Defence Forces Review 2020

This year's Defence Forces Review 2020 on the theme of 'The global island: Strategic implications for Irish defence planning in the evolving geopolitical landscape,' will be published in collaboration with DCU School of Law and Government, and launched in conjunction with an academic seminar held at DCU in December 2020. In providing a forum for critical reflection and the application of learning from other contexts, the Defence Forces Review seeks to improve foresight and encourage enhanced strategic choices that prepare Ireland and the Defence Forces for the future. 

Papers are invited for submission across a broad disciplinary and multi-disciplinary spectrum looking at the evolution of contemporary threats and opportunities and their implication for military strategic planners in three key domains: national, European and global. Special attention will be given to the rate of change and level of uncertainty, and how this may shape Ireland’s engagement in key domains.

Submissions are invited, inter alia, to address a range of topics (full details in the call for papers, below), including:

• The implications of the evolving geopolitical environment for Irish national security and strategic defence planning;
• The impact of Ireland’s multilateral engagement, as a member of the European Union and the United Nations, on future national policy development, and Ireland’s preparedness to actively contribute to future mandates;
• The ways in which shifting norms in the protection and targeting of civilians in conflict contexts might shape Ireland’s engagement in peace support operations internationally;
• The extent to which Ireland is prepared and capable of demonstrating the required resilience in response to global health crises and pandemics, and more broadly, how it can develop its level of social readiness; and 
• How wider society can be engaged in these debates, such that, policy choices are clearly understood, and associated policy decisions are grounded in full democratic consent.

In the first instance, 300 word abstracts should be submitted no later than 29th May 2020. Final invited submissions should not exceed 3,000 words, and will be due no later than 14th August 2020. All abstracts and subsequent final submissions should be directed to paul.hegarty@defenceforces.ie by the deadlines stated above. Full details in the call for papers, attached here.