Since its inception in 1949, Canada has played an integral role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its numerous military and non-military engagements. As a founding member, Canada’s involvement over the past 70 years has varied from troop deployment and training in Europe during much of the Cold War, to activity abroad in places like Afghanistan and Libya. The articles in the NATO and Canada program examine NATO’s operational history and Canada’s role from a multitude of perspectives. The NATO Association of Canada aims to supply Canadians with a greater insight into the inner workings of this long-standing alliance and its Canadian contributions.

NATO and Canada

Canada’s Relationship with the United States: A National Security Perspective

This article looks at Canada’s proactive measures in the aftermath of 9/11, such as increased national security spending, efforts to protect critical infrastructure, and collaboration with the US, while also addressing the strain on US-Canada relations during the Trump administration

NATO and Canada

Assessing NATO’s Interventions in Afghanistan and Libya

This article examines NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan and Libya, assessing the motives and effectiveness of these interventions. Criticisms include a lack of coordination with stakeholders and potential economic conflicts among participating NATO members. The interventions aimed to promote security and stability but faced challenges. Lessons learned highlight the need for nuanced and context-dependent approaches in peace-building operations. The long-term impact of these interventions and their effectiveness remain subjects of ongoing debate.

NATO and Canada

Canada, NATO, and Collaborative Partnerships for Global Security and Peace with Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

The collaboration of NATO with various intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Arab League, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is examined in this article. It emphasizes Canada’s participation in these collaborations, such as election observation missions, security measures in Iraq, peace efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, counternarcotics initiatives, and support for drug treatment facilities in Central Asia, highlighting the importance of NATO’s engagement with IGOs in advancing collective defence and promoting peace and security globally.

NATO and Canada

Why We Need to Study Impacts When Discussing NATO Burden Sharing

Measuring NATO burden sharing fairness is not an easy task. Benjamin Zyla argues that we need to move beyond focusing on input and output variables due to their methodological limitations, and instead focus on studying the impact that NATO member states have in contributing to NATO’s collective goods.

NATO and Canada

Rethinking NATO’s 2 Per Cent Defence Spending Target: 2023 Enlargement, Canadian Defence Needs, Cooperative Bargaining Models, and Institutional Outcomes 

With Finland having joined NATO, the alliance has added its 31st member. Finland’s significant defence capabilities integrated into NATO will affect Arctic collaboration with some implications for Canada. In this article, Anessa Kimball explores Canadian defence needs, and whether the alliance’s 2 per cent GDP defence spending target remains relevant.

NATO and Canada

Should NATO Expand to include non-European States?

NATO has undergone several periods of expansion throughout its long existence. From the original 12 member states in 1949, NATO has expanded to include 30 members now, plus the imminent accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance. NATO’s expansion has at times been controversial. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many argued that Read More…

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Did you know? 9 Facts About Money Laundering in Canada Infographic

How much do you know about money laundering in Canada? In this infographic Katherine E. Todd
shares 9 key facts about money laundering like how much money is laundered in Canada, how it happens, and what the government has done to stop it.