Canadian Intelligence Priorities (Year Month)

Key Chapter Title List

1. Ministerial Foreword
2. Statement on Transparency, Diversity, and Inclusion in National Security and Intelligence
3. Overview
4. Definition and Practice of Intelligence
5. Canada's Core Intelligence Agencies
6. Intelligence Oversight and Review Mechanisms
7. Development and Management of Intelligence Priorities
8. Counter Intelligence Priorities (Foreign Interference, Espionage, etc.)
9. Advance Intelligence Priorities (Technological Environment, Climate Change, etc.)
10. Defend Intelligence Priorities (Arctic Sovereignty, Defence Operations, etc.)
11. Protect Intelligence Priorities (Violent Extremism, Organized Crime, etc.)
12. Conclusion

Document Introduction

In recent years, the global landscape has undergone dramatic changes, with national security threats becoming increasingly diverse and complex. Canada's intelligence community has remained committed to providing security for the government, its allies, and its citizens. Against this backdrop, the Government of Canada has, for the first time, released *Canada's Intelligence Priorities*. This aims to bridge the trust gap between the public and intelligence agencies by enhancing transparency, while also clarifying the core focus areas for the intelligence community's work leading up to 2025.

The report systematically outlines the foundational framework of Canada's intelligence work, including the definition of intelligence, its generation process, product types, and key users. It details the functions and roles of core intelligence agencies such as the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE). It also explains oversight and review mechanisms like the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), constructing a tripartite picture of the intelligence system encompassing "agencies, functions, and oversight."

As the core of the report, the intelligence priorities are structured around four strategic objectives: "Counter," "Advance," "Defend," and "Protect." The Counter category focuses on direct risks posed by state actors, such as foreign interference, espionage, sabotage, and cyber threats. The Advance category addresses issues affecting national prosperity and sustainable development, including the technological environment, global governance, health and food security, and climate change. The Defend category emphasizes defensive issues like Arctic sovereignty, defence operations, and global security and stability. The Protect category targets risks that directly threaten citizen safety and social order, such as violent extremism, transnational organized crime, and illicit financing.

The report clarifies the process for establishing intelligence priorities: approval by Cabinet, with directives issued by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, National Defence, and Public Safety, followed by implementation management and coordination through the Deputy Minister-level National Security Committee and the Assistant Deputy Minister Intelligence Committee. Simultaneously, it emphasizes that intelligence work must adhere to the principles of legality and privacy protection, strictly comply with laws and regulations such as the *Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms*, and ensure intelligence activities are free from discriminatory factors through the Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) mechanism.

The release of this report is a key measure for Canada in fulfilling its 2017 commitment to national security transparency. It provides top-level guidance for resource allocation within the intelligence community and serves as an important basis for public participation in national security dialogue and oversight of government work. Faced with continuously evolving global security challenges, Canada's intelligence community will continue to collaborate with domestic and international partners to strengthen the nation's resilience against various threats.