Summary
In the March 2008 'National Security Strategy for the United Kingdom' (Cm. 7291), the Government committed to presenting regular updates to provide a progress report, as well as to outline any evolution or adaptation in approach.
This update, 'Security for the Next Generation' (Cm. 7590), sets out what has been achieved in the past year, how the approach has been strengthened, the assessment of challenges ahead, and the response to those challenges.
As in the 2008 document, chapters outline the diverse but interconnected set of threats and risks that affect the United Kingdom directly and have the potential to undermine wider international stability. They include:
- international terrorism;
- weapons of mass destruction;
- conflicts and failed states;
- pandemics; and
- trans-national crime.
These threats and risks are driven by a diverse set of underlying factors, including:
- climate change;
- competition for energy;
- poverty and poor governance;
- demographic changes; and
- globalisation.
This update sets out the Government's actions in tackling the drivers of insecurity, addressing the threat factors, analysing the threat domains, and seeking to understand how and where threats manifest themselves.
Cyber security has also emerged as a new challenge, and the Government publishes its 'Cyber Security Strategy of the United Kingdom' (Cm. 7642) alongside this update.
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