Canada and the Five Eyes Partnership: Looking Ahead

Abstract

In examining the Five Eyes Intelligence Partnership there are two important issues for students. First, what does it do, and what are its advantages for Canada and the Western alliance. Second, is the partnership in danger. 

The second question arises now because the President of the United States does not attribute value to alliances or to transnational institutions in general. The threat to the low-profile Five Eyes partnership is limited but still real. If the risks became a reality, the progress that Canada has made in the past 18 years in putting accurate intelligence at the service of informed decision-making would be lost. This would have a direct impact on Canada’s ability to contribute to the resolution of the problems being discussed at this conference.