Lorraine Elliott, ‘The Alliance and Non-Traditional Security’, Alliance 21 Program, Sydney: United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney, 2012.

Non-traditional security (NTS) – or non-traditional threats to security – is a broad concept that captures variously an agenda of issues, a critique of orthodox approaches to security, and an alternative security problematic. Not surprisingly, NTS concerns have spilled over into the Alliance dialogue process between Australia and the US. Nevertheless, there is as yet little coherence or clarity in the way that the Alliance partners have addressed NTS challenges as part of their bilateral cooperation or as a pivot point for regional engagement. Two related arguments inform this paper. First, non-traditional security should be taken seriously by Australia and the United States under the dialogue umbrella of the Alliance relationship. Second, if NTS issues are to be addressed seriously and successfully in terms of Australian and US individual and shared security objectives, the Alliance has to be understood and function as part of a broader patchwork of regional security arrangements in which the US and Australia have special interest.