INFOGRAPHIC: What is national security policy and what is its objective?
Currently, both the major challenges in the regional security environment of which the Republic of Moldova is a part, as well as domestic factors, make it necessary to adapt the NSP to the new circumstances, and permanent revision should become an imperative.
However, the problem lies not only in the awareness of this need for adaptation, but the revision from a practical perspective with real strategies and programs, correlated with the state’s risk management capabilities, as well as national defense capabilities, from the military to the civilian component. This will contribute to increasing the credibility of the Republic of Moldova towards its partners, in particular the European Union.
National security policy is seen as a set of standards for decision making, a generally accepted reference point for the government’s attitude and reaction in response to events that present threats, risks, challenges or opportunities to national security. On the one hand, the functionality of the national security system depends on the ultimate goal of the security policy, which cannot be approached in the abstract. On the other hand, the mechanism of security policy making, including the formulation of strategic objectives, is influenced by the national security system (stemming from institutional competences, e.g. functional limits of the Supreme Security Council), individuals (factor
decision-making factor), regional processes (e.g. European economic integration) and external factors from the perspective of power interests in the region and on the territory of the Republic of Moldova in particular.
Traditionally, the objective of the national security policy is to define an overall national vision over the process of developing reference documents, such as a national security strategy or sectoral strategies and plans. A clearly defined objective facilitates the elaboration of the strategic vision and reveals whether there is a common understanding of security interests at national level and a real awareness of how/how to use the available instruments to protect the national interest. Thus, the national security policy can be presented as a single document or as a series of already existing documents, which together constitute a coherent and integrated policy.
