking stances on the promotion of multilateral trade and encouraging developing economies, which it may not.

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Tracy Wang is an analyst with the G7 Research Group and was a member of the field team at the 2017 Taormina Summit.

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