Pursuing the national interest in a regional context: The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces as foreign policy instruments in Latin America and the Caribbean

The federal policy review process which followed the 1993 Liberal election victory resulted in significant departmental restructuring and program reductions to accommodate the imperatives of reduced budget allocations. In the foreign policy domain, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade and the Department of National Defence had embarked on pervasive policy reviews which sought to formally establish appropriate policy directions for each department as Canada faced an uncertain economic future. This thesis examines the ensuing relationship between foreign and defence policies, and particularly notes the consequential impact on defence policy objectives of declared foreign policy decisions, and outlines the benefit which a broader view of security could have on the utility of the Canadian Forces in the exploitation of the national interest defined in regional terms. This theme is traced through a representative case study of Latin America and the Caribbean, in which Canada's national interest is identified, and the degree to which both federal departments relate to each other is explored. The conclusion drawn is that, to be most effective in the exploitation of the national interest, both foreign policy instruments must achieve complementarity in the pursuit of their individual objectives. From this conclusion, several observations and comments are advanced which elaborate on the potential for more effective defence policy formulation and implementation.