Accurate assessment of Nat’l security strategies is of paramount importance: Army Chief Sharma

Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma has said that a premature tendency to draw conclusions regarding national and international security issues can result in an incorrect prioritization of our efforts and resources. “Therefore, accurate assessment and evaluation of national security strategies and policies are of paramount importance. We need well-founded long-term policies commensurate with our resources and economic capability,” CoAS Sharma said on Monday while inaugurating the 8th Advanced Course on National Security.

Participants in the Advanced Course include personalities from various governmental and non-governmental institutions of Nepal.

He said that national security is an imperative aspect for all nations, irrespective of their size and location, to maintain their independence, sovereignty, dignity, and representation in global affairs and we must ensure that we have the requisite capabilities to address the range of present and future security issues.

While we analyze and scrutinize the broader security issues of non-traditional security threats, we cannot and should not disregard the potential dangers and consequences of traditional threats and issues, the Army Chief said.

On the occasion, he said the traditional state-centric approach to security regarded the state as the one and only referent object of security there by placing military power at its center. “However, the change of the world order in the post-cold war era and the impacts of the sheer pace of globalization have significantly widened the scope of national security, which embraces a multi-sectoral human-centric approach,” the CoAS added.

Sharma was of the view that globalization has made countries more interdependent, but at the same time, it has also increased the vulnerability of nations to external events and thereby called for a deeper perspective on national security beyond traditional and non-traditional military threats.

In recognition of the potential adverse impacts posed by diverse security threats, the current constitution of Nepal emphasizes the importance of considering broader aspects of security, according to the CoAS.

He stated that the recent National Security Policy stands as a crucial milestone in this direction, providing a pivotal framework for preserving and promoting our national security interests.

On the occasion, Army Chief Sharma said that the construction of the much-awaited National Defense University, Nepal is underway and hoped that it will work as a platform for producing competent human resources capable of making meaningful contribution on the policies and the strategies formulation process.

Likewise, Secretary at the Ministry of Defense Kiran Raj Sharma said that the nature of security threats has been changing globally and no single nation is free from multi-dimensional threats and thus remains prone to various internal conflicts.

Secretary Sharma added that our willingness and ability to operate together with the security organizations and line ministries should increase our ability to protect and promote our national interests.

“Small states face a range of threats that can impact the security, stability and prosperity. To address these threats, small states need to engage in diplomacy, build alliances, invest in military capabilities and disaster preparedness,” Secretary Sharma mentioned.

The Ministry of Defense and the Nepali Army are jointly conducting this course to enhance cooperation and understanding among high-level officials from different sectors of the government on various national security issues

Participants in the 8th Advanced Course on National Security include personalities from various governmental and non-governmental institutions of Nepal.

This course is expected to discuss the trends of future warfare, mulls over factors that threaten national security and stability, and endeavors to suggest basic strategic moves, policies and plans.

The 15-day-long course that started on Monday at the Army Command and Staff College in Shivapuri will also see discussions and exchange of ideas on multiple facets of national security and issues of national interests.